Homophobia in football

[Alan Harper's Tash]

My points about what you sacrifice to be part of a team go double for captains.

There’s quite the juxtaposition between narrative in the Walker (and the offshoot “Who should be captain” threads) and this one.

 

[mikeyboy]

People using their religious beliefs as an excuse to hide behind their own homophobia. That's it in a nutshell unfortunately. Not the first time it's happened not going to be the last.

 

[kaz7]

For people who are saying it we should keep lgbt issues out of football, ofcourse it matters. Why hasn’t there been an openly gay footballer in the premier league? I can’t believe people have an issue with the FA showing support for LGBT rights. It’s just an armband, nothing else. If you don’t wear it because of your religious beliefs, you are homophobic.

Male footballers are scared to come out as football is so tribal and the homophobic chants would be constant , they may have a commercial interest they think they would lose. Male football has become too toxic

The womens game is the opposite and as such there are several gay players and there is no problems

 

[Damocles]

Any support for a cause that is enforced is useless morally and practically.

That said, they should have dropped the players. People are entitled to hold whatever views they wish and the Club is entitled to protect its reputation. Football wants to have its cake and eat it, which is where the problem lies.

 

[bluethrunthru]

There are 2 ways to look at this really -

1/ He is just homophobic but won't say it. If I were a team mate of his I would want to wear the jacket. Personal choice.

2/ He is Moroccan where being gay carries a prison sentence so maybe he fears ridicule and aggression back home once his playing days are over.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

You know what? Fine.

You all win.

You're right.

Believing that highly-visible football clubs with a wide variety of players of all races and creeds and colors and cultures could/should be leaders in promoting tolerance and understanding among different people is a mistake.

They can and should be divorced from such things.

They shouldn't ask players to wear rainbow armbands.

League-wide or even player-sponsored kneeling as a sign that racism shouldn't be tolerated should stop.

Clubs should do their level best to avoid being perceived as being involved in "political issues."

And fans who persist with monkey chants should be allowed to continue to voice them.

After all, how woke to discourage freedom of expression.

The performative left should be ashamed.

No one is proposing that we allow/encourage homophobic abuse, so your monkey chants thing is silly. I think we all agree racism and homophobia have no place on the pitch or the stands, and we can achieve that by not being racist or homophobic and if possible challenging / punishing it where it occurs. Effectively compelling players to wear rainbow laces or be damned is silly - like taking a knee which also just became embarrassing in the end. Both became cultish - almost like the religions which decree anyone who is gay is 'bad'

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

No one is proposing that we allow/encourage homophobic abuse, so your monkey chants thing is silly. I think we all agree racism and homophobia have no place on the pitch or the stands, and we can achieve that by not being racist or homophobic and if possible challenging / punishing it where it occurs. Effectively compelling players to wear rainbow laces or be damned is silly - like taking a knee which also just became embarrassing in the end. Both became cultish - almost like the religions which decree anyone who is gay is 'bad'

If we all agreed, people in the stands wouldn't be monkey chanting in the first place. Which -- by the way -- doesn't happen at sporting events in unenlightened, yee-haw America.

But let's assumed it's greatly diminished from previous levels. It is, right?

Why do you think that is? What caused the decline? Why did people change?

As I wrote and I assume you agree: Believing that highly-visible football clubs with a wide variety of players of all races and creeds and colors and cultures could/should be leaders in promoting tolerance and understanding among different people is a mistake.

And if that's not right, then the argument here is the WAY such clubs show leadership is wrong -- i.e. no rainbow flags, no laces/patches, etc. OK. Then how do you suggest they do it in a way that isn't inherently "political"?

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

If we all agreed, people in the stands wouldn't be monkey chanting in the first place. Which -- by the way -- doesn't happen at sporting events in unenlightened, yee-haw America.

But let's assumed it's greatly diminished from previous levels. It is, right?

Why do you think that is? What caused the decline? Why did people change?

As I wrote and I assume you agree: Believing that highly-visible football clubs with a wide variety of players of all races and creeds and colors and cultures could/should be leaders in promoting tolerance and understanding among different people is a mistake.

And if that's not right, then the argument here is the WAY such clubs show leadership is wrong -- i.e. no rainbow flags, no laces/patches, etc. OK. Then how do you suggest they do it in a way that isn't inherently "political"?

I'd suggest banners on the stands, a programme ad or something on club social media channels. It's possible to be supportive and engage with the issue without the players having to wear something.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I'd suggest banners on the stands, a programme ad or something on club social media channels. It's possible to be supportive and engage with the issue without the players having to wear something.

So then the issue isn't that club's shouldn't be supportive or engage -- it's that they shouldn't make the players the billboard for that support or engagement. That makes sense as an argument whether I agree or not. Indeed we have had the same debate in the US with pro sport teams and corporate endorsements (up until recently, the big four team sports did not wear corporate advertising and even now logos are not universal nor especially prominent). Thanks.

 

[Mon Autre]

There are 2 ways to look at this really -

1/ He is just homophobic but won't say it. If I were a team mate of his I would want to wear the jacket. Personal choice.

2/ He is Moroccan where being gay carries a prison sentence so maybe he fears ridicule and aggression back home once his playing days are over.

If I was a United fan I'd feel more let down by the club than the player tbh. Whether you agree or not, the club clearly thought the jackets were a worthwhile show of support. For them to withdraw that support to spare the embarrassment of someone else's bigoted views coming to light is extremely weak. They also should have anticipated these kinds of issues and planned around it.