Zanr Murray: Gala Fairyan Rovers striker be first openly gay Sttish profsnal - BBC Sport

scottish gay footballer

YOU may have heard the pta of Celtic say over the weekend that he and his team would support a player who was gay. You may also have seen the…

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FOOTBALLER MURRAY 'BLOWN AWAY' BY SUPPORT AFTER G OUT AS GAY

Zanr Murray beme the first senr profsnal footballer Stland to e out as gay last week. * scottish gay footballer *

YOU may have heard the pta of Celtic say over the weekend that he and his team would support a player who was gay. You may also have seen the tweets of someone lled “the gay footballer” who said he was about to go public. But don’t thk any of this means we’re about to see an openly gay star the men’s game, or that football is on the verge of a breakthrough.

Don’t misunrstand what I’m sayg here: I’m not suggtg everyone football management is ol wh beg gay – even now, most managers are olr, workg-class men who are often the last to adapt to changg social attus.

MARK SMH: I KNOW THERE ARE GAY FOOTBALLERS STLAND BEE I TRIED TO NVCE ONE TO GO PUBLIC

* scottish gay footballer *

Karren Brady, the former boss of Birmgham Cy, said the other day that her hband, Pl Pchisolido, had played wh Jt Fashanu the 1990s and no one the drsg room had a problem wh him beg gay. There are several clubs the UK now that have gay players who are hont about their sexualy wh the team and even take their partners to club events – they are jt not open about public. The Celtic pta Stt Brown was also clearly beg hont when he said he would be supportive to a team-mate who was gay.

STLAND'S ONLY OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER ON BREAKG STEREOTYP AND HIS OWN LIBERATN

Zanr Murray be the only gay male footballer Stland's top four divisns after jog League 2 club Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic. * scottish gay footballer *

And even players at Millwall (never the most metrosexual of clubs) have said don’t matter if a team-mate is gay. Recently, my lleague Neil Cameron spoke to one of the players wh the LGBT team HotSts FC, Craig Anrson, who said there have been tim when the homophobic abe he’s heard at gam has ma him wonr whether football is the game for him.

ZANR MURRAY: BONNYRIGG ROSE ATHLETIC SIGN SPFL'S ONLY OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER

Gala Fairyan Rovers striker Zanr Murray be the first Sttish senr footballer to e out as gay. * scottish gay footballer *

One theory that am me is that the fans who are most vol wh homophobic abe are tryg to e to terms wh the fact they love a game that idolis physilly f young men. A game like football which the players are so unhibed about kissg and touchg each other should be the least homophobic of all, but some male fans may stggle wh that, so they shout about poofs and queers to try to prove to the rt of that they’re not terted the sight of players kissg and huggg other men.

ZANR MURRAY: GALA FAIRYAN ROVERS STRIKER BE FIRST OPENLY GAY STTISH PROFSNAL

Wele to the gayt league all of women's ternatnal sports, or so I believe: the premier league. Women's football (soccer) the US is known for beg slightly on the straighter si, but the exact oppose is te Europe. While makg my WNBA list and NWSL list, there are about double as many… * scottish gay footballer *

The ia that homophobia football might be a problem wh specific typ of men rather than fans more generally is also borne out by the recent women’s world cup. Men’s profsnal football has virtually no openly gay players, but the women’s game is the oppose – is full of out gay women at the hight level. And even the homophobia the female players experience nfirms this is really a male problem we’re talkg about: some fans like to assume all female players are lbians bee they thk football is sentially a man’s sport and any woman who wants to play mt “want to be a man”.

A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL 61 OUT GAY PLAYERS THE WOMEN’S FOOTBALL PREMIER LEAGUE

Openly gay footballer Liam Davis believ there is a group of around 20 players who are nsirg g out together. * scottish gay footballer *

It also disappoted a lot of football fans bee they know the game needs s first openly gay player. But until someone openly challeng the homophobia football by beg openly gay, the homophobia will not go away.

GROUP OF 20 GAY FOOTBALLERS '˜NSIRG G OUT TOGETHER'

Gay Sttish footballer Zanr Murray opens up about his stggl wh ternalised homophobia a new BBC documentary. * scottish gay footballer *

After three s of verg up and nyg his te sexualy, the striker was now the first openly gay Sttish footballer. Durg lockdown the Lowland League striker bge-watched It’s A S, the Channel 4 seri wrten by Rsell T Davi, pictg the life of gay men durg the AIDS crisis 1980s affected by what he saw, he end a heterosexual relatnship wh a girliend shortly April 2021, he felt ready to divulge who he really was to iends and fay. ’ The Gala Fairyan Rovers star beme the first senr Sttish footballer to reveal he is gayStereotyp around homosexualy are only slightly more mon than stereotyp around football fans.

GAY FOOTBALLER ZANR MURRAY SAYS HIS 20S FELT LIKE PERSONAL ‘NVERSN THERAPY’

Zanr Murray asks why he is the only male senr Sttish footballer to reveal publicly that he is gay. * scottish gay footballer *

Regard as a rough-and-ready, macho, workg-class sport, Murray stayed the closet as long as he did for fear of the likely reactn of supporters and Airdrie and Hearts striker Jt Fashanu was the last openly gay player the Sttish game the 1990s. The omerta surroundg homosexualy wh the natnal game was fally shattered when Blackpool striker Jake Daniels me out earlier this year.

We have to get to a pot where gay players n s a drsg room after a game and say: “I’m gog out for a few drks wh my boyiend” and no one bats an eyelid. ’Recently appoted a diversy champn for gay rights group Stonewall, Murray is an experienced reers advisor and will e those skills to give talks schools. The more terviews he do, the more he’ll be regnised on the streets of his native Glasgow and the higher the likelihood there is of homophobia peekg through the curtas.

ZANR MURRAY IS FIRST CURRENT STTISH PROFSNAL PLAYER TO E OUT AS GAY

Zanr Murray be first openly gay player Sttish football sce Jt Fashanu; Striker, who plays the Lowland League, wants to be spiratn for others; Blackpools Jake Daniels beme UKs first active male profsnal footballer to e out as gay earlier this year * scottish gay footballer *

He beme the first openly gay player to play Stland sce Jt Fashanu the 1990s‘At some pot, I am gog to be abed. 0’Zanr Murray has bee the only openly gay male footballer Stland's top four divisns after jog League 2 club Bonnyrigg Rose.

The striker, 31, who me out September, arriv om Lowland League outf Gala Fairyan is the first openly gay player Sttish men's profsnal football sce Jt Fashanu played the mid-1990s wh Hearts and three-and-a-half seasons wh Gala, Murray sred more than 100 goals. Bonnyrigg Rose, who gaed promotn om the Lowland League last season, s bottom of League 2 on goal difference but are jt three pots off fifth uld make his but at New Dundas Park on Saturday as Robbie Horn's si wele send-placed Stirlg be first openly gay male Sttish playerMurray 'blown away' by support. Gala Fairyan Rovers striker Zanr Murray has bee the first Sttish senr footballer to e out as is the first openly gay player the men's profsnal ranks Stland sce Jt Fashanu wh Airdrie and Hearts the 30-year-old Lowland League player follows the example of refere Craig Napier and Lloyd Wilson June.

ZANR MURRAY: GALA FAIRYAN ROVERS STRIKER BE FIRST STTISH SENR FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY

Beg an out gay man and a soccer player is still somethg that’s greeted wh homophobia. See eight out and proud male gay footballers. * scottish gay footballer *

"Murray said that remag the closet was "playg havoc wh my life", so "I put a post on my social media tellg folk I was gay". English striker Fashanu moved to Airdrieonians three years after g out as gay before later playg for Heart of Midlothian and remas the only openly gay player to play Stland's top tier.

HERE ARE EIGHT OUT AND PROUD MALE GAY FOOTBALLERS

Gala Fairyan Rovers striker Zanr Murray said "the weight of the world is now off my shoulrs" after beg the first openly gay active footballer Stland * scottish gay footballer *

Blackpool forward Jake Daniels ma what Murray scrib as his "amazg" cisn May, closely followed by the two Sttish refere, but the Gala striker is disappoted there are no platforms offerg support to young gay male footballers.

"Of urse there are gay footballers our game and I have had lots of players get touch sayg they have read my post and they n't believe how strong I am by dog this, " Murray said. Wele to the gayt league all of women’s ternatnal sports, or so I believe: the premier league. While makg my WNBA list and NWSL list, there are about double as many nfirmed straight people as there are nfirmed gay people a league, wh the rt beg unnfirmed eher directn.

ZANR MURRAY BE FIRST OPENLY GAY STTISH FOOTBALLER: "I THOUGHT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"

He is the first openly gay player the men's profsnal ranks Stland sce Jt Fashanu wh Airdrie and Hearts the mid-1990s. | ITV News Borr * scottish gay footballer *

However, the Premier League, if you aren’t nfirmed gay, you’re probably jt an unknown, bee there were veryyy few nfirmed straight players.

Wh 9 out gay players on the team, there’s no shortage of players and drama to root for. Wh four out gay players on the team, this ranks the middle for gayns, but closer to the top for ter-team romanc, wh Julia Zigtti Olme and Emma Kullberg beg publilly together. If you’re a Leicter fan, I hate to break to you but this is the least gay team the league- at least publicly.

ZANR MURRAY: GALA FAIRYAN ROVERS STRIKER WAS LIVG FEAR BUT WEIGHT IS OFF HIS SHOULRS AFTER G OUT AS GAY

Liverpool players Yana Daniels and Jasme Matthews are datg, and the other two out gay players are also public relatnships wh cute uple photos on their stagrams! I hontly don’t know anythg about this team, but there’s a lot of gay players and seems like a fun team to cheer for.

FootballOpenly gay footballer Liam Davis believ there is a group of around 20 players who are nsirg g out 27-year-old Cleethorp Town midfielr has spoken about his own experienc as part of UEFA’s Equal Game mpaign, which aims to foster greater cln and diversy the has urged stars the sport not to fear revealg their sexualy - and says a group of players om across Europe g out together uld ease the burn on those volved. ”Davis disagre wh Football Associatn chairman Greg Clarke, who said profsnal players who announce they are gay would be takg a said last year that he would not advise a footballer to e out while still playg bee of the abe they would face om the terrac and social footballer Davis me out to team-mat early his reer and reckons the sport’s attu to homosexualy is creasgly progrsive, although no player the Premier League or Football League is openly gay. “My advice to a young gay footballer at any level or any standard is jt to be themselv, ” Davis said.

STLAND'S FIRST OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER ZANR MURRAY TARGETED WH HOMOPHOBIC ABE DAYS BEFORE DOC AIRSZANR MURRAY, WHO PLAYS FOR LEAGUE 2 SI BONNYRIGG ROSE FC, HAS BEEN VTIGATG HOMOPHOBIA STTISH FOOTBALL FOR A NEW BBC DOCUMENTARY WHICH AIRED ON MONDAY.DAILYRERDBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTSNEWSBYRYAN CARROLLREPORTER12:25, 14 MAR 2023UPDATED14:32, 14 MAR 2023BOOKMARKZANR MURRAY (IMAGE: BBC)GET THE LATT TOP NEWS STORI SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR BOX WH OUR DAILY NEWSLETTERMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 GET THE LATT TOP NEWS STORI SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR BOX WH OUR DAILY NEWSLETTERINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!

”Davis do adm opponents have ma rogatory ments about his sexual orientatn, but sisted his team-mat have always fend he thks footballers n thrive beg openly gay, spe isolated cints of abe. ”UEFA print Aleksanr Cefer said: “We do not tolerate any kd of homophobic, racist or sexist behavur, and we will always stand for valu such as diversy, genr equaly and social cln.

”Piara Powar, executive director of Football Agast Racism Europe, hailed UEFA for addrsg the issue of homophobia. “The film helps all to unrstand that football there is a place for all of to be accepted, whatever our background, and that homophobia and excln nnot be tolerated. Gay Sttish footballer Zanr Murray opens up about his stggl wh ternalised homophobia a new BBC documentary.

GALA FAIRYAN ROVERS ZANR MURRAY 'BLOWN AWAY BY THE SUPPORT' AFTER G OUT AS GAY

Zanr Murray, now 31, me out publicly September, beg the first openly gay senr Sttish footballer history. I don’t thk they were necsarily homophobic, ’s jt a lack of tn… and that has a huge impact.

The issue of homophobia football is teased out Zanr Murray’s new BBC documentary, Disclosure: Out on the Pch. “The documentary is about my life, me growg up as a young gay player a profsnal set up, talkg about the difficulti I had, my stggl, ” says Murray, who joed League Two si Bonnyrigg Rose January. “I also wanted to try [to] change perceptns of that homophobic father who’s givg his son or dghter, or whatever they intify as, a tough time.

Murray is the first openly gay footballer to play the Sttish leagu sce Jt Fashanu, who played for Hearts the 1993-94 season. ”Murray also lled for more support to help gay footballers the men’s game, addg that he would cle beg tagged social media posts an effort to hi his sexualy, bee of his reer as a profsnal footballer.

ZANR MURRAY BE FIRST SENR STTISH MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY

Photograph: News Imag/Alamy“I have done lots of rearch and I always keep an eye on media outlets to see if there are any platforms for young gay male players for support but there are none, ” he add. Media ptn, 'I want to spire young men to be themselv' - Zanr MurrayIs football homophobic and what n we do if is?

My cisn last September to bee the first male Sttish senr footballer to e out publicly as gay was not an easy or quick one.

Image source, Craig Brown - SNS GroupImage ptn, Zanr Murray sr agast Schie Junrs the Sttish CupThe were the sorts of nversatns young lads have - about girls, beg tough, playg hard, and the language ed to scribe gay men was not what you would ll were jt boys and didn't know any better but did set me apart om my gog out on the pch was my relief, I slowly turned away om the game and gave up on my dream of playg football my 20s I started playg serly aga, buildg up through smaller teams.

ZANR MURRAY BE FIRST OPENLY GAY STTISH FOOTBALLER: "I THOUGHT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"GALA FAIRYAN ROVERS STRIKER ZANR MURRAY SAID "THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD IS NOW OFF MY SHOULRS" AFTER BEG THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTIVE FOOTBALLER STLANDIRISHMIRRORBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTSSPORTBYTOM BLOWSPORTS WRER07:32, 17 SEP 2022UPDATED07:44, 17 SEP 2022BOOKMARKZANR MURRAY SAYS HE'S BEEN TOUCHED BY THE SUPPORT HE'S RECEIVEDTHE WEEKLY EMAIL BRGS YOU ALL THE LATT NEWS OM THE LGBTQ+ MUNY PL EXCLIVE TERVIEWS DIRECT TO YOUR BOXMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 THE WEEKLY EMAIL BRGS YOU ALL THE LATT NEWS OM THE LGBTQ+ MUNY PL EXCLIVE TERVIEWS DIRECT TO YOUR BOXINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!

So wh more than 1, 000 profsnal male footballers Stland you'd expect about 35 of them to be gay. In the urse of filmg the documentary I've heard first-hand ttimony om fans, amatr players, and my iend the referee Lloyd Wilson, about how homophobic language mak them feel. And many say 's homophobia that's stoppg them jog is a problem here, so how do we tackle ?

PRO-FOOTBALLER ZANR MURRAY BRAVELY OUT AS GAY – AND EXPLAS PERFECTLY WHY ’S NECSARY

This season, the Sttish Football Associatn troduced Disciplary Rule 81, which rults a 10-match ban for any player or club official who engag homophobic abe, or any other form of discrimatory behavur and around has been ed 22 tim this season. And 17 of the have been bee of a homophobic slur or a homophobic actn on or around the field of play. I'm now signed to Bonnyrigg Rose, fulfillg my dream of playg the profsnal has been an amazg six months for me, but I'm not llg on other gay male players to e out.

Zanr Murray has bee the first Sttish senr footballer to e out as, who is a striker for Lowland League si Gala Fairyan Rovers, has praised his team-mat for their support and says he hop his announcement "helps other players who are stgglg" be the first openly gay player Sttish football sce Jt Fashanu, who played for Airdrie and Hearts the 1990s, and wants to be a role mol for others, much like Blackpool's Jake Daniels and Sttish refere Craig Napier and Lloyd Wilson.

"I have done lots of rearch and I always keep an eye on media outlets to see if there are any platforms for young gay male footballers for support but there are none. Ne months after beg the first openly gay player men's profsnal football, Alai Uned midfielr Josh Cavallo spoke wh Tim Thornton about his life sce the announcement and how his cisn has helped to spire others. "Of urse there are gay footballers our game and I have had lots of players get touch sayg they have read my post and they n't believe how strong I am by dog this.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* SCOTTISH GAY FOOTBALLER

Zanr Murray: Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic sign SPFL's only openly gay footballer - BBC Sport .

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