FOLLOWING an ongoing discussion of homophobia in football, Kevin Hylton - Professor of Equality and Diversity for Leeds Beckett University - has weighed in with a response and some suggestions.
we still don’t have consistently ‘safe spaces’ for Black players, women, people with disabilities, so should we collude to exclude them until football is ready?
The debate was prompted last weekend, by allegations of homophobic abuse towards a group of supporters who other fans perceived to be gay, at a match between Leyton Orient and Luton.
FA Chairman Greg Clarke responded by admitting he was “personally ashamed” that gay footballers don’t feel safe to come out, adding "If you have a son who is gay and plays top level football, would you encourage him to come out, with the expectation of abuse he is going to get? If a player came out now there would be significant abuse, because I don't think we have cracked the problem yet.”
Professor Hylton’s response criticised Clarke’s back-footed approach:
”Clarke’s reticence is based upon appeasing bigots, rather than enabling gay men and women to freely express themselves as players and spectators. Football has to clean up its act where discrimination is concerned. It cannot pick and choose which forms of discrimination and xenophobia to concentrate its resources on and which to ignore.”
“The advice to gay players and to naysayers - in the locker rooms and stands - should be measured, but supportive and unequivocal. Football against homophobia should mean just that: proactive behaviour to provide an environment that is safe and clear about football’s stance on any form of discrimination and bigotry.”
“Clarke’s position that a safe space should be the precursor to players coming out is a utopian ideal, we still don’t have consistently ‘safe spaces’ for Black players, women, people with disabilities, so should we collude to exclude them until football is ready?”
BBC Radio 5 conducted a survey on homophobia in sport, in which 92% of respondants said they “would welcome gay players”, a statistic reference by Hylton in his advice to the FA:
“Be brave, bet on the majority, and not the small minority in football. Be vocal, ramp up any anti-homophobia work in the game and let the 8% know that they are being policed out of the game.”
“Be inclusive, you’re not alone, the clubs, and fans, media and national governing organisations can all support this movement for social justice.”
Former Leeds United player Robbie Rogers and Aston Villa’s former Thomas Hitzlsperger are the only recent examples of openly gay footballers - both of whom waited until retirement to come out about their sexuality. Justin Fashanu (main image) remains the first and only player to come out as gay while active in the profession - this made him the target for a torrent of abuse from players and fans alike, and believed to have lead to his eventual suicide in 1998.
