h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So, a tabloid has published the second part of its 'Gay footballers' shocker. I didn't read last week's but have heard a little about it. As I understand it the 'expose' focused on:

1) The footballers may or may not be gay, and one of them may or may not have a girlfriend (or wife),
2) A mobile 'phone was used as a sex toy,
3) A 'pop star' might have been involved.
4) One of them peformed oral sex on another.

Now, I might be being dim, but surely gay/bi blokes regularly perform oral sex (as do straight footballers), use all kinds of things as sex toys (as do sraight footballers), have threesomes (as do straight footballers) and have affairs (as do straight footballers).

Anyway, the opening paragraph of today's feature reads:

'The Premiership idols at the centre of a gay sex scandal are part of a GANG of players who regularly take part in debauched romps, we can reveal today.'

It then goes on to say that players regularly get up to a bit of gay horseplay, it's all just joshing (the phrase 'schoolboy stuff' came to mind while reading it) and they're not *actually* gay. In other words: there is no story.

Why is it assumed that footballers are straight? There must be a *few* gay ones, even if the football environment means they stay in the closet (remember Justin Fashnu anyone?) Why is a gay threesome (which, it turns out, wasn't) a 'scandal'?

It is possible that the News Of The World bowed to pressure and changed the story. If that's the case, why the pressure? Surely keeping potential gay rolemodels closeted protects homophobia and damages the reputation of the F.A.

The F.A. is doing good work to combat racism but doesn't stand a chance at combatting homophobia while publications like NOTW keep on portraying gay sex as a BAD THING.

No, I didn't buy the NOTW; buying it only encourages them.

Gosh, a rant.

I'm with you strongly on this - why don't footballers out themselves? Because the last one to do so got so heavily abused he killed himself. I don't really blame them in a lot of ways

One of the most interesting things is how gay people can get acceptance. I'm writing my dissertation on whether equality is deserved and on what grounds. It seems to me that most gay campaigns focus on legal equality, which needs the argument that we deserve them simply as a matter of humans rights, we're equal citizens, therefore equal rights.

However, legal equality isn't the only sort. Social equality is needed, and arguably just as important as legal equality. This is rarely simply given on the 'human rights' argument, it generally needs to be earned. Problem is, how is it earned? By standout gay people one presumes. These exemplary people need to stike a chord with as much of society as possible, especially the most disadvantaged, where homophobia is most deeply rooted (ignoring religions, which is the best thing to do with them) and these people are the sort of readership the NOTW goes for, poorly-educated, ignorant and bigoted.

If you look on the list of Our Great Gays, it's almost entirely politicans, popstars or other celebrities, or historical figures. The small number of sportsmen and women are from 'posh' sports, none of whom are likely to change the mind of a NOTW, Sun or Star reader. It'd take a footballer, or possibly a rugby player. Which isn't going to happen in the near future, returning to Justin Fashnu.

It just makes me shake my head in dispair

There's probably a smaller proportion of ay foorballers than the rest of society purely because of the homophobia, which will make it even harder for anyone to come out. As you say, the readership of the NOTW are exactly the people that need to find out that some of their idols are gay, but the NOTW doesn't exist to make the world a better place, just to profit from it.

Still, even something like this story raises awareness.

>>but the NOTW doesn't exist to make the world a better place, just to profit from it<<

Even worse than not making the world a better place, it actively promotes negative stuff, making the world a worse place. Which is exactly why I hold it in such contempt.

One of the big problems with the gay rights movement is that it is largely failing those who need it most, those who are already experiencing prejudice or discrimination because of social situations. While attitudes in the middle class are starting to change, the attitudes on the streets of inner-city Manchester, Liverpool, London or any city you care to name aren't changing one bit. No-one seems to have any idea how to tackle this so it isn't being tackled.

I don't think the NOTW actively promotes negative stuff, but it misrepresents normal behaviour as 'scandal' which reinforces stereotypes. Oddly, it has broken some important stories in the last few weeks which the broadsheets have happily used come Monday mornings. If the NOTW changed its stance nobody would read it: the divots would find it boring and the rest of us wouldn't consider reading it.

I suppose that by publishing this story they are, inadvertently perhaps, raising the issue of homophobia in football and maybe a few of the 'lads' will discuss it from that angle rather than The Sun's 'Who Bumit?' angle.

I think my pragmatism chip's broken.

>>but it misrepresents normal behaviour as 'scandal' which reinforces stereotypes<<

I see that as negative. By promoting stereotypes it prevents the recognition of gay blokes as just normal people, which verges on homophobia.

>>I suppose that by publishing this story they are, inadvertently perhaps, raising the issue of homophobia in football and maybe a few of the 'lads' will discuss it from that angle rather than The Sun's 'Who Bumit?' angle<<

Possibly, I'm just not in a very optimistic mood today so I'm inclined to think not. I hope it does though

I remember reading about gay footballers in either Gay Times or Attitude (or even both) a while ago ... Peter Tatchell from Outrage was trying to persuade about half a dozen closeted footballers from (I think) Championship teams to come out together, though he suggested that the problems that Justin Fashanu had in getting support from his team and the public are putting them off. Even Graeme Le Saux - who is actually straight - has been dogged by rumours that he could be gay mainly because he doesn't enjoy the 'macho' activities that his team-mates partake in off the pitch.

I agree that the News of the World and the Sun are not the best publications for raising the issue of homophobia in football - especially as they generally hold a homophobic view themselves (except when celebrities decide to use them to come out publicly). In any case, I know the FA has been asked to tackle homophobia in football for a while now, though I still haven't seen any tangible evidence that things have improved ...

What I find deeply ironic about this is that there are a large number of young gay men whom I either know or know of who are *more* blokey than straight men, simply because they don't need to tone down their male need to fart, drink beer and spit, or to hide their complete unwillingness to do the washing up. (Stereotypes-R-Us)

Maybe we need a new Little Britain sketch - a footballer's footballer who is "the only gay on the pitch".

I agree - the sooner that being gay is seen as normal the better, and there is a long way to go. On the other hand, homosexuality was illegal in this country in my lifetime, and now same sex and transsexual marriages have been legalised, so there is perceptable progress. It is easy to focus on what we do not yet have, and forget what has been achieved.

Ben