A-Leagues & Football Australia General Chat and News Thread

[Quivorir]

Can't wait for the day society reaches the point where nobody has to come out at all and its just ******* accepted. Good on him.

 

[giggler99]

Can't wait for the day society reaches the point where nobody has to come out at all and its just ******* accepted. Good on him.

I think we are already their, nobody is upset or makes a fuss when people come out these days. It's a the lessening of the virtual signalling that needs to calm down imo.

 

[Quivorir]

If we were there that post wouldn't exist.

 

[SarahSmiles]

I think we are already their, nobody is upset or makes a fuss when people come out these days. It's a the lessening of the virtual signalling that needs to calm down imo.

Read the comments of Optus Sports' post. Genuinely disgusting comments about a 21 year old finally having the courage to open up about who he is. We sadly have a long way to go both as a culture and as a sporting community before not being heterosexual is normalised

 

[bok_party]

Yeah unfortunately it's still quite a taboo thing in men's sport. There need to be a few trailblazers first before it's not an issue.

 

[giggler99]

Read the comments of Optus Sports' post. Genuinely disgusting comments about a 21 year old finally having the courage to open up about who he is. We sadly have a long way to go both as a culture and as a sporting community before not being heterosexual is normalised

Well I was reading the comments on the tweet posted and all are positive toward the young man. I haven't read the Optus sports posts I may have jumped the gun with my post above.

My point being do people really need to announce they are coming out anymore? The more virtual signalling and positive comments it attracts of course its going to attract trolls and negative ones like anything else?

 

[Elmer_Judd]

Good for him. The lack of male athletes who've come out remains astonishing, so this was still really brave of him.

There is talk about him being the first pro male footballer to publicly come out.

That is factually not true, former Leeds Utd player and MLS star came out as gay several years ago (whilst still playing in the US)

 

[giggler99]

There is talk about him being the first pro male footballer to publicly come out.

That is factually not true, former Leeds Utd player and MLS star came out as gay several years ago (whilst still playing in the US)

maybe in Australia?

 

[SarahSmiles]

My point being do people really need to announce they are coming out anymore? The more virtual signalling and positive comments it attracts of course its going to attract trolls and negative ones like anything else?

I think you might be underselling the value of representation. I myself am queer and growing up, being interested in both footy and soccer and seeing no queer players in the league combined with the amount of homophobia was one of the main reasons I stopped playing. If kids who might be gay and like football can look at professional players who are openly gay, they're less likely to view their sexuality as a barrier to being engaged in the sport they love.

Whilst I hope that one day we can get to the point where this is a non-event, at the moment representation really matters and the fact that Josh has come out has just made it that little bit easier for an entire generation of young people.

 

[giggler99]

I think you might be underselling the value of representation. I myself am queer and growing up, being interested in both footy and soccer and seeing no queer players in the league combined with the amount of homophobia was one of the main reasons I stopped playing. If kids who might be gay and like football can look at professional players who are openly gay, they're less likely to view their sexuality as a barrier to being engaged in the sport they love.

Whilst I hope that one day we can get to the point where this is a non-event, at the moment representation really matters and the fact that Josh has come out has just made it that little bit easier for an entire generation of young people.

Great answer! thankyou

 

[nobbyiscool]

Can't wait for the day society reaches the point where nobody has to come out at all and its just ******* accepted. Good on him.

The thing is, we need people like Josh Carvallo making it normal before we reach this point.

 

[SarahSmiles]

Great answer! thankyou

Not a problem mate, discourse is how we help to normalise this event and make sport a safer space

 

[peternorth]

I think you might be underselling the value of representation. I myself am queer and growing up, being interested in both footy and soccer and seeing no queer players in the league combined with the amount of homophobia was one of the main reasons I stopped playing. If kids who might be gay and like football can look at professional players who are openly gay, they're less likely to view their sexuality as a barrier to being engaged in the sport they love.

Whilst I hope that one day we can get to the point where this is a non-event, at the moment representation really matters and the fact that Josh has come out has just made it that little bit easier for an entire generation of young people.

nods in respect.

good point in your last sentence.

Interestingly, sam newman on his podcast expressed concern about grooming in female sports. that its driving girls away from sport. I actually dont think he cares, but kinda wants to create controversy/talk. perhaps faux concern if you will.

ive heard people say we dont need to know what their orientation is, why are they shoving it into our faces? To that i think the speakers are uncomfortable with it, hence the arguement.

Another interesting point thats made by same persons is that they (minorities) talk about wanting equality but in doing so are creating division, and "we want everyone to be equal but they're dividing us". To me that sounds like they want things to be the way theyre used to

 

[Elmer_Judd]

maybe in Australia?

No places like Wide World of Sports have been saying first top division/elite league of male football coming out ?

Feels a tad disrespectful to both Robbie and the MLS in general. Unfortunately I remember when he came out back then, there was a lot of ignorant homophobic and ignorant comments on social media back then. We have come forward a lot in society since then thankfully.

BTW Unfortunately I can see him being heckled by drunken fans (esp in some clubs active supporter bases, not naming said clubs but two immediately spring to mine) or a player sledges him on field ?

Would be interested to see what kind of punishment said supporters or players will cop if proven guilty ?

Unfortunatley I heard homophobic slurs in the active supporter area in last season's Grand Final against Sydney sadly, so I think it's something that needs to be addressed, especially by active club support leaders.

I wish I spoke up against them at the time, but was a bit sozzled by then and probably couldn't have delivered my condemnation without getting into a punch on with a couple of those 50 year old something bookends.

 

[jd2010]

No places like Wide World of Sports have been saying first top division/elite league of male football coming out ?

Feels a tad disrespectful to both Robbie and the MLS in general. Unfortunately I remember when he came out back then, there was a lot of ignorant homophobic and ignorant comments on social media back then. We have come forward a lot in society since then thankfully.

BTW Unfortunately I can see him being heckled by drunken fans (esp in some clubs active supporter bases, not naming said clubs but two immediately spring to mine) or a player sledges him on field ?

Would be interested to see what kind of punishment said supporters or players will cop if proven guilty ?

Unfortunatley I heard homophobic slurs in the active supporter area in last season's Grand Final against Sydney sadly, so I think it's something that needs to be addressed, especially by active club support leaders.

I wish I spoke up against them at the time, but was a bit sozzled by then and probably couldn't have delivered my condemnation without getting into a punch on with a couple of those 50 year old something bookends.

No doubt from the crowd there will be idiots saying stuff but surely we've come far enough that no player would sledge him!

 

[Quivorir]

BTW Unfortunately I can see him being heckled by drunken fans (esp in some clubs active supporter bases, not naming said clubs but two immediately spring to mine) or a player sledges him on field ?

Had this same thought and reckon we'd both (and probably most of us) are thinking of the same two clubs.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

No doubt from the crowd there will be idiots saying stuff but surely we've come far enough that no player would sledge him!

Sadly I wouldn't be so sure of that. Hope I'm wrong though.
Had a player dress up as a Nazi (from the Roar or Mariners a few years ago) and there is idiots like now retired Santalab.

In the heat of the moment and pressure often nasty things that cannot be taken back are still said on field (this applies to all major football leagues and codes btw)

 

[apollo_creed]

There is talk about him being the first pro male footballer to publicly come out.

That is factually not true, former Leeds Utd player and MLS star came out as gay several years ago (whilst still playing in the US)

Phew. I was worried for a second this thread wasn’t going to be about Leeds.

 

[apollo_creed]

The symbolism of him coming out and proudly announcing who he is and that he’s proud of himself is the important thing here. People can kid themselves if they think it still isn’t an issue and that many young gay men especially don’t feel a need to hide who they are and often pretend to be someone they’re not.

You don’t see gay people who haven’t come out just randomly posting photos holding hands with their partner or expressing their love for them because they still feel different or are scared to do so. The more people like Josh the better for others in the same position in the long run and then this sort of stuff won’t need to be ‘announced’.

Own who you are and be proud of it. Good on you Josh! We’re all different.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

Phew. I was worried for a second this thread wasn’t going to be about Leeds.

He didn't come out at Leeds, just pointing out he is not the first top tier level male footballer who came out as a current player. Unless you think the MLS is not a top standard league, which is just silly.

 

[apollo_creed]

He didn't come out at Leeds, just pointing out he is not the first top tier level male footballer who came out as a current player. Unless you think the MLS is not a top standard league, which is just silly.

I don’t think anyone would know who he is in Australia. From a local perspective it’s something that doesn’t happen. Was just a having a cheeky dig anyway, don’t take it seriously.

 

[NYRB]

We’ve done race might as well do sexuality, players bend over after taking the knee.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

We’ve done race might as well do sexuality, players bend over after taking the knee.

If you cannot grasp the significance of a young top line professional male footballer (of any code) having the guts and courage to open up and express their sexuality and who they are as a person, well then I think that is contemptible really, and btw players here in Australia do not take the knee before games, which maybe suggests to me you are not really an A League fan at all but a Euro Snob.

Your comment is toxic, juvenile and unwelcome at any rate. Grow up, it's the 21st Century.

 

[NYRB]

If you cannot grasp the significance of a young top line professional male footballer (of any code) having the guts and courage to open up and express their sexuality and who they are as a person, well then I think that is contemptible really, and btw players here in Australia do not take the knee before games, which maybe suggests to me you are not really an A League fan at all but a Euro Snob.

Your comment is toxic, juvenile and unwelcome at any rate. Grow up, it's the 21st Century.

Well comment aside.

Do you believe there should be some sort of stance or action taken on a field pre-game as a stand against anti-gay comments?

 

[Elmer_Judd]

Well comment aside.

Do you believe there should be some sort of stance or action taken on a field pre-game as a stand against anti-gay comments?

No, but given there is no take a knee pre game against racism in Australia/The A League anyway, don't see what your point is.