Rugby star comes out

[Chinny Reckon]

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article6962482.ece

How many openly gay sports stars do you know? And how many in contact-based team sports?

This man's one of the biggest names in international rugby. I have so much admiration for him for this. Man's got my respect, even if it's taken until his mid thirties.

Need I point out that we're still waiting for any high-profile soccer player to come out?

Changed title to something less baiting ~Woody

[Above Average]

Sol Campbell doesn't count?

[playoldgames]

Justin Fashanu did back in the day... although I don't suppose he was really high profile.

[Steveweiser]

Dec 22, 2009 16:33:47 GMT -5 Above Average said:

Sol Campbell doesn't count?

He's got a long term girlfriend.

The only football player of note that's ever come out, Justin Fashanu, ended up committing suicide, so there's not a case of anyone coming out and living a happy life after doing so.

[Above Average]

Fair enough. Does that mean Campbell is bisexual?

Also, I don't see how a sport being gayer makes it better. Gay, straight, bi... who cares? Surely the sexuality shouldn't be relevant.

[Chinny Reckon]

Dec 22, 2009 16:37:33 GMT -5 @playoldgames said:

Justin Fashanu did back in the day... although I don't suppose he was really high profile.

God bless Justin Fashanu, but yeah, he wasn't exactly "high-profile", and things didn't really work out great for him, positive role-model-wise.

[Chinny Reckon]

Dec 22, 2009 16:40:57 GMT -5 Above Average said:

Also, I don't see how a sport being gayer makes it better. Gay, straight, bi... who cares? Surely the sexuality shouldn't be relevant.

It shouldn't. However, in a world where many of us accept that many people are just plain gay, it seems vile and unfair that statistically, there must be some people out there lying about their feelings because they feel a) it'll make them more cash to live a lie, or b) they feel it'll be easier/safer for them to keep it quiet.

Somewhere out there is a positive role model, ready to help young, gay English men realise they can be macho sports guys without being ridiculed or persecuted. And he's currently keeping his mouth shut out of greed or fear. That matters.

[playoldgames]

The biggest problem is the culture surrounding soccer. It's a game largely enjoyed by blokey blokes in a pub who like shouting at things. The really, really hardcore fans are absolute knuckle-dragging mouth breathers who would happily beat the shit out of someone for supporting the wrong team. In that culture, and up against that kind of ignorance, a gay player wouldn't stand a chance.

That problem wouldn't just be confined to England either. There are still significant proportions of fans around the world who make monkey noises if a black player gets on the ball, so God alone knows how an out gay player would be treated. In some countries, he'd probably get shot.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

I'm just changing the title so people don't get the wrong idea. Carry on.

[Hypnotix]

Don't take this offensively, but why is coming out such a big deal any more? I get it. Many people aren't gay. But why is it that a gay man has to go public with his preference for any other reason than just asking for attention?

Please keep your responses professional.

[Deleted]

Dec 22, 2009 20:34:15 GMT -5 Hypnotix said:

Don't take this offensively, but why is coming out such a big deal any more? I get it. Many people aren't gay. But why is it that a gay man has to go public with his preference for any other reason than just asking for attention?

Please keep your responses professional.

I presume its due to the fact that there are likely other gay sports stars who feel they have to hide who they really are and the guy is hoping to encourage them

But yeah, my personal response was "Okay, and..........?" but ifs the reason I stated above is his own reason then fair enough

[Red Lion]

I always thought Ashley Cole was gay

I know

But what was she done for?

It was done out of convenience for both of them, it's a conspiracy

[EvilMasterBetty, Esq.]

Dec 22, 2009 20:34:15 GMT -5 Hypnotix said:

Don't take this offensively, but why is coming out such a big deal any more? I get it. Many people aren't gay. But why is it that a gay man has to go public with his preference for any other reason than just asking for attention?

Please keep your responses professional.

The issue is that while most people in the world wouldn't care, sports carries such a macho reputation that gay athletes have no choice but to hide. It has just been such a entrenched culture and there's no reason for it.

Sports is still the one main "stronghold", for lack of a better term, for anti-gay sentiment. If you went to any sports bar in America, you wouldn't have to look hard to find a guy who would say "I don't want no *expletive* playing football/baseball/basketball".

[Tigerlily]

I was reading this over the weekend because I'm a massive fan of the Cardiff Blues and rugby in general and as long as he's an amazing rugby player, it doesn't matter who he goes home to at the end of the day. I think it's well known rugby is a proper mans sport and in my opinion, just because he's gay, doesn't change that. The fact that he thought about comitting suicide is awful.

[4real]

I read this over the weekend and I have to say it was a good read and I applaud M Thomas for doing this. OK so I don't think footballers, Rugby players need to come out and say stuff like this (would you call a press conference to announce you're straight? Actually I might just for the hell of it and to make the press look like idiots) but if he felt comfortable doing this then fair play to him.

I remember being teased by people saying Arsenal were a gay team full of gays, or something to that effect, this was when Sol Campbell played for us of course. My response? I don't care as long as they win.

As I told people years ago I don't hate Heskey because he's black, I hate him because he's crap. Although I have since changed my mind on Heskey and now defend him at every available opportunity.