Faster, higher, stronger – and gay… ?
IDAHO Day - the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia - typically delivers a mixed bag of feel good stories and worrying trends, progress and setbacks, champions and bigots. We learn a little more about bullying, discrimination and violence against the LGBT+ community, and about the importance of legal rights and protections. Those of us prone to existential musings might wonder what we are getting right, what we are getting wrong, what we could - should? - be doing differently. We indulge in the wins, and we despair at the continued vitriol and violence. We breathe a collective sigh at the sight of the mountain left to climb, readying ourselves to gear up and go again. Plus ça change, ... ?
This year, amidst all the noise, one story stood out for all the right reasons. A 17-year old boy in England came out as gay. No big deal, on the face of it. But the boy in question is Jake Daniels, professional football player at Championship side Blackpool, a club currently in England's second division. He became the first active football player in Europe to be 'out'. He follows in the footsteps of Josh Cavallo, a 21-year Australian footballer at Adelaide United, who came out in October 2021.
Melbourne City fans show support for Adelaide United's Josh Cavallo at the teams' meeting in February. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. Source: The Guardian.
As many have commented: it really shouldn't be news. But it is, and it will be for some time. Being gay remains a taboo in men's sports, with a total of two young professionals now paving the way in a sport that likes to preach inclusion but so often fails to practice it. Football is not alone in this: there is not a single 'out' tennis player on the professional men's tour, while Tadd Fujikawa remains the only openly gay male golfer.
These numbers are a painful reminder that professional sport remains an incredibly challenging space for gay men. The reasons for that complex, but it is easy to see why gay sportsmen would choose to keep that part of themselves private. Homophobia remains rife, with harmless and not-so-harmless jokes and chants still ringing around many stadiums. Faced with the choice to speak up or stay silent, a young gay footballer might not feel up to being a role model, or to living their life in the digital spotlight. On the pitch or on the court, they might worry about being abused by supporters - of their own team, and certainly the opposition's - or about losing the support of their teammates, their club and their sponsors.
Jake's experience shows that this might be changing. His was not a spontaneous coming out: he enjoyed the support of his agent and his club, and worked with leading sports broadcaster Sky Sports to share his story. The response, too, was immediate and heartening. The English Football Association called him "an inspiration to us all", indicating this is a "hugely positive step" towards further inclusion. Twitter and instagram were awash with messages of support by the biggest names in the sport, from Gary Lineker to Gary Neville, while OpenDemocracy's Jack Duncan has written movingly about how gay role models like Daniels will change the lives of young LGBTIQ athletes.
There were less welcoming responses too, of course. Homophobia is never far away and is rarely quiet, especially on social media. But the narrative appears to have shifted. Finally, gay boys and men putting on shin pads have someone to look up to who has not only said who he is, but has been admired, applauded and embraced for doing so. Finally, they can be what they can see.
We'll learn more about what this means for Jake, his teammates and their supporters from next season onwards. Hopefully, there will be more to follow. And someday soon, this may no longer be news.
Until then, we gear up and go again.
To learn more about how you can be an ally and an upstander for the LGBT+ community, join us on 5 July 2022 in Brussels or online for our UP4Diversity Conference! Details and registration here.
