Homophobia football: This is what 's like to hear abe as a gay fan

Contents:

• PROUD LILYWH AND GAY GOONERS FLY (RABOW) FLAG FOR LGBT FOOTBALL FANS
• THE PREMIER LEAGUE’S FIRST GAY FOOTBALLER
• HOMOPHOBIA FOOTBALL: THIS IS WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE A GAY FAN AND HEAR CHANTS OF ‘F****T’
• TOTTENHAM LGBT TEAM ‘PROUD LILYWH’ BEAT ARSENAL’S ‘GAY GOONERS’ 7-1.
• RICHARLISON AND LUS DIGNE: EVERTON DUO SIST OUT GAY TEAM-MATE WOULD BE ACCEPTED
• WHY ARE MORE FEMALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY OR BISEXUAL THAN MALE PLAYERS?

PROUD LILYWH AND GAY GOONERS FLY (RABOW) FLAG FOR LGBT FOOTBALL FANS

Instead, the g together of north London rivals on a ld Tuday afternoon at a five-a-si centre Edmonton was a celebratn of a growg and important movement English football, that of LGBT (lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr) supporters groups.

Two of the most proment are the Proud Lilywh and Gay Gooners and unr the watch of Frnd, a one-time Spurs player and ach, the former marked their first birthday celebratory five-a-si match London’s Edmonton was refereed by Tottenham ach and former midfielr Steffen Frnd.

”Gay Gooners have been nng for a year longer and boast more than 250 members. Photograph: David Levene for The GuardianThe growg strength of Proud Lilywh and Gay Gooners is wele news, as is that of the other regnised LGBT supporters groups that have been set up across the untry recent years – Canal Street Blu (Manchter Cy), LFC LGBT (Liverpool), Pri of Irons (Wt Ham), Proud and Palace (Crystal Palace), Proud Canari (Norwich Cy), Rabow Toffe (Everton) and Rabow Tractors (Ipswich Town) their very existence is also a shame, highlightg that even 2015 homophobia remas a signifint enough problem English football that fans om the LGBT muny feel they need reprentatn and protectn. “There’s no doubt discrimatn still exists among supporters here, ” sists Gay Gooners’ media ordator, Dave Raval.

THE PREMIER LEAGUE’S FIRST GAY FOOTBALLER

“Jt look at the ‘gay banter’ Brighton fans still have to endure. Football remas an unacceptg environment for gay people and for our members; part of the reason for jog Gay Gooners is to have the assurance of safety numbers whenever they go to a Lilywh members enjoy the atmosphere at a five-a-si match to celebrate the group’s one-year anniversary. Photograph: Andy Hall for The Guardian“The way to overe that fear is to normalise homosexualy English football and make the prence of openly gay fans the stands – as well as openly gay players, managers and refere on the pch – a plete non-issue.

”Statistics piled by the equaly mpaigners Kick It Out show that homophobic abe at football match this untry remas a prevalent issue and, worrygly, uld be on the rise. ”Tottenham ach Steffen Frnd wh members of the Proud Lilywh and Gay Gooners LGBT supporters groups. Photograph: Andy Hall for The GuardianKick It Out has an app by which spectators n report homophobic abe to them, while the Football Associatn has a siar facily on s webse.

The erng body also striv to mata an active prence the fight agast homophobia English football, seen the workshops anised last year which brought together reprentativ om the Premier League and Football League wh those volved the LGBT supporters movement, most notably the Gay Football Supporters’ Network, which provis umbrella backg for the ne fan groups and is the procs of helpg set up others at clubs cludg Aston Villa, Sunrland and Readg. Gay Gooners, tablished 2013, have over 250.

HOMOPHOBIA FOOTBALL: THIS IS WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE A GAY FAN AND HEAR CHANTS OF ‘F****T’

”Unlike Proud Lilywh and Gay Gooners, LFC LGBT do not have an official lk wh Liverpool but the two work closely together, so much so that the former was able to get updated anti-discrimatn signage put up at the club’s stadium. It reads: “Anfield has given vlence racism, foul language and homophobia the boot. ”Proud Lilywh beat Gay Gunners 7-1 the match to celebrate the former group’s one-year anniversary.

I’m not sayg Liverpool supporters are homophobic – most I know are hugely supportive of the work we do.

”For Amann, there are clear parallels between the work beg done by groups such as LFC LGBT, Proud Lilywh and Gay Gooners and that of those who s earlier fought to end racism English football.

TOTTENHAM LGBT TEAM ‘PROUD LILYWH’ BEAT ARSENAL’S ‘GAY GOONERS’ 7-1.

”The ne “regnised” LGBT supporters’ groups that exist the Premier League currentlyGay Gooners (Arsenal) – @gaygoonersProud Lilywh (Tottenham) – @SpursLGBTLFC LGBT (Liverpool) – @LFC_LGBTCanal Street Blu (Man Cy) – @CanalStBluRabow Toffe (Everton) – @RabowToffeRabow Tractors (Ipswich) – @RabowTractorsProud Canari (Norwich) – @proudnariPri of Irons (Wt Ham) – @PriOfIronsProud and Palace (Crystal Palace) – @ProudandPalace.

Two Premier League players are a uple and have e out as gay to their teammat, but not yet, reports suggt the Premier League footballers qutn uld e out a documentary currently productn wh Channel follows Gary Leker recently claimg he was aware of two Premier League players who were thkg of g out as gay soon.

RICHARLISON AND LUS DIGNE: EVERTON DUO SIST OUT GAY TEAM-MATE WOULD BE ACCEPTED

There’ve been lots of articl wrten about how difficult is for gay footballers to e out – pecially when they are still playg.

And let’s not jt pick on Arsenal and Tottenham fans, as there would doubtls be a small, but vol, moronic element at most football league grounds who uldn’t wa to be abive to a rival team player who had revealed that he was 1990 Jt Fashanu beme the first (and so far only) profsnal footballer to publicly reveal that he was gay.

A month later he announced he was a statement, Rogers, 25, said that remag Brish football after clarg that you were gay was ‘impossible’ newspaper also reported at that time that at least eight profsnal footballers have revealed to lleagu that they are gay, but have refed to go public bee they fear a backlash om fans. Agast this background, one n see why would take a brave and highly self-assured dividual to e out, pecially if he was playg at a high-profile club, like Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool, or Manchters Cy and mercially, the opportuni for any gay footballer g out while still playg at the top would be huge. Sure, the lik of David Beckham managed to ntue to play while takg advantage of numero mercial opportuni (and build ‘the brand’), but Beckham did so as a hetrosexual man, which surely mt be a whole lot, gay profsnal footballers the days don’t jt have to stggle wh the fact that they are likely to suffer unmercifully at the hands of fans if they me out, but they also appreciate that the media spotlight and mercial opportuni that any ‘outg’ would brg would doubtls make difficult to foc on the football – certaly the manner required the days to play at the hight level the Premier my view, therefore, is more likely that today’s gay profsnal footballers will e out after their playg days are over, and the smart on will have the opportuny to make as much money om their sexualy as they did playg the betiful game.

WHY ARE MORE FEMALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY OR BISEXUAL THAN MALE PLAYERS?

“The absence of a gay male player the premiership means that there is somethg wrong” Darryl Tell.

Reports of homophobia football have risen by 9%, acrdg to the most recent study by Kick It Out. Darryl Tell, thor of We’re Queer and We Should Be Here, has experienced homophobia football over the last 40 years of beg a loyal openly gay Tottenham Hotspur supporter. Comg out the 70s, Tell believed he was “the only gay man that was to football”, but his “life changed forever”.

Discrimatn football: Homophobia and racism. He tells PkNews about hearg “faggot” and “puff” ed as homophobic slurs to football players and fans, Tell says, “ mak feel unwele”. Robbie Santos, director of sport at Stonewall, addrsed the issue a ment to PkNews, he said: “Homophobic, biphobic and transphobic chantg and abe still sadly happen on football terrac and across all levels of sport.