[Cal.]

Originally Posted by Shaun

I'm actually disgusted that the tabloids are still making up lies about this and raring to out someone for a few clicks. There've been too many instances of liars on social media just treating a sensitive issue as a bit of gossip, and making the "coming out" experience this huge pantomime that bears no correlation with reality. It's really ****ing frustrating, because it (a Premier League player coming out) would be a huge barrier disappearing between the state of football and its fans today and where it needs to go for the sake of civilised sportsmanship.

You can argue that football twitter is so incredibly toxic that it means no one will ever come out, but they're never going to change unless queer people are performing and thriving in their world. And I'm sure there'll be a hundred thousand "why does it bloody matter!1!!! keep it in the bedroom!M!!!!!" comments, completely missing the point of homophobia in football, and to them I question whether they've ever read or expressed an interest in a footballer caught shagging his brother's wife, or a 60 year old prostitute, or a hotel gang bang in Thailand, or - in a more positive light - their wife dying of cancer, their explorations of disability and mental health (Alan Shearer and Harry Redknapp have been the subject of two big recent documentaries for the BBC and ITV respectively), or children going through some kind of disease. They are personalities, and philanthropists, and they have a huge position as role models for children, and some of them will be queer and looking for something similar in their footballers.

Excellently put.