Research on Sexuality in Football - Phase 2 Survey

[theacademic]

Dear all,

Many thanks to those of you who contributed to my earlier survey on this topic. As a result of this, I have moved to a second survey that has three follow-up questions, so it should not take you very long at all to complete (5 minutes):

https://doit.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_899Zz8SgZA8MFmJ

As always, I appreciate your time and thoughts.

[Riverside under the drip]

I must say I think it's a disgrace that football is so lumbered with bigotry and intolerance (from a vocal minority I feel) that it is without 'out' players at the top level. Gareth Thomas spoke of his fear about the 'macho' rugby world being disapproving but him, Nigel Owens etc have shown how little of a deal it is there (Folau and a handful of fundamentalists aside). Hopefully, fans and social media will come out of the Dark Ages soon...

Edited April 20, 2020 by Riverside under the drip

[Norbert Rassragr]

I think part of the problem comes from when Justin Fashanu was outed all those years ago. It was in the 80s when the gutter press were making lurid headlines about homosexuals being sexual deviants, giving AIDS to everyone in nightclub orgies. Justin was one of the first known gay players and he was seen in such a negative way, and probably went off the rails from all the accusations and pressure from the press and his odious family. 

[Riverside under the drip]

I think we can all agree that the likes of The Sun will make whoever's live much worse whenever this happens. All we can do as human beings is try to shout down cretins on the terraces and add to the well-wishers on social media.

[Mike E]

It's a shame for Rovers in particular as I thought MGPedersen was gay and was a fan favourite for many years.

Then again I also want to get to a society where nobody particularly cares about sexuality.

Edited April 21, 2020 by Mike E

[K-Hod]

3 hours ago, Mike E said:

It's a shame for Rovers in particular as I thought MGPedersen was gay and was a fan favourite for many years.

Then again I also want to get to a society where nobody particularly cares about sexuality.

You sure about MGP?

Edited April 21, 2020 by Mike E

[Oldgregg86]

Filled it in

i don’t see why it matters or why people need to know .

i remember someone asking Morgan Freeman about a race issue that had happened and they said what do you think should happen. He just said stop talking about it 

[DeeCee]

Homosexuality and lesbianism were doing nicely regarding acceptance until the fanfare and flag waving of lbgt and gender neutralism etc etc arrived.

That's a quote from my gay son.

[Norbert Rassragr]

I sort of see where you're coming from, as I am of the sort where someone can tell me they like ladyboys, want a sex change, are gay or whatever and I think that it's their business and if they're happy and comfortable then fine. It's the people who stomp around looking for offence and or on an endless quest for labels and more narrow definitions that ruin it for everyone.

[oldjamfan1]

18 hours ago, Mike E said:

It's a shame for Rovers in particular as I thought MGPedersen was gay and was a fan favourite for many years.

Then again I also want to get to a society where nobody particularly cares about sexuality.

Based on what Mike? A slightly effeminate/androgenous look? Totally agree with your second sentence by the way but what does a 'gay' person look like? 

[Mike E]

41 minutes ago, oldjamfan1 said:

Based on what Mike? A slightly effeminate/androgenous look? Totally agree with your second sentence by the way but what does a 'gay' person look like? 

Based on seeing him with the same man at my late uncle's restaurant fairly regularly when I was a teenager. Could've been business or just a mate ofc, but I assumed it was a boyfriend at the time.

Not sure I like the implication of the question, mind. I certainly don't think gay people have 'a look'.

Edited April 22, 2020 by Mike E

[oldjamfan1]

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

Based on seeing him with the same man at my late uncle's restaurant fairly regularly when I was a teenager. Could've been business or just a mate ofc, but I assumed it was a boyfriend at the time.

Not sure I like the implication of the question, mind. I certainly don't think gay people have 'a look'.

The two bits in bold - firstly, what behaviours were MGP and his associate exhibiting that made you think or indeed assume he might be gay? (e.g. if they were holding hands or kissing or in some way acting flirtatiously etc then it would be a reasonable assumption to make, otherwise enjoying a meal with someone regardless of their gender suggests absolutely nothing about their sexuality or whether they are in a sexual relationship. I must have had literally hundreds of meals and/or nights out with male friends and business associates - some of them on many occasions - but I can't imagine anyone would have ever thought "I wonder if oldjamfan is gay" - or maybe they have, I don't know?).

Secondly, there is no 'implication' to the question. It was a perfectly straightforward question as to what made you think MGP might be gay - I have heard other people make the same suggestion and could only assume that it was based on a slightly effeminate/androgenous appearance. You seem to have taken offence at the fact that I am calling you out for making a massive assumption about someone based on I-don't-really-know-what, and named him on a public forum.

Edited April 22, 2020 by oldjamfan1

[Mike E]

4 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

The two bits in bold - firstly, what behaviours were MGP and his associate exhibiting that made you think or indeed assume he might be gay? (e.g. if they were holding hands or kissing or in some way acting flirtatiously etc then it would be a reasonable assumption to make, otherwise enjoying a meal with someone regardless of their gender suggests absolutely nothing about their sexuality or whether they are in a sexual relationship. I must have had literally hundreds of meals and/or nights out with male friends and business associates - some of them on many occasions - but I can't imagine anyone would have ever thought "I wonder if oldjamfan is gay" - or maybe they have, I don't know?).

Secondly, there is no 'implication' to the question. It was a perfectly straightforward question as to what made you think MGP might be gay - I have heard other people make the same suggestion and could only assume that it was based on a slightly effeminate/androgenous appearance. You seem to have taken offence at the fact that I am calling you out for making a massive assumption about someone based on I-don't-really-know-what, and named him on a public forum.

Well I outlined above it's an assumption I made when I was 14 and haven't given it any particular thought since, not that I could care much less whether he is or isn't. He might be, he might not be. I can't particularly remember the circumstances of seeing them, but either I saw them being flirty OR my horny hormone-ravaged self thought I saw that. Certainly not intended as a malicious thought and if it was just a business partner or a friend then I was (and am) mistaken.

You seemed to assume I thought he 'must be gay because of how he looks', which is what I was annoyed by.

My actual point was that given my assumption that one of our players was gay (meaning I doubted it was unique or that anyone thought less of him for it), it's a shame we live in a society that still somehow allows homophobia to slip through.

We can agree that it's a weird point in time where it would probably benefit wider society for a player to come out as gay AND YET we shouldn't expect that or be bothered if they do. Weird world.

Edited April 22, 2020 by Mike E

[Oldgregg86]

I saw mpg in Manchester bars a few times and leave  with some extremely hot woman on his arm. As above means nothing and no one cares just thought it might add balance

[oldjamfan1]

2 hours ago, Mike E said:

Well I outlined above it's an assumption I made when I was 14 and haven't given it any particular thought since, not that I could care much less whether he is or isn't. He might be, he might not be. I can't particularly remember the circumstances of seeing them, but either I saw them being flirty OR my horny hormone-ravaged self thought I saw that. Certainly not intended as a malicious thought and if it was just a business partner or a friend then I was (and am) mistaken.

You seemed to assume I thought he 'must be gay because of how he looks', which is what I was annoyed by.

My actual point was that given my assumption that one of our players was gay (meaning I doubted it was unique or that anyone thought less of him for it), it's a shame we live in a society that still somehow allows homophobia to slip through.

We can agree that it's a weird point in time where it would probably benefit wider society for a player to come out as gay AND YET we shouldn't expect that or be bothered if they do. Weird world.

That’s the point Mike. I didn’t really assume it, I asked you whether that was the reason, given that he hasn’t come out as far as I know (either as gay or as anything else). 
 

Without really wishing to labour the point there must have been something about MGP that made you think or assume that he was gay. The fact that you were only 14 at the time you made that assumption might actually explain it to be fair. Your posts are usually very measured and it just surprised me a bit that you threw MGP’s name into this for no apparent reason. 

For the record I don’t care what his or anyone’s sexuality is. 

[rigger]

1 hour ago, Oldgregg86 said:

I saw mpg in Manchester bars a few times and leave  with some extremely hot woman on his arm. As above means nothing and no one cares just thought it might add balance

I wish he had scored in Manchester against Chelsea 

[Vinjay]

On 22/04/2020 at 21:11, rigger said:

I wish he had scored in Manchester against Chelsea 

I prefer to remember him scoring against someone else! (twice)

[rigger]

Just now, Vinjay said:

I prefer to remember him scoring against someone else! (twice)

If you don’t get the joke, then don’t comment 

[Vinjay]

I did get it.

[rigger]

9 hours ago, Vinjay said:

I did get it.

OK, then still don’t comment!

Edited April 25, 2020 by rigger