What a shame that the FA have decided to delay the launch of a film aimed at tackling homophobia in football.
As a football referee and gay man, I have all too often heard 'gay bashing' jokes and 'banter' that ultimately leave me feeling angry and frustrated. What makes me even more angry is the fact that I am comfortable enough with my own sexuality to be openly gay in all aspects of my life. All aspects that is, except one: football. The ignorant comments and naive attitudes towards gay men leave me feeling vulnerable and cant help but feel that being an openly gay football referee would seriously undermine my enjoyment of being involved in a sport I love.
In Britain, the Gay Football Supporters Network has set up a national football league with the aim of allowing gay men and women to enjoy the sport they love in an environment that is non prejudicial and not threatening - and one where they can simply be themselves without having to hide their own identity in order to freely participate in sport. While i fully support the work of the GFSN to make football more accessible to gay people, I cant help but wonder why, in an age where we are supposidly living within a more tollerant and inclusive society, why football (and sport in general) still seems to want to exclude certain aspects of our society?
Maybe it is because sport is still held up as the mode of demonstrating macilinity and that any suggestion that gay people are engaging in sport weakens cleaims of being a 'real man'. While this may be true, part of me cant help but think that the reality is that racism and sexism are now so 'politically incorrect' that 'gay bashing' provides the only real avenue for narrow minded fools to vilify others and boost their own ego and re-affirm their own sense of identiy as a 'real man'. The FA and professional clubs have been proactive in tackling racism and are working hard to actively engage women in the sport and yet, it seems that making football a welcome environment for gay men is, not high on their priorities.
It is time that attitudes towards gay men and women in sport are addressed and the FA should launch the campaign now and lets start challenging the unjustified homophobic prejudice that is blighting many people's enjoyment in sport.
