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O/T: Hitzlsperger: I Am Gay

Dorothy said:
Why is this newsworthy? Why do people think it is 'nice' for anyone to 'come out' or need to come out? What the **** does it even mean? What a peculiar world we live in where this makes the front page of our National media. Who actually gives a **** about a player's sexuality? Religion? Political Beliefs? What watch they've bought this week? It's football but alas tainted by this malaise of a celebrity culture where people somehow think they have the right to know what someone in the spotlight eats, drinks, buys or ****s. Baffling shower of ********.
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Because there has been a huge stigma towards homosexuality in macho environments, like on the football pitch for centuries? Because a guy killed himself for being outed by his coach for being gay and because no-one since has dared to admit to being gay? Because sexuality is a big part of a human being? Because top athletes openly being homosexuals could pave the way and make the future "safer" for talent out there that is now homosexual? Maybe with more openness comes more acceptance and the dressingroom banter and stigma towards gays in sports (or football) would disappear?

I agree it's got nothing to do with the sport itself, but I can't see how you can turn this into a bad thing. Footballers are more than athletes, they're idols and persons a lot of people look up to. If someone who is a footballer can come out and say, "hey, I play football, and I'm also gay, and that's cool", I think that could have a huge benefit for a lot of people in the long run.
 
Daisuk said:
Because there has been a huge stigma towards homosexuality in macho environments, like on the football pitch for centuries? Because a guy killed himself for being outed by his coach for being gay and because no-one since has dared to admit to being gay? Because sexuality is a big part of a human being? Because top athletes openly being homosexuals could pave the way and make the future "safer" for talent out there that is now homosexual? Maybe with more openness comes more acceptance and the dressingroom banter and stigma towards gays in sports (or football) would disappear?

I agree it's got nothing to do with the sport itself, but I can't see how you can turn this into a bad thing. Footballers are more than athletes, they're idols and persons a lot of people look up to. If someone who is a footballer can come out and say, "hey, I play football, and I'm also gay, and that's cool", I think that could have a huge benefit for a lot of people in the long run.
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My issue is with the fact that we are having to discuss the sexuality of someone 'we' don't even know nor really care about. Of course it would be lovely that their are no angry bigots in football and that anyone would feel comfortable to just be themselves but this is just being sensationalised for the sake of titillation. It made front page media which is pathetic. Ideally we would need every person to come forward, state their sexuality and then retreat back to their lives so the media could print a ****ing list and everyone could move the **** on. In every facet of media in this country it is overtly clear that you can be a homosexual and succeed at the highest levels. Maybe gays could wear little yellow stars on their shirts so everyone knows? The more stars the easier it would be for others to get a star and wear it with pride. Sometimes just sometimes you look at these people trying to promote racial equality in football, or sexual equality in football etc and realise it is just another bunch of ****ers trying to justify some charitable income. Yawn.
 
Dorothy said:
My issue is with the fact that we are having to discuss the sexuality of someone 'we' don't even know nor really care about. Of course it would be lovely that their are no angry bigots in football and that anyone would feel comfortable to just be themselves but this is just being sensationalised for the sake of titillation. It made front page media which is pathetic. Ideally we would need every person to come forward, state their sexuality and then retreat back to their lives so the media could print a ****ing list and everyone could move the **** on. In every facet of media in this country it is overtly clear that you can be a homosexual and succeed at the highest levels. Maybe gays could wear little yellow stars on their shirts so everyone knows? The more stars the easier it would be for others to get a star and wear it with pride. Sometimes just sometimes you look at these people trying to promote racial equality in football, or sexual equality in football etc and realise it is just another bunch of ****ers trying to justify some charitable income. Yawn.
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I see your point, mate, and I agree with you - in an ideal world this wouldn't be an issue worth mentioning, of course, nevermind splash out over an entire newspaper frontpage. The sensational about it will pass though, hopefully starting with something like this, which in the end is exactly why it's a good thing to see someone who has played football at the top level recently coming out.
 
Jordinho said:
Former Aston Villa and West Ham midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger has revealed he is gay.

He is the highest-profile footballer to 'come out' and he follows in the footsteps of the American Robbie Rogers, who was the first in recent times when he revealed his sexuality last year.

Hitzlsperger won 52 caps for Germany and finished his career at Stuttgart last year, retiring because of injury.

In an interview with Germany's Time magazine, he said: "It has been a long and difficult process...only in recent years has it dawned on me that I would prefer to live with another man."

Hitzlsperger, 31, says he does not know any other players in Germany who are gay.

www1.skysports.com/football/news/12...am-star-thomas-hitzlsperger-reveals-he-is-gay
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He is the only gay in the village.
 
The world is shocked with the news that Thomas Hitlzelsperger has been capped 52 times for Germany
 
Does a straight guy come out that he is straight? No

I find it staggering that announcing things like this still exists. If you continue to make a big deal out of a topic, it continues to become a big deal and not the 'norm'.
 
DHSF said:
Does a straight guy come out that he is straight? No

I find it staggering that announcing things like this still exists. If you continue to make a big deal out of a topic, it continues to become a big deal and not the 'norm'.
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I do agree, but I also think that gay sportsmen and women (especially men) need to know there are others like them - dealing with the same fears and backlash - as them. Having players come out in public seems unnecessary but it might be the first stage of a process where, one day, announcements are no longer news. So there are a few players opening gay, usually after retirement, and then gradually current players admit it, and then it isn't interesting anymore.

I also don't care what people do but there are those who do, and in an all-male environment such as football - where racism was/is still an issue - it may be behind the overall evolution of society.

At the same time as Hitzlsperger made his announcement we had Alex (PSG, ex Chelsea) saying that GHod made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Yves. It's for a documentary about religious football clubs. I imagine he is Catholic. It isn't just the personal prejudice of groups of fans trying to intimidate an opposition player, this could be wide-reaching prejudice of potential teammates or opponents within the game.
 
Dorothy said:
My issue is with the fact that we are having to discuss the sexuality of someone 'we' don't even know nor really care about. Of course it would be lovely that their are no angry bigots in football and that anyone would feel comfortable to just be themselves but this is just being sensationalised for the sake of titillation. It made front page media which is pathetic. Ideally we would need every person to come forward, state their sexuality and then retreat back to their lives so the media could print a ****ing list and everyone could move the **** on. In every facet of media in this country it is overtly clear that you can be a homosexual and succeed at the highest levels. Maybe gays could wear little yellow stars on their shirts so everyone knows? The more stars the easier it would be for others to get a star and wear it with pride. Sometimes just sometimes you look at these people trying to promote racial equality in football, or sexual equality in football etc and realise it is just another bunch of ****ers trying to justify some charitable income. Yawn.
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You don't have to discuss it. What did you expect when you opened this thread? You see a headline online, scroll past it, get over it.

It's news because this is the first time someone this high profile has come out publicly as gay. That makes it a new thing, that makes it news.

DHSF said:
Does a straight guy come out that he is straight? No

I find it staggering that announcing things like this still exists. If you continue to make a big deal out of a topic, it continues to become a big deal and not the 'norm'.
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So who are the openly gay still active top level footballers? Oh, no one? Right. Yet you're surprised this still exists. I would understand your reaction if this was the 10th player to come out this month and there had been openly gay players in the big leagues for years or decades. It's obvious why this is news.

In Northern Europe (very generalized) football is lagging behind the rest of society somewhat, in many parts of the world football is right on par with the rest of social development. This is a small step in the right direction and could be a chance for football to help the work for equality.
 
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