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IMPACT
HOMOPHOBIA Football in England is one of the most prominent industries in the country, and whilst it continues to develop in many ways, its struggle with homophobia continues. In what now feels like an issue discussed every year with little progress made, creating a welcoming environment for a homosexual man to play professional football in, has proved challenging and it’s an issue that casts a big shadow over ‘the beautiful game’. As old as the sport itself, homophobia within men’s football, particularly in England, has harmed the lives of some who have dared to come out. The first and perhaps most notable is former Norwich City player Joshua Fashanu who came out as gay in 1990. His decision proved to be fatal as he killed himself 8 years later after he suffered years of abuse from other players, fans and managers. Were there to be any players at the time who had thought to come out, the treatment of Fashanu would have surely discouraged the idea. Consequently, the other men who have played in any of the main divisions in England and come out as gay, have only done so long into their retirement. Fast forward 30 years later from Fashanu, and not very much has changed. Over the last year, there has been an increase in the number of hate crimes in football stadiums in the UK. Kick it out (an independent body which primarily exists to fight discrimination in football) report that in the previous year ‘discrimination related to sexual orientation increased by 12 per cent’. A deplorable statistic, particularly considering the fact that outer society is as inclusive as it’s ever been.
“Why is there such a disparity between men’s and women’s football in relation to homophobia?”
“At present, there is not a single openly gay player in men’s football in England”
At present, there is not a single openly gay player in men’s football in England. In comparison, there seems to be a lot less homophobia in the women’s game, with many over the years being relatively comfortable coming out as gay or bisexual, a luxury that is not replicated for the men. Being able to express your true self shouldn’t be a luxury, it should be the standard. Why is there such a disparity between men’s and women’s football in relation to homophobia? One could look at the difference between the type of fans both attract. With fans of the women’s game tending to be very diverse and inclusive, in the men’s side, there still exists a subgroup of male fans who maintain the archaic view of football only being for a particular type of man, leading to the insults of those who do not fit the bill. There is no doubt that fan behaviour is the biggest hindrance of progress in reaching total inclusivity, as although many could even be aware of how we ought to treat homosexuals in wider society, any chance of decorum is thrown out of the window when inside the stadium.
