To say that gay footballers ARE still role models

Definitely.

Anyone remember when Will Young won Pop Ifol instead of the cuter one? Nothing out about his sexuality. Then it came out he was gay. People went berserk. I remember a lady writing in saying it was wrong he'd hidden it as her daughter wouldn't have voted for him if she'd known because she fancied him.

You're in the right op. If he mentions it again ask him if he has any criticism of her actual footballing rather than her live life.

Eh? Does he think male football players are good role models? What with all the drinking, rape allegations, speeding and chavvy lifestyles?

If he wants a female role model of a professional international football player who has biological kids but wasn’t a teen mum, I’m not sure how that would even work unless a time machine is involved.

What is he on about? Are the lionesses role models because of what they've achieved and how good they are at football, or because of who they sleep with??

Lol has he ever thought about the fact that the men's teams aren't the ones giving birth and needing more than a year out of training while pregnant/may leave?

Maybe he hats why none of them have been pregnant? (As you said one does have a child).

Of course they are still role models.

Who someone sleeps with has absolutely nothing to do with their sporting achievements. Honestly, some people are still in the dark ages.

Why are any of them role models?

Poor girl, can't be easy growing up with a father like that.

What make him think you’re in charge of appointing role models? I’ll be cheering from the rafters when a high profile male footballer comes out, and it won’t be just be me. Be good to see though!

He must be gutted - poor thing.

Honestly, this man-child needs to grow up.

The fact that these women are gay, accepted, and successful makes them hugely important role models - point out to him that this is important becase:

1. any queer kids looking on will feels stronger for seeing this - this could be the only positive reaction the are experiencing in their life towards the LGBTQ+ community and could be a lifeline for them.
2. Any straight kids looking on will become open minded and supportive of their queer peers and <look him straight in the eye> I'm sure he agrees that being supportive, kind and not prejudiced is something we should all want as a value our kids have.
3. The straight world is represented positively every single day, all day long - on tv, in ads, on billboards, in the street, in lessons, in books. Positive, queer representation, especially when it's just as an everyday normal thing is not that common - it's really REALLY important that we see queer representation like this alongside "aren't the gays fun and colourful and look at all their rainbow lives!!" narratives. (although, as a gay, I celebrate that too, I mean, it is fun, tbh...!)

Another angle is, why should any football player's partner have anything to do with whether the player is 'worthy' of being a role model?

The coach sounds like a homophobic knob and is probably threatened by the thought of women who don't choose to centre men in their lives.

Can you ban him?

I know, it's only her sexuality that could possibly be holding her back

Considering a small bit significant enough number of football fans apparently still think that it’s fine to make monkey noises and throw bananas at black footballers, it’s not surprising that some are also bigoted towards gay and lesbian footballers and think they can’t be good role models because they’re not “right.” Of course he’s a twat. A twat who doesn’t like the idea that women can be successful and fit, and not want a male partner in their life to be part of it.

So the 7 people who think the OP is being unreasonable.

Care to be brave and tell us why?

... beyond the fact that you're obviously homophobic too

Because all male professional footballers are such fantastic role models. He should be more worried about kids looking up to rapists, wife beaters, cheats (in the football and the marriage sense) and drunk drivers.
There are load of fantastic role models in the male game but plenty are not.

When I saw the thread title, I thought it was going to be about gay male footballers. We need more of them out in the open.

This man is an idiot.

My XH left me to come out as gay. I think a big part of his denial was that when he was young there were no gay men in the public eye (or that he knew personally) who reflected the kind of person he was. I came here to say how important it is for young people to see all kinds of people doing all kinds of things. Nobody should think they can't do something because they don't fit some ridiculous stereotype or that they're limited to something else because they do fit that particular stereotype.

Anyway, of course these young female sports people are good role models! For all the reasons you cite.

It's attitudes like this man's that mean that, even in this day and age, some people still don't feel able to be open about who they are. His poor daughter.

It's not even homophobia. It's about women being allowed to do things that have literally nothing to do with their sexuality (and more specifically how fuckable men find them).

There are a few Worlds Strongest Man competitors who have come out as being gay and the sport is being really supportive of them.

This is true but that’s not what the OP is on about! The OP is describing someone who says they CAN’T be role models if they are gay.