Exclive: Ted Lasso creators handled their gay footballer storyle a 'rehg' and 'signifint' way, say leadg LGBTQ mentators as h TV show is praised for showg 'humany' | US

Contents:

• EXCLIVE: TED LASSO CREATORS HANDLED THEIR GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE A 'REHG' AND 'SIGNIFINT' WAY, SAY LEADG LGBTQ MENTATORS AS H TV SHOW IS PRAISED FOR SHOWG 'HUMANY'
• TED LASSO SEASON 3'S GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE HAS ARRIVED AT JT THE RIGHT TIME
• TED LASSO SEASON 3'S GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE HAS ARRIVED AT JT THE RIGHT TIME
• TED LASSO SEASON 3'S GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE HAS ARRIVED AT JT THE RIGHT TIME
• 'TED LASSO' PRAISED FOR "REHG" GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE
• TED LASSO STAR "SO HONOURED" TO TAKE ON COL'S GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE
• “SO PROUD OF THIS SHOW”: TED LASSO FANS REACT TO PROGRS OF GAY STORYLE
• TED LASSO STAR BILLY HARRIS SHAR HEART-WARMG RPONSE OM LGBTQ+ FANS TO COL’S GAY STORYLE

EXCLIVE: TED LASSO CREATORS HANDLED THEIR GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE A 'REHG' AND 'SIGNIFINT' WAY, SAY LEADG LGBTQ MENTATORS AS H TV SHOW IS PRAISED FOR SHOWG 'HUMANY'

The third season of Apple TV+'s Ted Lasso saw an AFC Richmond player e out publicly, much to the light of fans around the Lasso's wrers, producers and directors have been appld for their "rehg" pictn of a gay profsnal footballer g out to his team-mat durg the show's fal the third episo of the last seri, was revealed that first-team player Col Hugh was a relatnship wh a man and hidg his sexualy om the rt of the squad, his ach and the over the urse of the season, Col, wh help om journalist Trent Crimm, who also turns out to be gay, fds the bravery to open up to his team-mat before kissg his boyiend ont of a sold-out Richmond home crowd after the team's fal touchg manner wh which Ted Lasso's creators handled a difficult storyle did not go unnoticed, wh fans takg to social media to praise those volved brgg to life the heartfelt style which ns throughout the popular Apple TV+ now two leadg LGBTQ mentators have plimented those behd Col's journey for portrayg a ser topic an 'advanced' and 'signifint' way to lns of viewers around the world.

TED LASSO SEASON 3'S GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE HAS ARRIVED AT JT THE RIGHT TIME

"And then of urse we fd out why is bee he's also gay. Ted Lasso watchers have speculated that AFC Richmond player Col Hugh (Billy Harris) is gay sce early season two, and those spicns were nfirmed season three’s third episo. Trent then shar wh Col that he’s gay as well, openg the door for Col to — perhaps — tell his teammat and ach.

TED LASSO SEASON 3'S GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE HAS ARRIVED AT JT THE RIGHT TIME

It seems like sports, particularly men’s sports, is among the fields that has been slowt to adapt and accept gay people. There’s a le episo three where Isaac [Kola Bokni] says “That’s a b gay” a risive way.

It’s kd of a two-way street, bee wh the world of the show, no one knows about Trent beg gay eher.

TED LASSO SEASON 3'S GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE HAS ARRIVED AT JT THE RIGHT TIME

In the last eighteen months, at least three active footballers have e out as gay across the world: first Jake Cavallo Atralia, followed by Blackpool youth player Jake Daniels here England and, most recently, Czech ternatnal Jakub Jankto over Prague.

A groundswell of support for gay cln the sport has rultantly grown, wh active players and punds alike g out solidary and allyship: Daniels was celebrated by the lik of England pta Harry Kane and long-time Uned goalie David Gea; ahead of the ntroversial World Cup Qatar, France forward Antoe Griezmann lled homophobia not “an ia, [but] a crime.

”Wh around 550 active players the Premier League, 's a statistil likelihood that at least one player is gay, but no one has e out while playg England's top tier sce Jt Fashanu 1990, who endured hostily om the prs and died of suici eight years later.

'TED LASSO' PRAISED FOR "REHG" GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE

The world has changed sce then, wh the vast majory of people England supportg gay rights, but g out as a top-drawer footballer — the first 33 years, not least — remas a fearful prospect. And what a thg that would be: an openly gay footballer the sypy fictn of Ted Lasso's Premier League before, y'know, the real-life one. Disregard as the product of imagative wokery all you like, but Ted Lasso season 3 is makg up for s historil lack of gay rep wh an arc that uld go some way further turng the real-world dial.

Ted Lasso has received yet more praise, this time for the sensive and touchg nature of the storyle volvg a closeted gay player and the story of his g out to his teammat. The reprentatn of gay football players is a plex topic wh var factors ntributg to the lack of visibily.

Moreover, societal attus and stereotyp about masculy and homosexualy have played a role perpetuatg stigma and discrimatn agast gay athlet. The attus n create addnal barriers for gay dividuals nsirg a reer profsnal football, makg more difficult for them to be open about their sexual orientatn.

TED LASSO STAR "SO HONOURED" TO TAKE ON COL'S GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE

Instead, he was sentially one of the players to make up the numbers as part of the locker room scenery, wh ocsnal moments of screen time to fill shas of his is, until last week's episo, when the openg scen revealed Col is gay. Col's sexualy do not appear to be somethg he has shared wh his Richmond mat, reflectg the bter realy of profsnal football and s arth of openly gay male TV+Yet Col's cisn unr threat the fal scen, when journalist Trent Crimm (Jam Lance), who has been followg the team om pillar to post to wre a book about their journey, spots Col and Michael kissg a shroud alleyway outsi the rtrant.

If we were hopg for an answer to that qutn the latt episo, we were spectacularly nied fact, if you had somehow missed the third episo and skipped straight to the fourth, you would be likely unaware that Col is even gay.

Once aga, a queer storyle on TV has bee wrapped up the cultural strajacket of queer trma storyl, wh s ugly roots the 'Bury your gays' televisn 's storyle on Ted Lasso weeks after Channel 4's major Gee Michael documentary Outed, which expertly unpacked the powerful force of the tabloid prs a horrifilly homophobic climate. "While Ted Lasso has been plagued wh LGBTQ+ omissn prev seasons, now fac a reckong over how Col's story arc uld unfold and whether uld only pound the culture of shame facg the gay muny TV+Ted Lasso -creator Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard, said that while beg openly gay the sport is "still taboo", there are creasgly more players g out. This season, queerns was fally troduced to the seri when they nfirmed that Billy Harris’ fan-favoure Richmond FC player is gay and the closet; reflectg the harsh realy of homosexualy profsnal football and s lack of openly out athlet the procs.

“SO PROUD OF THIS SHOW”: TED LASSO FANS REACT TO PROGRS OF GAY STORYLE

On this week’s episo, Isaac – who is hurt that Col didn’t nfi him sooner – nonts a vlent ‘fan’ the stands after he hurls homophobic abe at the team. After the rt of the team mistake Isaac for beg gay, as a rult of his unexpected reactn to the ‘f’ word, Col out to overwhelmg support – and another classic bizarre analogy om Jason Suikis’ tle character that exprs their love for him. The scene was mend by fans, who celebrated the show’s approach to the ongog issue of homosexualy football.

“Ted takg the perfect approach by lettg Col know DOES matter that he’s gay, bee ’s a part of who he is, ” said one viewer. In an terview wh GAY TIMES ahead of Ted Lasso’s sixth episo, which saw Col nfi Trent Crimm (Jam Lance) about his sexualy, Harris said would’ve been “ridiculo” for the show to not tackle this storyle. Obvly I’m not a gay footballer but as a queer person I appreciate tonight’s episo of Ted Lasso.

Puttg asi the big scen;Isaac askg all those qutns after his iend out & Col’s bt scenar beg everyone is gay. Ted takg the perfect approach by lettg Col know DOES matter that he’s gay, bee ’s a part of who he is. Ted Lasso actor Billy Harris has talked about the sweet reactn he’s received om LGBTQ+ football fans after his character was revealed to be gay.

TED LASSO STAR BILLY HARRIS SHAR HEART-WARMG RPONSE OM LGBTQ+ FANS TO COL’S GAY STORYLE

Ted Lasso’s Col Hugh was revealed to be gay. He went on: “I’ve had so many people tellg me: ‘I loved football but I was also gay school and I knew well the prejudic that go hand--hand wh beg gay and beg a footballer. LGBTQ+ people have a troubled relatnship wh football, wh 70 per cent of people who have attend a match sayg they’ve heard homophobia om other fans.

Homophobic chants at match are still fairly mon. There is also a srcy of out gay male footballers, wh Josh Cavallo and Jake Daniels two of the only notable profsnal players to e out recent years. ted lasso one of the most famo show not only wh the sports/football muny has a gay character.

i didnt need another reason to love ted lasso, i already love this show so much but the storyle they gave to l mak me so happy bee we all know how s still a big NO the football world to be gay and this will spire/help MANY people— stella (@AGATHAWlTCH) March 29, 2023. Ted Lasso havg a gay footballer storyle is so important bc there are lerally no our premiere league players and I thk only 1 player all of the top European leagu.