Stori n give strength to gay and bi footballers - Sports Media LGBT+

Contents:

• WHY 'S STILL DIFFICULT TO BE MALE, GAY AND PLAY FOOTBALL
• STORI N GIVE STRENGTH TO GAY AND BI FOOTBALLERS

WHY 'S STILL DIFFICULT TO BE MALE, GAY AND PLAY FOOTBALL

Media ptn, Newsround speaks to a young gay footballer about his experienc g out, along wh pro footballer Anton Hysén, one of the few openly gay players the game. One of the ma characters the CBBC drama Jamie Johnson has e out as gay the show's latt storyle. But the wrer of the show, Shn Duggan, said that was impossible this time bee of the lack of gay players the game: "It's que sad that 2020 when Dillon need some advice, there are no out players the Premier League.

" Only four male profsnal footballers who have played the UK have e out as gay. Former Hull Cy player Thomas Beatie is the latt, after Jt Fashanu, Thomas Hzlsperger and Robbie says that he felt that he uldn't announce that he was gay while still playg: "I lerally felt like I had to sacrifice one of the two: who I am, or the sport I loved, " he said.

Homosexualy is often still ed as an sult a lot of, A young footballerThere are a number of clive teams the UK that help people to feel that they n be accepted for who they are and still play football. The LGBT chary Stonewall says dramas and storyl that show openly gay characters are important: "A lot of people fd hard to image that any top tier footballers - who are male - uld potentially be gay or bi, " says Robbie De Santos, Stonewall's director of sport. Stereotyp about what gay and bi men are like and what they uld be good at.

STORI N GIVE STRENGTH TO GAY AND BI FOOTBALLERS

"I thk is harr for men to be open and play sport, homosexualy is often still ed as an sult a lot of sports.

Media ptn, What is homophobia? However, men's football is far behd other sports when to s stars beg openly gay and Joe thks more needs to be done to make sure young gay players like him feel wele and accepted the game. But rather than jt certa tim of the year, you're not gay for a month you're gay for life and clubs om any sport need to be able to show that support nsistently to say; 'listen, you're gog to be weled this muny and 's gog to be a good thg that you're out and open'.

" Are there any gay players?

Image source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Watford pta Troy Deeney says there's probably "one gay player every team"Troy Deeney, the pta of Premier League si Watford, has said that he believ there is "probably one gay player every football team". "I thk people that are gay or om that muny fely are very worried about havg to shoulr the rponsibily of beg the first. There are only two players playg profsnally now who are openly gay, San Diego Loyal's Coll Mart and Anton Hysen who plays Swen.

He me out as gay 2011 and was scribed at the time as a "global one-off". I don’t even thk I knew what gay meant until I was like 11. And I didn’t know that religns didn’t exactly have the greatt opn of gay people till my GCSEs.

I knew I was gay before I knew what homophobia was, so I have always been fortable wh who I am.But others didn’t have life that… Well, simple I suppose. I’ve always known who I am, but other people, well, the worst se scenar, gay people n bee homophobic themselv and grow to hate themselv.This might seem like a sitracky troductn, but I thk shows the importance of LGBT media. For someone like me, n help to start to normalise gay people to my fay.

Even though they’re still homophobic, at least they’re able to watch programm wh LGBT characters .