Canal Street Blues LGBT Supporters Group 2014

[the old abbey]

Good god.is this thread still going.unreal.

 

[DigglerUK]

Good to see a Blue at the front :)

Aye. Looks a nice bloke as well, kind face on him.

I recently decided to become involved in helping to set up Canal Street Blues with John and the others after our home match against Chelsea - I was sat right next to the away fans and of course there was the usual banter between supporters.

However this Chelsea lad who had been quite vocal throughout the first half, and hardly paid attention to the game started hurling homophobic comments such as "Meet me outside after the game you f**king faggot", "grow a set of balls you f**king bender" to a city fan a couple of seats to the right of me (who'd been giving grief back also to the Chelsea fan).

Obviously made me mad, but also very uncomfortable to be there and I was ready to say something to him, but to the credit of a city steward who overheard this, he then stepped in and told him that using that kind of language is unacceptable, and if he did it again he would be ejected. Was a proper "telling off" and it did shut him up!

This spoiled the game for me (as well the 0-1 scoreline with our first home defeat for so long), as I was concentrating on him as much as the game after this point.

That event is probably why I decided to get involved in CSB - as we should start working with the club and the wider football world in general to try and let people know that using these kind of words is just as unacceptable as the racism black and ethnic minorities fans and players encountered over many years.

The group (for me anyhow) is not about shouting about your sexuality - I can understand when people say "why do the gays have to shout about it by having these pride parades" that it can seem that way (and maybe many LGBT people attending these pride events are indeed doing it for that exact reason).

For me, it's about letting all fans know that LGBT people do attend football matches - there is a common stereotype that it's a "man's game" and therefore is only straight people who enjoy football and attend matches. The only way to let other fans know this is to be visible and public - attending pride events is one way to do this but there are others.

It's about our club having a representative of LGBT fans that they can work with to help make it a more welcoming place for all fans who may have witnessed discrimination in the past.

It's also about the club also having an LGBT supporters group as other clubs also have their own or are forming them now (Arsenal, Spurs, Everton, Liverpool, Norwich so far).

But for me another important reason is also about letting gay fans know that there are other gays fans out there - and if they have (for example) felt uncomfortable at a match due to chanting and that may stop them going again, that they can meet other LGBT fans through an official supporters group, and maybe start attending games as will feel safer through "safety in numbers".

We're a small number so far (only being formed for a few months), but if anyone reading this wants to become a member of CSB once we've set-up fully, you can visit the (currently in development) website at http://www.canalstreetblues.co.uk and fill in your details there, or http://twitter.com/CanalStBlues, or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Canal-Street-Blues/601567279917236

I know the majority of the blues fans will be behind the reasons the Canal Street Blues formed - but of course it is to be expected we will get the odd one who for whatever reason doesn't agree as to why we need to have such a supporters club.

Interesting debates on here lads and lasses. Just quoted the above to remind what CSB is about. In summary the main reasons are:

- Let other LGBT City fans meet up before and after matches, with other LGBT fans. Particularly helpful for some who, for whatever reason, aren't members of other supporters clubs.
- Work with the club and others to try and help stamp out homophobic comments people hear on the terraces and elsewhere.

We're not here to let the person next to us know we're gay. But also we shouldn't have to hide that fact also (for example saying that "Aguero looks hot in the new kit" or similar is something that most gay men would not say to a male fan next to them. But the same fan might talk about Natalie Pike and how hot she is. One currently would be deemed acceptable by many in society. One maybe not.)

If someone says Natalie looks hot it doesn't offend me... I would agree she's good looking but I of course wouldn't fancy her. The same goes for a straight man hearing the Aguero comment.

Difference is that I would not probably say the Aguero comment for fear of being ridiculed - or worse.

That's an extreme example of why LGBT fans still need to work together ... but a snapshot of why we have to censor our daily lives when supporting City.

All fans should be able to talk with other fans on whatever they want - then the game can be enjoyed by all!

 

[woolleyback blue]

Nice to see the City boys taking part in Taurus's "Its a Gay Knock Out" last night in Canal St. Pity you didn't win but great time was had by all.

 

[johnbmcr]

Great day on the pride parade yesterday check out the pics on

<a class="postlink" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanalStBlues/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanalStBlues/</a> or @canalstblues

 

[DigglerUK]

Hi all.

Just to inform any one on BM interested in joining the Canal Street Blues, membership is finally open, more info and applications can be made online using the following link:

http://www.canalstreetblues.co.uk/membership

Cheers


Derek

 

[dom]

Well done CSBs

keep up the good work

 

[mammutly]

Hi all.

Just to inform any one on BM interested in joining the Canal Street Blues, membership is finally open, more info and applications can be made online using the following link:

http://www.canalstreetblues.co.uk/membership

Cheers


Derek

I wish you every success with your group, but if any random City fan told me that Natalie Pike and/or Sergio Aguero were hot, I'd think they were a bit weird. Banter like that happens between mates, gay, straight or whatever. I think you're imagining a problem that doesn't exist tbh.

 

[SteWadda]

Hi all.

Just to inform any one on BM interested in joining the Canal Street Blues, membership is finally open, more info and applications can be made online using the following link:

http://www.canalstreetblues.co.uk/membership

Cheers


Derek

I wish you every success with your group, but if any random City fan told me that Natalie Pike and/or Sergio Aguero were hot, I'd think they were a bit weird. Banter like that happens between mates, gay, straight or whatever. I think you're imagining a problem that doesn't exist tbh.

I'm not gay but if anyone said Sergio looks hot today I would have to agree.

 

[johnbmcr]

Hi all.

Just to inform any one on BM interested in joining the Canal Street Blues, membership is finally open, more info and applications can be made online using the following link:

http://www.canalstreetblues.co.uk/membership

Cheers


Derek

I wish you every success with your group, but if any random City fan told me that Natalie Pike and/or Sergio Aguero were hot, I'd think they were a bit weird. Banter like that happens between mates, gay, straight or whatever. I think you're imagining a problem that doesn't exist tbh.

I'm not gay but if anyone said Sergio looks hot today I would have to agree.

he was

 

[johnbmcr]

Vorsprung durch Technik