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'Kick Homophobia out of Football'

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hahaha.. i thought it was funny.


but probably exactly the reason why the add wont work. People around all of the Uk will now use lines from it messing around with their mates.
 
The Racism campaign I could fully understand - but this seems a step far. There maybe the odd song - "Judas twat with HIV!", etc - but I just don't see it to be a problem. Is it really an issue?

A few footballers coming out and saying they were gay would make a big difference.
 
This is an article that was in the news this week, on this very subject.

Can gay footballers ever come out?

He dreaded going to work with his colleagues. By the time he got into training, he was so nervous he felt sick. "I was like a bullied kid on his way to school to face his tormentors," wrote Graeme le Saux, the former England and Chelsea defender, in his autobiography.

For 14 years, Le Saux endured the taunts of everyone from teammates and players such as Robbie Fowler, who bent over in front of him and pointed at his backside during a match, to thousands of vociferous fans chanting obscenities. The cultured left-back was, in a sense, England's first outed footballer. And he was not even gay.

Le Saux's experience, just because he took an interest in the arts, read the Guardian and was not part of the game's laddish drinking culture, was so traumatic that he considered quitting football. Far worse, however, were the years of abuse suffered by Justin Fashanu, the only professional English footballer to come out as gay, who took his own life in 1998.

After becoming Britain's first £1-million black player, Fashanu's career went downhill under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest. Hearing rumours that Fashanu was visiting gay bars, Clough confronted him, later writing in his autobiography: "'Where do you go if you want a loaf of bread?' I asked [Fashanu]. 'A baker's, I suppose.' 'Where do you go if you want a leg of lamb?' 'A butcher's.' 'So why do you keep going to that bloody poofs' club?'"

The Justin Campaign, named in honour of Fashanu, is just one of a group of diversity and gay rights organisations that expressed "grave concerns" this week when England's Football Association (FA) hurriedly cancelled the launch of a film intended to confront homophobia.

Previously, it was reported that the FA had been struggling to find high-profile players to support the film. Now, English football's governing body will conduct further consultation on the hard-hitting video that shows a man abusing workmates and commuters with anti-gay taunts before doing the same at a football match. It may never be released in its current form.

Homophobia widespread in the game
While English football's administrators dither, homophobia endures in the modern game. The stadiums may be plusher than ever, but they still reverberate to offensive anti-gay chants and homophobic "banter" is widespread in dressing rooms.

The list of openly gay sporting heroes around the world is a short one. Famous names include basketball's John Amaechi, hurling's Donal Og Cusack, Olympic gold medal-winning diver Matthew Mitcham and, most notably in Britain, Nigel Owens, the Welsh international rugby referee, and Gareth Thomas, Wales's most-capped player and the former British Lions captain, who came out last December.

But of 4 000 professional footballers in England and Wales, none will openly acknowledge they are gay. Paul Elliott, the former Chelsea and Celtic star who works with football diversity campaign group Kick It Out, has said at least 12 Premier League players are gay. After Thomas came out, the publicist Max Clifford revealed that he advised two high-profile gay premiership stars to keep their sexuality secret because football "remains in the Dark Ages, steeped in homophobia".

The Professional Footballers' Association has taken advice from Amaechi on how to tackle homophobic abuse in the game. "There's no point beating around the bush," says its chief executive, Gordon Taylor. "Football is a macho world but then so was the armed forces and that has changed."

Who is to blame for the repression and prejudice hanging over football? Abusive fans? Homophobic teammates? Or the stuffed shirts at the FA and leading clubs who haven't a clue about the modern world?

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of lesbian and gay rights group Stonewall, describes football as "institutionally homophobic" and says the FA is significantly behind other workplaces in tackling the problem. "The FA has been in denial at a senior level and until recently they did not acknowledge that there was any serious problem," he says.

Traditionally homophobic, macho and conservative professions such as investment banking and the armed forces are, according to Summerskill, significantly better at addressing homophobia than football.

"It's ironic that the work we're doing with the army is much more advanced than what is happening in football. We're sending openly gay and lesbian people to fight in Afghanistan, but we can't send openly gay people to fight for the World Cup this summer.

"The chiefs and generals in the armed services understand that people perform better when they can be themselves at work -- you feel more comfortable and are more productive -- and that will be true of professional football, when it finally happens, as well."

Breaking down barriers
Rather like Le Saux, former Scotland International Pat Nevin was teased in the dressing room by fellow footballers for his esoteric tastes. "I was interested in the theatre and the arts and so I got the 'you must be gay' thing -- to which I sniggered and said, 'I'm not and I don't care if you think I am'," he says.

During his playing career for Everton and Chelsea, Nevin was closely involved in the first anti-racism campaigns in football. But, perhaps surprisingly, he says he feels slightly differently about homophobia in the game. He believes the football world would quickly accept gay players and there are actually no insurmountable obstacles to them coming out; it is just up to them to reveal their sexuality.

"You hate to see homophobia out there and you don't want to hear it or have it in the clubs, but if there are any gay players they should just come out. That may sound heartless, and I am sure if you are gay there are all sorts of fears and worries, but I do think football can probably cope with it."

Clifford believes that it is unlikely a premiership star will come out in the near future but that if they do they are likely to be established, experienced stars with long careers behind them and little to lose.

Summerskill says he would be surprised if we did not see an openly gay footballer within a decade. But he does not believe high-profile players have a moral obligation to come out, even if it would undoubtedly help thousands of other young people -- and footballers -- wrestling with their sexuality.
Click to expand...
 
Perhaps the authorities could just come out with a list of things we should stop doing to save us from ourselves and things that we can and can't have opinions on, and have done with it.
Drinking is clearly in the cross hairs and in the next few years will be demonised , as smoking has been, cars will be after that, we will end up like the Amish's
At the risk of having homophobia rammed down my throat (I know), there are enough openly gay men and women around theses days to show that it no longer seems to be the issue it once was, and will eventually filter through to all areas of society , yes even football darling

regards
 
It's surely only a matter of time before Cristiano Ronaldo comes out of the closet. And Ryan will follow him, I'm sure...
 
I saw the video the other day on "Newsnight." I don't think it addresses the problem at all well and I don't blame the FA for being dubious about it.

The video shows a Dennis Hopper-style psycho walking around snarling and threatening gays, ending up with a shot of this nutter at a football match hurling anti-gay abuse.

How many of us recognise this character? I don't recall bumping into anybody like him. I suggest the problem is actually with ordinary blokes like us having a bit of a snigger like we are doing in this thread.
 
[quote author=Portly link=topic=38901.msg1053931#msg1053931 date=1265970638]
I saw the video the other day on "Newsnight." I don't think it addresses the problem at all well and I don't blame the FA for being dubious about it.

The video shows a Dennis Hopper-style psycho walking around snarling and threatening gays, ending up with a shot of this nutter at a football match hurling anti-gay abuse.

How many of us recognise this character? I don't recall bumping into anybody like him. I suggest the problem is actually with ordinary blokes like us having a bit of a snigger like we are doing in this thread.
[/quote]

100% spot-on

It's pretty brainless advertising.
 
[quote author=gareth_thomas link=topic=38901.msg1053839#msg1053839 date=1265949078]
hahaha.. i thought it was funny.


but probably exactly the reason why the add wont work. People around all of the Uk will now use lines from it messing around with their mates.




[/quote]

Mate, your name's mentioned in the article.
 
Let's face it, football is played by men who have never had to really grow up & mature.

It's watched by predominantly men who like to behave when watching it like they havent grown up either, usually in groups of their peers.

So no, homophobia isnt going to go away, cos it's prevalent amongst groups of makes no matter what class they are. You get any group of men together & if one is wearing a tight top, or whinges about being cold, or comments on his mates hair, the rest will call him a queer & laugh.

It doesnt mean they're homophobic as such, at least not in the manner that they'd batter someone for it or bully someone they knew was openly gay.

And TBH, I dont really see anything that wrong with it. It aint PC, but very little is these days.
 
But when I use words like 'gayer', the whole village of 6CM hunt me down with your pitchforks and accuse me of being homophobic ??

Yet, on the other hand, you guys give out awards for 'most camp' every few months, which is another way of saying 'most gay' etc....

This site is frankly a joke sometimes.

And no I won't leave because of it, because it's a good laugh.
 
[quote author=Roger REDerer link=topic=38901.msg1054134#msg1054134 date=1265997281]
But when I use words like 'gayer', the whole village of 6CM hunt me down with your pitchforks and accuse me of being homophobic ??

Yet, on the other hand, you guys give out awards for 'most camp' every few months, which is another way of saying 'most gay' etc....

This site is frankly a joke sometimes.

And no I won't leave because of it, because it's a good laugh.
[/quote]

Shut up you fucking queen.
 
rogq.png
 
[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=38901.msg1054137#msg1054137 date=1265997800]
[quote author=Roger REDerer link=topic=38901.msg1054134#msg1054134 date=1265997281]
But when I use words like 'gayer', the whole village of 6CM hunt me down with your pitchforks and accuse me of being homophobic ??

Yet, on the other hand, you guys give out awards for 'most camp' every few months, which is another way of saying 'most gay' etc....

This site is frankly a joke sometimes.

And no I won't leave because of it, because it's a good laugh.
[/quote]

Shut up you fucking queen.
[/quote]

lol...so you've decided to unignore me ?

oh wait...that means you've clicked the 'ignore' button TWICE !

who's the real queen eh ?
 
[quote author=Roger REDerer link=topic=38901.msg1054172#msg1054172 date=1266004767]
[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=38901.msg1054137#msg1054137 date=1265997800]
[quote author=Roger REDerer link=topic=38901.msg1054134#msg1054134 date=1265997281]
But when I use words like 'gayer', the whole village of 6CM hunt me down with your pitchforks and accuse me of being homophobic ??

Yet, on the other hand, you guys give out awards for 'most camp' every few months, which is another way of saying 'most gay' etc....

This site is frankly a joke sometimes.

And no I won't leave because of it, because it's a good laugh.
[/quote]

Shut up you fucking queen.
[/quote]

lol...so you've decided to unignore me ?

oh wait...that means you've clicked the 'ignore' button TWICE !

who's the real queen eh ?
[/quote]

Didn't I tell you to shut the fuck up? Queen.
 
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=38901.msg1054173#msg1054173 date=1266004858]
I am going to adopt Roger, even if the majority of the site despise him

This adoption is valid for 7 days
[/quote]

You were a fucking awful foster parent to me. Don't even think you posted in the same thread as me. I worry for Roger. Should give him to Ryan, who will take better care of him.
 
[quote author=darkstarexodus link=topic=38901.msg1054189#msg1054189 date=1266010254]
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=38901.msg1054173#msg1054173 date=1266004858]
I am going to adopt Roger, even if the majority of the site despise him

This adoption is valid for 7 days
[/quote]

You were a fucking awful foster parent to me. Don't even think you posted in the same thread as me. I worry for Roger. Should give him to Ryan, who will take better care of him.
[/quote]

All themn did for me was shout at me for looking for my biological parents
NO-ONE CARES WHAT MARK WANTS
:'(
 
[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=38901.msg1053930#msg1053930 date=1265970536]
It's surely only a matter of time before Cristiano Ronaldo comes out of the closet. And Ryan will follow him, I'm sure...
[/quote]

I wouldn't have thought, that just because you post on a style forum, it automatically means you are gay!
 
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