Homosexuality in English football
Homosexuality in English football is sometimes said to be a taboo subject by both players and the media. As of 2012, there are no openly gay male footballers in England's top four divisions. Some, such as Peter Clayton, who chairs the FA's "Homophobia in Football" working group have argued that clubs prevent players from "coming out" as footballers have an increasing commercial market value which may be damaged.
Homosexuality in England and Wales was decriminalised in 1967, leading to a more liberal public attitude. There are many openly gay politicians and entertainers who remained elected and popular with little or no criticism or comment on their sexuality. However, football has been distinctly lacking in openly gay men. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, rumours in the press, or joking between fans and players and even hostile homophobic abuse have been common within the game.
In a 2009 survey, most fans said they would like to see homophobia taken out of football, that the FA were not doing enough to tackle the issue and that they would be comfortable to see a player on their team come out of the closet.
Conversely several high-profile England women's players have come out as lesbian including Lily Parr, Casey Stoney, Kelly Smith and Fara Williams, with attitudes around the women's game being more tolerant than the men's.
Homophobia
Against homosexual players
, the first black £1 million footballer, became in 1990 the first footballer to be openly gay. In his autobiography, Brian Clough recounts a dressing down he gave Fashanu after hearing rumours that he was going to gay bars. "'Where do you go if you want a loaf of bread?' I asked him. 'A baker's, I suppose.' 'Where do you go if you want a leg of lamb?' 'A butcher's.' 'So why do you keep going to that bloody poofs' club?"'. Fashanu committed suicide in 1998 after he was questioned by police when a seventeen-year-old boy accused him of sexual assault, and it has been suggested that the tragedy and hostility that struck his life after publicly coming out persuaded other gay footballers that coming out would not be a good idea. The coroner said the prejudices he experienced, plus the sexual assault charge he was facing at the time of his death, probably overwhelmed him.Against heterosexual players
, an England international left-back, endured homophobic taunts despite being married to a woman with children. The rumours allegedly began because of his "unladdish hobbies" which included antique collecting, and his university background. He later admitted he had considered quitting the game because of the abuse and the humiliation he felt. One example of the public abuse he suffered came in a Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool on 27 February 1999, Le Saux became involved in a running series of taunts with Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler. With Le Saux preparing to take a free kick, Fowler repeatedly bent over and pointed his backside in the Chelsea player's direction. Despite the obvious taunts, Le Saux, who refused to take the free kick, was booked for delay of play. Unseen by the match officials, Le Saux later struck Fowler on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area. Both were later charged with misconduct by the FA.In 2008, Sol Campbell received homophobic abuse from Tottenham Hotspur fans while playing for Portsmouth. Campbell is also married to a woman, and his brother was jailed for 12 months in 2005 after assaulting a classmate who suggested that the defender was gay. In 2009 a man and a boy were found guilty of shouting homophobic chants at Campbell in a match between Portsmouth and Spurs. In January 2019 Sol Campbell spoke out about homophobic abuse he had recently received. He had also been the victim of similar abuse in 2014.
By the press
The News of the World claimed that two Premiership footballers were involved in a gay orgy with a figure in the music industry, allegations repeated in The Sun. Despite being unnamed by the papers, Ashley Cole brought legal action and won apologies and damages from both publications.After England's exit from the 2006 World Cup, Peter Tatchell complained about the "homophobic smearing" against Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo. The Sun described the player as a "nancy boy" and a "pretty boy".
By those in the game
Ex-Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is on record as stating he would have thrown out of the team a player whom he found to be gay. He made the comments during Brazil's 2002 FIFA World Cup campaign.Likewise Djibril Cissé, partly in jest, said that he refused to kiss his team-mates after scoring a goal for fear of being thought of as gay.
Public relations mogul Max Clifford claimed that two major clubs had approached him wishing to portray a "straight" image.
In October 2006, England international Rio Ferdinand caused controversy by calling BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles a 'faggot' live on air, just days after team-mate Paul Scholes was also in trouble for an alleged homophobic remark about him being gay with a funny hair do. Moyles jokingly asked Ferdinand: "If you had to, who would you rather go out with – Smudger
In 2010 the FA planned to shoot a video designed to discourage anti-gay hate-chants on the terraces. Reportedly they were unable find a player from the Premier League willing to endorse the video and production was postponed. Pundits believed that players were scared to associate themselves with homosexuality.
Anti-homophobic action
By the FA
In 2005 the Football Association held a summit aimed at tackling homophobia in football. In that same year when the BBC asked all of the twenty Premiership managers their opinions on the issue as part of an investigation, all twenty refused.In February 2012, the FA released a video showing a discussion on homophobia in English football between former stars Adrian Williams, John Scales, and Brendon Batson.
By clubs
From 2007 onwards, homophobic chanting at football grounds was explicitly outlawed by the FA. Tottenham Hotspur have a system in place to allow fans to report any anti-gay chanting and Manchester City are the first Premiership club to have been recognised by pressure group Stonewall as a gay-friendly employer.In 2009, a football team was named after openly gay footballer Justin Fashanu. The Justin Fashanu All-stars is open to both homosexual and heterosexual players. Stonewall FC, founded by Aslie Pitter after he faced homophobia while playing on existing teams, is a similar initiative.
In July 2012, Liverpool F.C. have announced their participation in Liverpool Pride. In August of the same year, Liverpool F.C. will become the first Premier League club to officially represented at a UK pride event. LFC staff and LFC Ladies FC will be marching together with LFC LGBT and other supporters and a banner from the club will be present. Liverpool F.C. have also hosted the Football v Homophobia tournament early in 2012.
In 2013, Stonewall in conjunction with Paddy Power, launched the 'Right Behind Gay Footballers' campaign, distributing rainbow coloured laces to every professional football player in the UK. Only 2 players in over 5000 professional football players have 'come out' as openly gay, a scenario which has odds of over 1 million to 1. The aim of the campaign was to ask players to show support for gay football players and to Players from 52 different clubs wore the laces to show support for gay players and the campaign received over 320 million Twitter impressions, making it the one of the most successful Twitter campaigns in the UK to date.
In 2014, Stonewall teamed up with Paddy Power again, in addition to Metro and the Premier League to lead the second year on the 'RIght Behind Gay Footballers' campaign.
In 2015, Ryman Premier Division team, Dulwich Hamlet, are set to host a friendly against Stonewall FC, the Gay World Champions, on Wednesday 11 February. The match coincides with Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month, which takes place throughout February. It also forms part of Dulwich Hamlet's ongoing anti-homophobia campaign.
By fans
One survey by Staffordshire University showed that more than 90% of football fans would not hold any hostility to a footballer coming out, and suggested that most fans would stand by a gay player who played for their club. The survey showed that most fans expected there would be an openly gay footballer by 2015, and that this would be good for improving the attitude towards homosexuality in the sport.By players
Heterosexual Swedish international and former Arsenal and West Ham United midfielder Freddie Ljungberg endured questions over his sexuality "due to his bachelor lifestyle and love of musicals and fashion". Despite denying the speculation, he told the New York Times that "I don’t mind at all. I am proud of that. I love fashion, and I think so many gay people have amazing style. So that is a compliment to me."The Guardian's Secret Footballer columnist said that a gay player would be accepted in a typical dressing room, and instead said that the worry for any would-be gay player would be the abuse from the terraces.
Women's football
inductee Lily Parr was openly lesbian at a time when female homosexuality, whilst not illegal, was very much a taboo in British society. In August 2010, England coach Hope Powell was named in 68th place on The Independent newspaper's Pink List of influential lesbian and gay people in the UK. In 2011 the Belfast Telegraph reported the formation of the Belfast Braves, who claimed to be the first lesbian football team in the UK. In recent years far more players have come out with several high-profile players entering civil partnerships or marriage with their partners once they became legal in 2005 and 2015 respectively.Coming out of the closet
Arguments have been made for and against a gay player to come out publicly.Staying in
Figures such as agent Max Clifford have advised gay players to keep their sexuality a secret for the sake of their careers, saying that to be openly gay would potentially damage their playing prospects. This would also apply abroad, where even if accepted in England a gay player might face a new barrier if he wished to play in a country less accepting of homosexuality. Coming out would undoubtedly bring a gay player abuse from the terraces, and perhaps elsewhere too; this would affect some players more than others.recommends that gay players keep their sexuality secret.
The reaction to Justin Fashanu after he publicly came out may set a worrying precedent for those considering whether to publicly announce their sexuality.
Coming out
goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard said that "homosexuals are in need of a hero".On the occasion of 2019's World Pride, the Boumerang Foundation published a report aiming to debunk the myth that footballers coming out as gay damages their commercial viability. The publication, authored by Rayyan Dabbous from New York University, analyzes the media appeal of LGBT figures such as Anderson Cooper and Neil Patrick Harris, whose coming out did not hinder their ability to undertake promotional opportunities perceived as "masculine" such as moderating a presidential debate or embodying How I Met Your Mother miscellaneous The Playbook: Suit Up. Score Chicks, Be Awesome.
List of LGBT footballers
Men
| Name | Nationality | Career | Date of coming out | Notes & references |
| 2004– | 2009 | |||
| 1978–1997 | 1990 | |||
| ? | ? | |||
| 2005–2017 | 2013 | |||
| 2001–2013 | 2014 | First openly gay player to have played in the Premier League. |