Gay footballers | Czech Republic international Jakub Jankto comes out as gay

[Pablo76]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49093329

Just read this article and the guy had set today’s date as the date to come out publicly, for reasons I’m sure are still unfortunately obvious, he’s decided against it.

When will we see the first openly gay professional footballer?

Whoever and whenever, how will they be treated? As an innovator, a role model or as a target for homophobes and unaccepting people who still don’t agree with such things?

 

[The Cat]

Can only cringe at the thought of the away fans' abuse during matches.

 

[SiRed]

Thomas Hiltzelsperger came out after retirement if i remember correctly. Why come out though.... nothing to be gained from it other than influencing the next generation, which i am against personally.

EDIT; I have since been corrected and accept the comments that i didn't think of before.

 

[RedNed77]

It's pretty sad that a man being gay should be newsworthy in any kind of way. I can appreciate why he's decided against it though, but it'll only take one or two and the floodgates will open. Before long I dont think anybody will really give a shit.

 

[RedNed77]

Thomas Hiltzelsperger came out after retirement if i remember correctly. Why come out though.... nothing to be gained from it other than influencing the next generation, which i am against personally.

I'm pretty sure a footballer coming out as gay isnt going to influence an otherwise straight kid into turning gay, I dont think it works like that.

 

[gormless]

The twitter account just screamed “hoax” to me.

If real, I can see why he wouldn’t. Homophobia remains a big problem.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

Thomas Hiltzelsperger came out after retirement if i remember correctly. Why come out though.... nothing to be gained from it other than influencing the next generation, which i am against personally.

What?

 

[forevrared]

Robbie Rogers played for a few years in MLS after coming out. Think we've had another couple in MLS since, whose names escape me.

 

[lemmiwink]

There have been many in the past and I am willing to bet there are alot of gay footballers currently active.

 

[Bwuk]

I think an account like that would only open up themselves for abuse sadly.

I think a much better way to combat it would just not announce it. It’s normal for someone to be gay, there doesn’t have to be a coming out parade. Who cares. If someone’s gay, their gay. It’s 2019.

 

[Nick7]

Thomas Hiltzelsperger came out after retirement if i remember correctly. Why come out though.... nothing to be gained from it other than influencing the next generation, which i am against personally.

What the feck?

 

[MsNuno]

He's deleted his twitter account apparently, I saw some of the abuse that he was getting on there, which was pretty bad so I don't blame him.

 

[3KDré]

I thought Keita Balde came out?

 

[SalfordRed18]

Thomas Hiltzelsperger came out after retirement if i remember correctly. Why come out though.... nothing to be gained from it other than influencing the next generation, which i am against personally.

It's pretty sad that a man being gay should be newsworthy in any kind of way. I can appreciate why he's decided against it though, but it'll only take one or two and the floodgates will open. Before long I dont think anybody will really give a shit.

Think that's very Idealistic and naive.

 

[Nick7]

I think an account like that would only open up themselves for abuse sadly.

I think a much better way to combat it would just not announce it. It’s normal for someone to be gay, there doesn’t have to be a coming out parade. Who cares. If someone’s gay, their gay. It’s 2019.

Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. People still get abused for being gay.

 

[Jordan_mufc]

Thomas Hiltzelsperger came out after retirement if i remember correctly. Why come out though.... nothing to be gained from it other than influencing the next generation, which i am against personally.

What a stupid post.

Firstly your clear homophobia is bang out of order.

Secondly, a footballer coming out as gay would be a giant step towards accepting homosexual players within our game. It may also give courage to others who may be hiding their sexuality.

It must be awful having to hide such a large part of your personality. I can only imagine the jibes that go around the dressing room that you would have to ignore.

I, for one, am all for it, but also completely understand his decision to pull out. The abuse would be horrendous.

 

[SiRed]

I'm pretty sure a footballer coming out as gay isnt going to influence an otherwise straight kid into turning gay, I dont think it works like that.

My point is it will be celebrated beyond all comprehension. I probably should have worded it better.
Take Xfactor for example - an average male singer goes to his audition dressed as a barbie doll in high heels and the narrative given to us public is that he is amazing and so on and the props he receives far outweigh his talent. If he had sung to the same standard dressed normally then he probably wouldn't get any plaudits at all.
Kids at home see this and it influences their future. they feel they can get by with minimal talent by being ''different''

 

[Pablo76]

Thomas Hiltzelsperger came out after retirement if i remember correctly. Why come out though.... nothing to be gained from it other than influencing the next generation, which i am against personally.

Can you elaborate?

 

[SalfordRed18]

I think an account like that would only open up themselves for abuse sadly.

I think a much better way to combat it would just not announce it. It’s normal for someone to be gay, there doesn’t have to be a coming out parade. Who cares. If someone’s gay, their gay. It’s 2019.

That's the society we strive to be, and hopefully will be in the future.

However we're not there now, so I think public figures coming out can potentially do a lot of good.

 

[Alabaster Codify7]

Not trying to be funny here, but how is a gay footballer going to be subjected to anything worse than a black player is?

Both perpetrators are bigots. You're going to encounter bigots in every walk of life, if you're part of some kind of minority group. I don't understand what is so different between a black player having bananas thrown at them and a gay player having opposition fans scream homophobic names at him? In both instances, the perpetrators would be treated the same and banned from football grounds and the victim would be given moral support by the media, fans and team-mates...…..you would hope.

Yes there will always be the odd team-mate who is homophobic. But I honestly think the vast majority wouldn't care and possibly would even know about it, even if just a hunch,before the player came out.

Be honest, there are doubtlessly hundreds of racist footballers in the PL. Players who begrudgingly share a locker room with African players etc, but behind closed doors are probably right-wing and vocal about it.

 

[fergosaurus]

Thomas Hiltzelsperger came out after retirement if i remember correctly. Why come out though.... nothing to be gained from it other than influencing the next generation, which i am against personally.

Took two replies for a stupid post like this. No wonder gay people have a hard time opening up about their sexuality when there are moronic views like this in this day and age.

 

[Kag]

Thomas Hiltzelsperger came out after retirement if i remember correctly. Why come out though.... nothing to be gained from it other than influencing the next generation, which i am against personally.

What a feckwit you are.

 

[FootyGirl88]

Thomas Hiltzelsperger came out after retirement if i remember correctly. Why come out though.... nothing to be gained from it other than influencing the next generation, which i am against personally.

 

[The Boy]

Thomas Hiltzelsperger came out after retirement if i remember correctly. Why come out though.... nothing to be gained from it other than influencing the next generation, which i am against personally.

Providing a role model for young gay boys and men is hardly nothing to be gained, it’s an incredibly powerful statement to make. It’s beyond time we had openly gay players, they’re clearly there.

Not sure what there is to be against here, it clearly won’t make straight kids gay, but could massively help gay people who are also scared of coming out. Win win, but to be the first would take a lot of guts.

 

[SalfordRed18]

My point is it will be celebrated beyond all comprehension. I probably should have worded it better.
Take Xfactor for example - an average male singer goes to his audition dressed as a barbie doll in high heels and the narrative given to us public is that he is amazing and so on and the props he receives far outweigh his talent. If he had sung to the same standard dressed normally then he probably wouldn't get any plaudits at all.
Kids at home see this and it influences their future. they feel they can get by with minimal talent by being ''different''

Dafuq did I just read?

 

[SalfordRed18]

Not trying to be funny here, but how is a gay footballer going to be subjected to anything worse than a black player is?

Both perpetrators are bigots. You're going to encounter bigots in every walk of life, if you're part of some kind of minority group. I don't understand what is so different between a black player having bananas thrown at them and a gay player having opposition fans scream homophobic names at him? In both instances, the perpetrators would be treated the same and banned from football grounds and the victim would be given moral support by the media, fans and team-mates...…..you would hope.

Difference is, you can't hide being black. You can hide being gay. It's literally that simple.

 

[Kostur]

Happy annual gay footballer thread!

 

[Marcelinho87]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49093329

Just read this article and the guy had set today’s date as the date to come out publicly, for reasons I’m sure are still unfortunately obvious, he’s decided against it.

When will we see the first openly gay professional footballer?

Whoever and whenever, how will they be treated? As an innovator, a role model or as a target for homophobes and unaccepting people who still don’t agree with such things?

Both, he will be targeted in the stands for his sexuality but he will also be revered by the gay community and will become a poster boy for them.

 

[SiRed]

What a stupid post.

Firstly your clear homophobia is bang out of order.

Secondly, a footballer coming out as gay would be a giant step towards accepting homosexual players within our game. It may also give courage to others who may be hiding their sexuality.

It must be awful having to hide such a large part of your personality. I can only imagine the jibes that go around the dressing room that you would have to ignore.

I, for one, am all for it, but also completely understand his decision to pull out. The abuse would be horrendous.

Firstly I'm not homophobic one bit. i just have a slightly different view to you thats all.
Secondly there is no need for a footballer or anyone for that matter to declare their sexuality. Why should it matter? What does it achieve? If there are homosexuals playing the game which there obviously will be then they have already been accepted have they not? no need to make an issue out of it.

 

[Vidyoyo]

I think an account like that would only open up themselves for abuse sadly.

I think a much better way to combat it would just not announce it. It’s normal for someone to be gay, there doesn’t have to be a coming out parade. Who cares. If someone’s gay, their gay. It’s 2019.

Yep, it seems like the media is heaping a whole load of pressure on the first to do it but who'd want that pressure in addition to already being a professional footballer. You'd have to have an ego the size of Ronaldo's to actually want that. I don't blame people for just wanting to get on with their lives instead.

 

[Kag]

My point is it will be celebrated beyond all comprehension. I probably should have worded it better.
Take Xfactor for example - an average male singer goes to his audition dressed as a barbie doll in high heels and the narrative given to us public is that he is amazing and so on and the props he receives far outweigh his talent. If he had sung to the same standard dressed normally then he probably wouldn't get any plaudits at all.
Kids at home see this and it influences their future. they feel they can get by with minimal talent by being ''different''

How many children do you work with on a daily basis, out of curiosity?

Because your last point is up there with the biggest load of shit I’ve ever read on this forum.

 

[Pagh Wraith]

Not trying to be funny here, but how is a gay footballer going to be subjected to anything worse than a black player is?

Both perpetrators are bigots. You're going to encounter bigots in every walk of life, if you're part of some kind of minority group. I don't understand what is so different between a black player having bananas thrown at them and a gay player having opposition fans scream homophobic names at him? In both instances, the perpetrators would be treated the same and banned from football grounds and the victim would be given moral support by the media, fans and team-mates...…..you would hope.

Yes there will always be the odd team-mate who is homophobic. But I honestly think the vast majority wouldn't care and possibly would even know about it, even if just a hunch,before the player came out.

Be honest, there are doubtlessly hundreds of racist footballers in the PL. Players who begrudgingly share a locker room with African players etc, but behind closed doors are probably right-wing and vocal about it.

Black people can't hide the fact that they are black, can they? So it's not really the same thing. Also there are loads of black players in the game whereas an openly homosexual player is going to stand out.

 

[Nick7]

Firstly I'm not homophobic one bit. i just have a slightly different view to you thats all.
Secondly there is no need for a footballer or anyone for that matter to declare their sexuality. Why should it matter? What does it achieve? If there are homosexuals playing the game which there obviously will be then they have already been accepted have they not? no need to make an issue out of it.

Your posts say differently.

 

[lysglimt]

Think the Fashanu-story still scares players. But its strange in womens football, lesbians are almost more common than heterosexuals.

 

[SalfordRed18]

Firstly I'm not homophobic one bit. i just have a slightly different view to you thats all.
Secondly there is no need for a footballer or anyone for that matter to declare their sexuality. Why should it matter? What does it achieve? If there are homosexuals playing the game which there obviously will be then they have already been accepted have they not? no need to make an issue out of it.

You're literally in a thread where a homosexual footballer created an anonymous account in which he was going to out himself, and then backed out most likely due to the abuse he was getting.

What part of that sounds like he's been accepted?

 

[SiRed]

Took two replies for a stupid post like this. No wonder gay people have a hard time opening up about their sexuality when there are moronic views like this in this day and age.

They shouldnt have to open up, thats my point. What would said player gain by saying 'hey i have a different sexual preference to most?'

 

[RobinLFC]

Firstly I'm not homophobic one bit. i just have a slightly different view to you thats all.
Secondly there is no need for a footballer or anyone for that matter to declare their sexuality. Why should it matter? What does it achieve? If there are homosexuals playing the game which there obviously will be then they have already been accepted have they not? no need to make an issue out of it.

They haven't been accepted because they're still having to conceal their true personality. The gay footballer coming out today would've been absolutely huge for the LGBTQ community and I bet a lot of them are very disappointed that it hasn't come to it. It would've been great for every gay footballer who's currently living a lie pretending to be straight just to fit in.

 

[Mike Smalling]

There are plenty of openly gay professional footballers. They just all happen to be women.

I really can't fault any gay male footballers for not coming out. Sadly the verbal abuse would probably be brutal. In addition, there is also likely to be some stigma within the dressing room.

 

[Nick7]

They shouldnt have to open up, thats my point. What would said player gain by saying 'hey i have a different sexual preference to most?'

To show young gay men that's it's OK, and they shouldn't be scared of pursuing something they love because of their sexual preferences.

To make it more accepted and in time help reduce the amount of abuse others will get.

To make it normal. Because right now, in football it isn't.

 

[SalfordRed18]

They shouldnt have to open up, thats my point. What would said player gain by saying 'hey i have a different sexual preference to most?'

Not having to hide a huge part of his life? Just a guess like.