Thomas Hitzlsperger announces he is gay

[hjperdeath 2,226]

I don't agree with that at all. The reason nothing more is being made out of it, is because he isn't still an active footballer. If he was you know there would be faggot chants and other tasteless crap from every single rival club he played against and be controversy about that. That's where the problem is, no active footballer (other than some third division in Sweden guy) can be open about their sexuality and that is a problem.

It's also a fairly important story with the world cup in Qatar coming up, a country so backwards it's still illegal to be gay.

Just because homosexuality is illegal, I don't get how a country is backwards. Qatar is actually quite lenient like Dubai when it comes to what Muslims would consider taboo.

One of the writers from one of Qatar's leading newspapers had something to say about that. He made a point that homosexuality if practiced privately wouldn't be a problem. If you take it out to the streets and flaunt it, then you'd be causing a nuisance to a majority Islamic population that would find it deeply offensive according to their religious scripture. The same way if you are performing a sexually aggravated act in public and a bystander calls in the police as you're causing a problem to them.

[Fulham Broadway 16,392]

Homosexuality in Football.

9 00pm BBC r5 tonight.

just sayin'

[calculatingInfinity 1,443]

Just because homosexuality is illegal, I don't get how a country is backwards.

Sorry but I would have to disagree there. Having your completely victimless sexuality be illegal in a country means it's a backwards shit hole, no matter the wealth or what not they have. They should never have been allowed the world cup, especially on the fake conditions they got it on. But that's off topic.

and of course some journalist from Qatar, who is most likely excited to see the world cup come there, would defend it with those pathetic points.

That's a fair point, but the fact so many have shown their support for him demonstrates that we're getting to a stage in this country where we can just man up and move on.

Well it's getting better, but if I was gay and a footballer (that's a lot of if's) I would certainly not want to come out during my active career anywhere.

[hjperdeath 2,226]

Sorry but I would have to disagree there. Having your completely victimless sexuality be illegal in a country means it's a backwards shit hole, no matter the wealth or what not they have. They should never have been allowed the world cup, especially on the fake conditions they got it on. But that's off topic.

and of course some journalist from Qatar, who is most likely excited to see the world cup come there, would defend it with those pathetic points.

Ah same old recycled newspaper bile. Shame people make judgements without actually knowing how the place is. Each to their own I guess. Oh and not just a journalist from Qatar, he wrote it along with Zico and Lucescu (obviously before he got sacked) .

[calculatingInfinity 1,443]

Ah same old recycled newspaper bile. Shame people make judgements without actually knowing how the place is. Each to their own I guess. Oh and not just a journalist from Qatar, he wrote it along with Zico and Lucescu (obviously before he got sacked) .

Who's to say I haven't been to Qatar? I know fine and well that it's not some third world country and had a few friends work there for longer periods of time, but I strongly disagree with the legality of same sex relationships there, which makes it fucking backwards imo and not a suitable place for a world cup... Well along with their lies about their ventialation systems they would build into the stadiums to allow it to be played in the summer (which now turns out to be BS) and their borderline slavery that goes on with the Nepalese workers (185 just Nepalese guys died constructing there last year, that is official numbers) because of terrible working conditions that Amensty has also been out warning about.

So yeah, that's the last I will say about Qatar in this thread as it's not what it was about at all.

[hjperdeath 2,226]

Who's to say I haven't been to Qatar? I know fine and well that it's not some third world country and had a few friends work there for longer periods of time, but I strongly disagree with the legality of same sex relationships there, which makes it fucking backwards imo and not a suitable place for a world cup... Well along with their lies about their ventialation systems they would build into the stadiums to allow it to be played in the summer (which now turns out to be BS) and their borderline slavery that goes on with the Nepalese workers (185 just Nepalese guys died constructing there last year, that is official numbers) because of terrible working conditions that Amensty has also been out warning about.

So yeah, that's the last I will say about Qatar in this thread as it's not what it was about at all.

So just because of same sex relationships are illegal it's a fucking backwards shithole. With such high standards for a country to qualify as a not backward country , I would put almost 3/4th of existing countries as backward due to drug usage, infidelity, crime rate (which Qatar has the one of the lowest in the world). The air conditioning thing is still on. Have written about it a lot in a few magazines and the QFA holds its statement firmly. All stadiums will be air conditioned using technology, including pitches. If it's Daily Mail you've read that on, then I'm sorry. Borderline slavery is such an exaggerated view, though granted what's going is wrong and efforts are being made to resolve it . Over the past few months progress has been seen and in a year or so it would be non-existent , thankfully due to Amnesty involving themselves.

Personally a terribly ignorant view, spread by countries and their media(one of which called a stadium project the accidental vagina) that felt dejected from losing the bid to a small country.

[Stingray 9,441]

Statement: the very fact a nation, people feels offended by two people from the same sex show affection is .... discriminatory. The fact is is religiously inspired does not excuse this. In every culture, nation, .... More than 10% of the population is gay ( by birth not choice or education). To deny this significant group the privilege to show affection just because it differs from the norm, the average is quite baffling.

Not using the words retards/backwards watsoever. I do use close minded.

[hjperdeath 2,226]

Statement: the very fact a nation, people feels offended by two people from the same sex show affection is .... discriminatory. The fact is is religiously inspired does not excuse this. In every culture, nation, .... More than 10% of the population is gay ( by birth not choice or education). To deny this significant group the privilege to show affection just because it differs from the norm, the average is quite baffling.

Not using the words retards/backwards watsoever. I do use close minded.

That was the word . Close minded . Very and sadly the Muslims I've been with , don't really mind , but it's the word of religion and they follow it without a question . Luckily it isn't as worse as it is in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait as well, where there are moral police and stuff like that. Calling a country backwards cause of just one reason is serious over-reaction.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Who's to say I haven't been to Qatar? I know fine and well that it's not some third world country and had a few friends work there for longer periods of time, but I strongly disagree with the legality of same sex relationships there, which makes it fucking backwards imo and not a suitable place for a world cup... Well along with their lies about their ventialation systems they would build into the stadiums to allow it to be played in the summer (which now turns out to be BS) and their borderline slavery that goes on with the Nepalese workers (185 just Nepalese guys died constructing there last year, that is official numbers) because of terrible working conditions that Amensty has also been out warning about.

So yeah, that's the last I will say about Qatar in this thread as it's not what it was about at all.

Every single society in every single era, including our own, is "backwards" when compared to specific place and time frames. In fact if we are to use your criteria for a backwards society, which is being mostly homophobic, then 50 years ago, almost all countries and societies in the world were "backwards". Your current society probably has some "backwards" ideas and beliefs when compared to the Danish society 100 years from now even if you can't see them at the moment.

You are judging the issue from a very narrow perspective which is the perspective of your current society and environment along with their current set of norms and morals. There is nothing wrong with that, in fact that is the most human thing ever. But, the issue is that football is a global culture and it belongs to people from all over the world with all sorts of beliefs and ethical backgrounds. It belongs to the people who come from a conservative Islamic society as much as it belongs to people who come from a liberal western society with a low tolerance for conservative Islamic societies like yourself. It also belongs to people who toss newborns down a temple for good luck in India, and the people who have a eat ash in Venezuela, and the people who worship the god "Mazda" in Iran without footballing having anything to do with Mazda or liberalism or homophobia.

That does not, by any mean, imply that we should accept homophobia but you can't deem a country not "football worthy" for it. You just can't take such an aggressive stand against entire nations no matter how closed-minded and illogical their beliefs are. That simply does not solve the issue of homophobia in Islamic countries. If anything it makes them more defensive about their beliefs. There are various means which are much more effective at slowly tackling the issue of homophobia in conservative religious societies.

Having a world cup in Qatar is not an endorsement of homophobia just like having a world cup in the US is not an endorsement of the "theory" of intelligent design and falsifying evolution.

[zolayes 14,489]

he might be gay but wenger isnt happy

[Spike 12,049]

Technically Upsidedownland (Australia) is the most backwards country because it's upside down.

Idiots.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Well it's getting better, but if I was gay and a footballer (that's a lot of if's) I would certainly not want to come out during my active career anywhere.

Very fair point. I think I have a misplaced sense of faith in humanity. We're all pretty much a bunch of bastards.

[Benches not the shed 77]

If he didn't have the bollocks to "come out" when he was playing, why do it as he leaves the game ?

You could say he was going in through the back door doing it this way, but I suppose he is used to that.

Unnecessary information, like anybody gives a toss about him, gay or straight.

[kellzfresh 7,226]

No need for this to be a big deal, the media are just feeding on stories.

We should be able to come to a point where saying I'm gay or I'm straight have equal reaction.

And we should be able to come to a point where I can say I don't like kanyewest and kim kardashian together, while also I don't like elton john and his gay partner. Without getting sacked in my office because I said the later, bcos technically they mean the same thing.

[Rmpr 8,977]

Football is desperate to exploit a gay icon...

There was a rumour that the first gay Premier League footballer would be coming out this weekend.

Everybody was very excited. The Football Association were no doubt on standby to organise the nationwide open-top bus tour, or for any counselling that may have been required, although the biggest danger was that the poor bloke would be patronised to death. Anyway, it didnt happen.

But for an insight into how such an event would unfold, consider an extract from the Sol Campbell biography, recalling a meeting with sportswear manufacturer Puma. The Puma representative asked if Campbell was gay. No, he was told. Thats a pity, Puma replied. We were hoping you were.

+20

Looking for an icon: Sol Campbell was asked by Puma if he was gay. He answered 'No'

We were keen to represent the first gay international footballer. We could sell many more boots - it would be a worldwide story.

Indeed it would. And maybe that, rather than any fear of reprisal, is what keeps footballers in the closet.

The straight establishment wants a pet gay project only for their benefit. They want the unique selling point of footballs first gay icon to be marketed and exploited to the full.

If 30 footballers came out as gay as one in a massive show of communal pride, it would be a disaster.

Too much gayness. A flooded market. What are we going to do with all these queens? It is the lone gay that is sought, the saleable gay, the memorable face of the gay game and, by definition, of our marvellous, tolerant football community, too. Its still all about us really. That and the money.