The First International Study on Homophobia in Sports

[David48]

Whether you Play Sports...or not... we need your story

Who is organising the study?

Why should I take part?

Will ‘Out on the Fields’ look at sporting issues for the gender diverse community?

Who do I contact for more information?

Where do I get help and support?

Out on the Fields ... http://outonthefields.com/

.

[isanbirder]

The other day, my doctor remarked on a broken scapula on my chest X-ray.

"Yes," I said, "That was sixty years ago playing rugger!"

Other than that, the only sport I'm good at is chess.

My sexuality does not matter in either case. My ability to play rugger (never very good) was all that mattered in the first instance, and my ability to tell en passant from zugzwang was all that mattered in the second.

Much too much is made these days of sportsmen "coming out". They are people like we are, and have the right to run their private lives the way they feel right. It does not need to be a public issue.

[Jingthing]

Actually, it does need to be a public issue.

Look at Michael Sam.

He has a boyfriend.

He's supposed to lie and hide his boyfriend?

He's supposed to show up to events with a fake girlfriend?

No, that doesn't work. That's OPPRESSION.

[ToddWeston]

The other day, my doctor remarked on a broken scapula on my chest X-ray.

"Yes," I said, "That was sixty years ago playing rugger!"

Other than that, the only sport I'm good at is chess.

My sexuality does not matter in either case. My ability to play rugger (never very good) was all that mattered in the first instance, and my ability to tell en passant from zugzwang was all that mattered in the second.

Much too much is made these days of sportsmen "coming out". They are people like we are, and have the right to run their private lives the way they feel right. It does not need to be a public issue.

Well said, the entire idea of coming out rubs me the wrong way it's a private issue.

For me I was addicted to hockey, love playing it on ice and road hockey, I was awful at soccer and lacrosse, later I got into raquet sports but now I use the heat as an excuse & frankly I'm just too damn lazy

[Jingthing]

There is a difference between amateur sports and big time school or pro sports. Information about athlete's personal lives tends to come out. Gay people in big time SPORTS historically have tended to go into deep closets or face tremendous discrimination or exclusion. Good people are working to change that now. Heroes like Michael Sam. To put your head in the sand and play fantasy games and PRETENDING this isn't a huge issue for gay athletes is NOT HELPFUL to the actual gay athletes especially those like MICHAEL SAM who have put so much personally on the line to PUSH a change in social attitudes FORWARD. Years down the road when there are hundreds of visible gay pro athletes in many countries in the world, it won't be "news" anymore when a major athlete is revealed to be gay, voluntarily or not, while playing, or after. But NOW it is and it will be for some years to come. Lets SUPPORT these brave pioneers who are going to make it much easier for future generations of gay athletes.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Jingthing

[sustento]

I used to be quite good at rumpy pumpy but I'm afraid that age has caught up with me.

[David48]

I used to be quite good at rumpy pumpy but I'm afraid that age has caught up with me.

Made me smile ...

isanbirder ... a rugger player ... respect ...

What position, if not a rude question?

[Skint]

For sure football has benders, would they still be popular after coming out? Wayne Rooney has to be a suspect gay given he wid rather ride an auld granny than his wee burd

[sustento]

For sure football has benders, would they still be popular after coming out?

The tale of Justin Fashanu seems to answer that question

[Jingthing]

For sure football has benders, would they still be popular after coming out? Wayne Rooney has to be a suspect gay given he wid rather ride an auld granny than his wee burd

The idea is that over time it won't make any difference if a sports player in a major sport is gay or not. Sadly, it does now, and it was even worse in the past. The only solution which takes time is for more and more such players to COME OUT. This is a proven method of success for so many other areas of public life. But it takes time. Not coming out retards the progress but at this point in history in most places, it is still a BRAVE thing to do (because yes there is a price, sometimes a very large price).

Edited May 16, 2014 by Jingthing

[David48]

I suppose it does begger the question.

If an athlete is gay but doesn't want to come out because he/she wants the focus

to be on their sporting ability, not their sexuality then later, retire, only to come out.

Do they get much grief from the Gay orginisations protesting that they should have

used their public profile to 'better the cause' for want of a better term?

Is there that pressure out there?

[David48]

For sure football has benders, would they still be popular after coming out?

The tale of Justin Fashanu seems to answer that question

I just read about ... very sad.

[sustento]

For sure football has benders, would they still be popular after coming out?

The tale of Justin Fashanu seems to answer that question

I just read about ... very sad.

Disowned by his own brother. What a bastard.

[Scott]

A troll post has been removed.

[ToddWeston]

I suppose it does begger the question.

If an athlete is gay but doesn't want to come out because he/she wants the focus

to be on their sporting ability, not their sexuality then later, retire, only to come out.

Do they get much grief from the Gay orginisations protesting that they should have

used their public profile to 'better the cause' for want of a better term?

Is there that pressure out there?

It's a good question, I've heard of a few athletes that came out after retirement but it was no big surprise nor did anyone care, we all assumed they were anyway hint hint figure skaters.

I can't think of an organisation that would even have the reach or influence to compel an athlete to take something so private and make it public. The entire concept of coming out is a personal choice and when someone notable does it I tend to tune out.

There's another thread about some football guy who recently came out, I've never watched the sport and could care less if he's gay, black, 230 cm tall or makes 30 million dollars a year, coming out of the closest doesn't make you better than someone who's in the closest and thankfully it becomes yesterday's news very quickly.

[isanbirder]

I used to be quite good at rumpy pumpy but I'm afraid that age has caught up with me.

Made me smile ...

isanbirder ... a rugger player ... respect ...

What position, if not a rude question?

Prop forward, David. I'm too big to be a hooker.

There is actually a much broader issue here than sports. These days anybody whose job takes them into the public eye is given celebrity status, whether it is in show business or in sports... and maybe other fields. To my mind these people are still entitled to privacy over their personal affairs, just like you and I are. Of course their team-mates/fellow show business people will know if they are gay or not. If they want to make it public, that should be their choice, not the choice of the intrusive media.

I look forward, more in hope than expectation, to the day when our personal privacy is restored.

[ToddWeston]

I used to be quite good at rumpy pumpy but I'm afraid that age has caught up with me.

Made me smile ...

isanbirder ... a rugger player ... respect ...

What position, if not a rude question?

Prop forward, David. I'm too big to be a hooker.

There is actually a much broader issue here than sports. These days anybody whose job takes them into the public eye is given celebrity status, whether it is in show business or in sports... and maybe other fields. To my mind these people are still entitled to privacy over their personal affairs, just like you and I are. Of course their team-mates/fellow show business people will know if they are gay or not. If they want to make it public, that should be their choice, not the choice of the intrusive media.

I look forward, more in hope than expectation, to the day when our personal privacy is restored.

Well said, and if I may add my two satang, I believe there should be outrage rather than treating theses celebs as heroes, it adds pressure for many and frankly it's just not that important at least where I come from.

I have no issues with atlthetes or celebs taking up the cause and discussing homophobia, world hunger or any social issue but being a poster child for "I'm here I'm Queer" rubs me the wrong way.

[David48]

isanbirder ... a rugger player ... respect ...

What position, if not a rude question?

Prop forward, David. I'm too big to be a hooker.

I played League as that was what was at my school.

I was also a Prop ... Union and League are relatively the same in that aspect.

When I was younger, I was taller then many so I was the 'loose head' prop ... then 'tight head' prop and the buggers kept on growing (the other players) and I ended up a grunt ... a seconder rower!

[WitawatWatawit]

^^ Well said Todd. It annoys me that this should even be an issue. I've always been annoyed by the expression "coming out". If I've admired you for your sporting/artistic/whatever skills, should I suddenly have to change my feelings because you've come out? What tosh. It changes nothing.

[ToddWeston]

^^ Well said Todd. It annoys me that this should even be an issue. I've always been annoyed by the expression "coming out". If I've admired you for your sporting/artistic/whatever skills, should I suddenly have to change my feelings because you've come out? What tosh. It changes nothing.

I recently met a really nice guy over lunch and in our conversation he asked about my "wife" as a point of clarification I said "I've actually got a husband" no coming out, no I'm gay, no grandstanding just 5 words. He didn't fall over, in fact there wasn't even a moment of hesitation, it didn't phase him at all. It wasn't about me, it was about him and my desire to make him comfortable.

We humans have the ability to accept others when it's not shoved in our faces.

[onthemoon]

The other day, my doctor remarked on a broken scapula on my chest X-ray.

"Yes," I said, "That was sixty years ago playing rugger!"

Other than that, the only sport I'm good at is chess.

My sexuality does not matter in either case. My ability to play rugger (never very good) was all that mattered in the first instance, and my ability to tell en passant from zugzwang was all that mattered in the second.

Much too much is made these days of sportsmen "coming out". They are people like we are, and have the right to run their private lives the way they feel right. It does not need to be a public issue.

It should be no issue, but right now it still is. OK, Justin Fashanu committed suicide 16 yearts ago, and the world (even the sports world) has improved in the meantime. But it is still not accepted (with exceptions) that sportsmen are gay. The coming out of each single one of them helps everybody else who has not come out yet, and it started the discussion seriously. Changing the (sports) world.

We are not there yet. When gays are accepted, then the sexuality won't matter any more.

I applaud the initiators of this study.

[Jingthing]

If you tell somebody that you've got a husband and you're a man you have come out. Some people will accept that and some won't. Personally I have come out that way to some old friends and some of them were no longer my friends after the news. The phrase shove it in their face is so often used by our political enemies. They are often referring to things like a gay person putting a gay family photo on their desk at work. It is disturbing to hear such loaded rhetoric from other gay people. It reminds me of some Jews accusing other Jews of being too Jewy for doing something like wearing a yarmulke in public.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited May 17, 2014 by Jingthing

[sustento]

I used to be quite good at rumpy pumpy but I'm afraid that age has caught up with me.

Made me smile ...

isanbirder ... a rugger player ... respect ...

What position, if not a rude question?

Prop forward, David. I'm too big to be a hooker.

[David48]

Prop forward, David. I'm too big to be a hooker.

Just for clairification for those not farmiliar with the game of Rugby

and for some reason ... they end up with ears like this ...

True Story.

[isanbirder]

Fortunately my ears are just as elegant as they ever were.... but it's just that I don't hear so well.

[WitawatWatawit]

Those ears are sooooo gay.

[sustento]

Something to hang on to as well!

[Scott]

I once saw a T-shirt that said, "Let Go Of My Ears, I Know What I am Doing".