Playing on the same side? The last taboo

[MouldyRoyal]

Well before you no one had even commented on it so...

[melonhead]

Don't do that brendy - I'd look like a lunatic responding to nothing!

too late

weirdo!

[Alexander Litvinenko]

If it happens it can only be a good thing - I've bee saying fro years that a "group" coming-out would be the best policy, since it'd be a big setup for an individual to do it on their own.

If it was a player or players from every club at the same time (unlikely, I know) then even those who put tribalism and point-scoring above anything else wouldn't be able to use anyone's sexuality as a stick to attack rival teams or supporters with.

But I'm sceptical it will happen or will happen in the scale it ought to - but we're back to the a lot of the themes discussed in the racism thread : much of football is old-fashioned, insular and set in its ways, so it'd be a brave player or players who'd come out.

Because you know damn well that for some supporters and players the question of sexuality would be just another weapon in their arsenal of trying to attack others - how long before the sort of Suarez/Terry incidents we've seen with racism would occur with homophobia?

[Fox Talbot]

I'd rather we went back just to thinking about footballers as people with private lives.

I'm really not interested in them as fashion icons, gay spokespersons, political campaigners, etc

Just because you can play football well doesn't entitle you, in my opinion, to pull off your shirt and reveal whatever message you want, when you score a goal. It's discrmination against goalies for one thing.

[Hertfordshire Royal]

As long as its legal I do not care who they are shagging tbh.

I pay to watch them play football, nothing else.

[Binfield Royal]

Don't care what their sexual orientation is

Do care if they are hard working and effective players for Reading FC

Do care that no RFC player is a pratt on social media (or TV) bringing the club into disrepute

[Cobi]

Couldn't care less who in the team was homo or no homo.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Wouldn't bother me one bit. In fact fair play to them if they do come out. The only way the situation will move forward IMO is if players come out & it becomes the norm.

I have to have a guess though.

My gaydar is pretty good I reckon - so I'd pick McCarthy & Odemwingie.

[maffff]

I know a player in passing, in the lower leagues of professional football. Has a partner in the north and settled life. He moved down south because of a chance to move up the leagues, more money, etc, etc, partner would't come with him. He's since spent quite a bit of loan back in the North West, as he's unsettled. His family and close friends (+ a few acquaintances) know about it but he won't even tell his team mates. He covers up all of those aspects of his life, part of the reason he couldn't settle down the south was that he was trying to live a double life to settle in with his peers.

He's now back living with his partner and references having a partner but never any reference to who they are and makes it sound like it's a lady. Sad that he feels he has to do that. He's not very popular on the pitch as it is, if it came out who he is then as one sole player the abuse he'd get from the terraces would be intense.

But you wouldn't expect it of him.

Sounds like a good campaign, hope it has impact. I know the Government Equalities Office over here has been trying to find a way to get into football for years to get a campaign like this going, so they may be able to provide advice and support.

My only concern is the numbers that are signed up. It's deemed acceptable 'banter' to chant abuse as players. With the majority of it there's nothing sinister meant of it (which I'm not saying makes it ok..), but they'll still be subject to a lot of additional flack from fans.

[Cobi]

Hello everyone,
I've been posting on HNA? for just over six years now. Many details of my private life have obviously been disclosed in that time, but for those of you who don't know me, I am Irish (Reading fans' reaction to Doyle and Long was the reason I started reading HNA? in the first place), I now live in Germany, and I work in the entertainment business here. I am also one of the board's (it would seem) few bi- or homosexuals.

The city I live in, Nuremberg, is something of a centre of German football. The magazine 'Kicker' is based here, The German Academy of Football Culture, also http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_A ... all-Kultur A lot of the work I do is presenting and moderating on-stage events and I have gradually become involved in many football-related projects. One of them involves homosexuality in football and is due to become somewhat more public over the next year or so.

2013 is a summer without a major international footballing event in Europe (unless you count the Women's European Championships in Sweden) and there are hopes that homosexual footballers will make a joint statement next summer in an effort to combat homophobia in football. An individual player would face a storm of abuse but it is hoped that if a large group of players across Europe make a united stand, the challenge will be an easier one to bear. In England, the reaction has been mixed. None of the players from clubs playing in the Champions League or Europa League this season have so far been willing to 'come out'. Loss of sponsorship and what not, seem to be off-putting factors, but there has been a good response from the (apologies in advance) 'less glamourous' sides. There are two Premier League teams in which 3 current first-team squad members are earmarked to come clean about their sexuality next year. West Brom is one. The other is Reading, one of these players is (judging by comments on here) something of a fan favourite, and the club itself has been very supportive of the whole project.

So, my question, and the reason I put this thread on the Team Board at all. Do you think it will affect your support of Reading FC knowing that (potentially) almost a third of the starting line-up is openly homosexual? Would you prefer your players to keep their private lives to themselves? Do you think that being known as one of England's Gay Teams will affect the way you support your team? Opposition fans are obviously going to target this fact in future seasons, and it may well be a stigma that the club and supporters will have to carry for many years.

All feedback (positve or negative) much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

All the best with your camp-aim

[HoneyRoastHoax]

I couldn't care less, in fact I think it would be a good thing if they were to publically come out. There are bound to be some homophobes in the crowd and if they see the player scoring a winner or playing a great game then they will have to cheer and boundries could soon fall.

[RobRoyal]

I’ve no idea if this is an elaborate wind-up, but on the basis that it’s not…

- As you say it is very much the ‘last taboo’ in football and indeed most professional sport.
- The initiative to take place next summer is very welcome, I hope it has legs and comes to fruition.
- Such a revelation would not in any way affect my supporting of RFC, in fact I’d be proud that my club was at the forefront of such a campaign.

agreed- this^^

And the same from me.

[MrWestHam]

The bit I find strange whenever this is discussed is that people assume "obviously opposition fans will target players'.

I genuinely think the vast, vast majority of supporters are well above that and anyone outing themselves is unlikely to get any abuse from the terraces. I would suspect it would be more difficult in the changing room where the environment is so alpha male and intelligence is limited.

[Hoop Blah]

The bit I find strange whenever this is discussed is that people assume "obviously opposition fans will target players'.

I genuinely think the vast, vast majority of supporters are well above that and anyone outing themselves is unlikely to get any abuse from the terraces. I would suspect it would be more difficult in the changing room where the environment is so alpha male and intelligence is limited.

I think you're giving far too much credit to the average football fan, or at least the average vocal football fan.

I actually think the dressing room would be more open to team mates coming out than many would think. They'd certainly get a lot of banter over it yes, but that's how things are dealt with in that environment.

Opposition players would also no doubt try to use it as a way of winding up players.

[Mr Angry]

The sexuality of any person let alone any football player (for Reading or anybody else) is of absolutely zero interest to me, and its a sad state of affairs that in the 21st Century, in the Liberal, enlightened country that we purport to be, people still see this subject as an issue that merits debate.

[super darren caskey]

Dont really care what the players are

I just care that they give their all for our great football club

[Alexander Litvinenko]

The sexuality of any person let alone any football player (for Reading or anybody else) is of absolutely zero interest to me, and its a sad state of affairs that in the 21st Century, in the Liberal, enlightened country that we purport to be, people still see this subject as an issue that merits debate.

That, of course is the way it ought to be.

But the fact that there are precisely zero publicly gay footballers, and that supporters of all clubs - including Reading - habitually come out with homophobic abuse based on lazy stereotypes, suggest it is still a big problem.

[peterroyal76]

The sexuality of any person let alone any football player (for Reading or anybody else) is of absolutely zero interest to me, and its a sad state of affairs that in the 21st Century, in the Liberal, enlightened country that we purport to be, people still see this subject as an issue that merits debate.

This

[Royal Dee]

"2013 is a summer without a major international footballing event in Europe (unless you count the Women's European Championships in Sweden) and there are hopes that homosexual footballers will make a joint statement next summer in an effort to combat homophobia in football. An individual player would face a storm of abuse but it is hoped that if a large group of players across Europe make a united stand, the challenge will be an easier one to bear. .

Dont see why they have to make a stand and come out like its a witch hunt. In that case i expect every other player to announce their Heterosexuality too...
Might as well announce there political views while they are at it!

[Focher]

i honestly didnt know Starfish took up the shitlocker