Massive thanks and well done to Jake Daniels

[user75]

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61467159
What a great role model he is :)

I bet you’re an “all lives matter” kind of person aren’t you.

Anyone who claims this isn't a big deal clearly knows nothing about the context within football and is showing themselves up to be incredibly ignorant.

He is incredibly brave.

I'm certainly not fawning over him but you cleary don't understand the world of professional football if you don't understand what a big deal it is

That doesnt mke it right but it is what it is.

I'd genuinely forgotten that Blackpool even had a football team until now.

No idea who the lad is but good luck to him with his career. I couldn't care less about his private life (or anyone else's tbh).

I wonder why any newspaper (and I use that term loosely if it is indeed the Sun) would still think, in 2022, that the choice of partner of a 17 year old boy is breaking news 🤯

I take it this was going to be front page news rather than back page?

Women's football doesn't appear, on the face of it, to be as openly homophobic does it?

There are different issues in womens football, certain people assume women in football (or generally any team sport) are gay, which clearly isn’t the case.

No, but I think that reflects the attitude that some / many of society have where they are more tolerant and excepting of gay women than gay men.
My dc are in high school and have many gay/ bi female friends, when I asked them how many male gay friends they had they said that that no boys would come out because they would get ridiculed and picked on every day.
I’m sure it is not like this in every school or town but I think it certainly reflects a significant amount of attitudes otherwise this wouldn’t be the news that it is.
It shows just how much work we have to do.

Football, or more specifically many of its fans, are notoriously homophobic. So while it shouldn’t matter, or be necessary to come out it absolutely is. Visibility is key for many young gay kids on their journey to accepting who they are, so I applaud his actions and hope they drag football out of the dark ages. This article shows just how bad the abuse can be, and how prevalent it is in football. It’s shameful that football has done so little to tackle the issue

thesefootballtimes.co/2019/01/31/graeme-le-sauxs-battle-against-homophobic-abuse-and-why-the-door-is-opening-for-gay-players-to-come-out-in-football/

By excepting I mean because of the fetishism of gay women, which is a thread all in itself.

I'm not assuming that all women in football are gay, but speaking as someone with zero interest in football, even I know that some players are. Couldn't name any of them. I'm wondering why the women's game seems more tolerant, though (and I've no idea what the other issues might be, as I dont follow any football)

Of course he's brave. I don't think there are many "out" male sports stars let alone any current footballers.

No. I feel exactly the same about that too!

I live in Blackpool and as a community we are so proud. He is 17! Football is known for being homophobic. God one of Blackpool fc's chants is 'your only here for the gay bars' hope this gives the game a shift

It shouldn’t be newsworthy but it is, and that shows how far professional football, and many other professional sports, still have to go in order to get to the position where it isn’t newsworthy.

At 17 to publically discuss his sexuality like this is brave, as he is opening himself up to abuse from the minority sadly.

This. Football has always had a homophobia problem. This is a small and very brave step in the right direction.

Totally agree. Really disappointing to see some of the responses on this thread.

It’s not difficult to acknowledge that whilst a footballer being gay shouldn’t matter, it undoubtedly is newsworthy that a player has declared they’re openly gay.

Homophobia is wrong. It is also rife on the football terraces amongst a certain kind of fan. It filters up through the game too, it would be naive to pretend it didn’t. The colour of a footballer’s skin shouldn’t matter either, but we’re not denying there’s racism directed at black players on and off the pitch.

I’m glad we’re “fawning” over him. The alternative - to pretend it’s normal and nothing to see here - leaves him unsupported.

I really hopes that this creates the domino effect it ought to. It's the sort of thing Stonewall should have been working on.

Unfortunately I still think if footballers intend to play internationally, the closet is where they'll stay.

Can you imagine a Latin American player doing this? They'd be crucified.

I agree.
In this day and age he shouldn't even need to announce it - it really shouldn't matter

But the fact that he is the first to open up about his sexuality while playing shows it is newsworthy. It shouldn’t be but it is and it will be until we reach a point where footballers (and other sports stars) are seen at awards ceremonies and things with their same sex partners and it’s not commentworthy because it’s just what it is.

He will have zero career and will never play top flight guarantee it. Stupid sod - but he is young and not yet jaded.

It's nice to meet another one! Although there are few more of us than there used to be

Oh God, I quoted the wrong person I think!
I'm going back to bed

It’s awful that this had to be newsworthy. It should not make a difference whether you are gay, I wonder why football is still in the dark ages?

What a horrible post.

I don't think he is stupid at all, he is trying to change things - nothing changes if nothing changes.

The stupidity lies with the people who are unable to accept and welcome gay people into the game.