Written by Margot Gysbrechts as a response to the anonymous letter of a professional football player
Justin Fashanu, professional footballer at Norwich City, came out in 1990 as the first footballer ever. But his confession did not lead to the hoped-for wave of coming-outs among other footballers.
With Pride Month in mind, this should be a reason to bring out the rainbow flags and socks to fight for equal rights. It should be a reason to put pressure on federations and sports clubs, to spark debate. It should lead to public statements from the biggest clubs in the world about how everyone is welcome with them. It should be a call-to-action — but at most it raises a few eyebrows over breakfast.
As of 2020, we still don’t have an openly gay footballer in the highest divisions worldwide. In women’s football, lesbian players are no longer an exception, but their male colleagues still have a long way to go. Football is marked by macho images and success stories, where the picture seems complete only when the world’s top players have a stunning woman by their side. There has never been an open debate about gay or bisexual footballers, and far too few top players openly state that everyone is welcome with them. The topic is silenced, and when a response is explicitly requested, many would rather dodge the question than address the taboo directly.
“As of 2020, we still don’t have an openly gay footballer in the highest divisions worldwide. There has never been an open debate about gay or bisexual footballers, and far too few top players openly state that everyone is welcome with them.”
“Day to day, it can be an absolute nightmare. And it is affecting my mental health and more. I feel trapped and my fear is that disclosing the truth about what I am will only make things worse.” Being able — and daring — to be yourself is the greatest strength a person can ever experience. Not daring to be yourself out of fear of how others will react is the hardest, loneliest, and most exhausting experience a person can go through. Imagine every player of his team being able to go home in the evening and fall into the arms of the one they love. Imagine teammates being able to share in the dressing room the news of a baby on the way, a wedding being planned, a child being born. Imagine that everyone can be perfectly happy with the partner they love — simply because society accepts them. But not him.
You can reach the top of the football world by working hard, never giving up, having a good education, and having a coach who believes in you. But you can only reach the top of your own life when you can fully and truly be yourself. An athlete draws strength from their mental state of mind and needs every fiber of their being to perform day after day. At that level of your career, a secret about your sexuality is a crushing weight. It drags down your performance, and it drags down your self-image.
What kind of society are we if a boy cannot — or does not dare to — chase his dream of becoming a professional footballer because of his sexual orientation? Every time a (young) player hangs up his boots because he is not accepted in the locker room or within the entourage of his club, that is a defeat for the entire football world.
“Every time a (young) player hangs up his boots because he is not accepted in the locker room or within the entourage of his club, that is a defeat for the entire football world.”
Jelle Van Damme, at his former club LA Galaxy during Pride Month:
“It is not enough to wear an armband and assume that discrimination and homophobia will disappear from the football world.”
“What those running the game need to do is educate fans, players, managers, agents, club owners – basically everyone involved in the game.”
As the player himself points out, this is not about paying for psychological sessions for out & proud footballers. Their monthly wages ensure they can afford such support if needed. The real key to acceptance of LGBTQIA+ footballers in the top leagues lies in educating those who hold the power in football. It is about normalizing LGBTQIA+ role models, and it is about standing up against those who question our fundamental right to be ourselves.
The football world does not need rainbow armbands and flags just once a year. It is not enough to put on a band and assume discrimination and homophobia will disappear from the sport.
Educating fans starts with condemning homophobic chants. Think of examples close to home, like “all farmers are gay” or slurs such as “you run like a f*g” or “you defend like a sissy.” It is easy to pretend this does not maintain a culture of homophobia — but try imagining being the young footballer struggling with his sexuality. That fearful player gains nothing from rainbow armbands worn once a year, only to be followed by silence about open homophobia.
It is up to major clubs and federations to design campaigns and start conversations with organizations that specialize in this. It is up to them to provide training and create a safe space for those still stuck in their way-too-small closets. It is up to coaches and managers to speak out against their fans and to become aware of their own biases. It is up to top players to use their platforms and speak out against homophobia, distancing themselves from supporters who use “gay” as an insult. It is up to sports federations and clubs to fine players, fans, and managers who engage in such behavior.
“The football world does not need rainbow armbands and flags just once a year. It is easy to say that an athlete is free to come out if he wants to. But that simply means that the sports world is waiting passively for the first player brave enough to take that step.”
It is easy to say that an athlete can come out whenever he feels ready. But that means the sports world can keep waiting for the first player with enough courage to take that leap. In this story, however, it is not the responsibility of the athlete. It is a shared responsibility of all parties, and the first step is to guarantee that everyone is working together for a better sports world. After that collective effort, the first coming-out stories will follow naturally.
Because it is a disgrace for football — and by extension the entire sporting world — that today, talents are still being lost out of fear of being themselves.