Just thought I'd lend my voice (and I assume others on here) to the online support of Thomas Hitzlsperger's recent announcement regarding his sexuality.
I sincerely wish that we lived in a world where this wasn't such big news.
He isn't a Prem Star, firstly he retired from the Premiership towards the end of last year and secondly, I wouldn't exactly say he was a 'Star'.
So he's come out as gay, what does he want, a medal? It would have been a much braver thing to do to come out whilst he was still playing in the Premiership if he wanted to get maximum publicity.
Daly came out just before a new series of Spalsh, what's the angle for this guy, an autobiography perhaps?
He isn't a Prem Star, firstly he retired from the Premiership towards the end of last year and secondly, I wouldn't exactly say he was a 'Star'.
So he's come out as gay, what does he want, a medal? It would have been a much braver thing to do to come out whilst he was still playing in the Premiership if he wanted to get maximum publicity.
Daly came out just before a new series of Spalsh, what's the angle for this guy, an autobiography perhaps?
I wonder sometimes if saying that you are "gay" is some sort of status, even if you're not? It seems to be a "hero-worshipped" thing at the moment...... "Oh, you're gay? How wonderful!"
I'd say its more so the papers and media that make it a big deal. If somebody famous comes out publicly as gay then fair play to them, guessing for people like them in the public eye it probably feels like a weight of their shoulders rather than constantly being speculated whether they 'are or aren't', or in Hitzlesperger's case being forced to keep his sexuality quiet just so he can fit in with the football world stereotype.
I'm not surprised he didn't come out whilst he was still a professional footballer, as much as we like to think we'd all accept anyone's sexuality in football I'd still imagine he would get shit loads of stick from opposition fans. I mean, even Cov fans still mock opposition fans if they are wearing pink, just recently loads of our fans were singing "who's the gayboy in the pink" to the MK Dons substitutes warming up in the game against us at their place, at Brighton a few years ago some of our supporters could apparently see the home fans "holding hands", wondering if their "boyfriend know's they are here" and letting Brighton fans know they they are indeed just a "town full of faggots", a majority of football fans are still very small minded. I dread to think what kind of abuse Hitzlsperger would get if he was still playing in the premiership now.
Interesting article here from Graham Le Saux about the abuse he endured when he was as player, and this for someone who's not even gay.
Lets face it people, we still dont live in a society that accepts Gay people - you only have to look at religion to emphasise this point. I agree with JD, he would have been very worried about the impacts of this on and off the pitch but having said that would they take the same approach to fans shouting homophobic abuse to players the same way they do for racism? I doubt it.