Man United star refuses to wear rainbow shirt

[coxesorangepippin]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14156669/Man-United-scrap-plans-LGBT-rainbow-jacket-Noussair-Mazraoui.html

Wonder what Man U will do about this??

Not wanting to brandish identity politics does not equal being homophobic. There are plenty of gay people who disagree with the politics and symbolism of pride. All politics should be private and kept out of sport.

It's a free country. I don't see a problem. He's a sports team player, but that doesn't mean he has to support something he clearly doesn't agree with doing.
It's good when people do support a cause, but if he doesn't want to, that's up to him, I would say,

How does wearing a shirt change that? It doesn't. Its just a CHEAP publicity stunt. Its tacky, and insulting.

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I think everyone should be free to be who they want to be in life as long as they are not hurting anyone. But people's sexuality has naught to do with football - he shouldn't have been asked in the first place.

I think it’s disingenuous to pretend he won’t wear a rainbow shirt because he has a gender critical position on transpeople. He won’t wear a rainbow shirt because he believes that being gay is wrong, that gay people shouldn’t exist, and doesn’t want to be associated with any suggestion that being gay is perfectly normal - and there’s no place for that in any walk of life, particularly if you work in a role visible to the public and your employer is paying you to represent them.

Not wanting to brandish identity politics does not equal being homophobic. There are plenty of gay people who disagree with the politics and symbolism of pride. All politics should be private and kept out of sport.

Just as many people find wearing ribbons tacky, but individually support the cause.

oh, I didn't realise you'd spoken to him.....

Better than wearing a Man United shirt though ... 😜

If he refuses based on religion (rather than just not wanting to) and doesn’t get “kicked out of football” then the kick homophobia out of football campaign is completely useless

But if he is “kicked out of football” then it will basically be on Islamophobic grounds and they will be discriminating against him for his religion

I don’t envy the person who has to make a decision, there’ll be backlash either way

He’s been very clear about it, if you have read him being quoted.

My gay cousin won't wear a rainbow shirt or anything rainbow because it's fucking ridiculous now and I'm pretty sure he isn't against gay people or hates gay people and his boyfriend can probably confirm that lol.
Why should anybody have to wear anything that they don't want to wear just because it looks good to everyone else

We are all permitted to think what we think, even if it’s unpleasant or challenging. What people should be sanctioned for is using homophobic language, actively discriminating and so forth, not refusing to positively endorse causes they don’t wish to.

It also utterly devalues and undermines gestures and messaging like this when they become compulsory.

because he believes that being gay is wrong, that gay people shouldn’t exist, and doesn’t want to be associated with any suggestion that being gay is perfectly normal

You don't know that he thinks any of that at all, that is your assumption. All because he won't wear some shirt! Get a grip.

Came on to say this.

Presumably they knew he was a devout Muslim?
Presumably he takes breaks for prayers & only eats Halal?
So what did they expect?
Surely this could have been foreseen & avoided?

But it's tick box virtue signalling that is never given much thought, so they forgot to consider competing issues such as religious belief.

I don’t see the issue, personally. Why should they be forced to wear something in their place of work? I am gay but I wouldn’t feel the need to wear a rainbow jacket at work.

He may well believe that being gay is wrong. As he is absolutely entitled to. None of us are obliged to believe anything.

Because gay and lesbian football fans have experienced widespread abuse within the game, both as fans and players. Gay male players are largely in the closet. Gay fans (male and female) are not welcome at games. Justin Fashsnu's story looms large. There's a huge way to go.

This simply isn't true of other groups being listed here. It is a football-specific issue and it's disheartening to see so much whatabouttery on this board.

It’s because there is a major problem with homophobia in football.

Obviously he should not be compelled to endorse a movement he doesn’t believe in, but it’s fair enough for people to infer that he doesn’t believe in gay rights.

Being gay is not a choice! Football has had serious issues with homophobia - wearing of jackets is symbolic to try and stamp it out. Any religion that tries to imply that being gay is wrong should be sidelined (I'm a practicing Christian and we fly the rainbow flag for pride!)

Gay fans (male and female) are not welcome at games.
is there some form of gay test at the turnstile?

Yes, in the article linked it's reported that he told colleagues that he wouldn't promote the lbtq flag because it's against his religion, as a devout Muslim.

He didn't say it's because everything that follows b is a nonsense.

As if wearing a rainbow jacket or armband is tackling the endemic homophobia in football though. It's lip-service. What are the policies? What is being implemented in terms of practice and culture change and is any of it working?

That's a ridiculous argument. He doesn't agree on it end of. His employer shouldn't be pushing political & social messaging onto their employees.
Delighted to see the pushback, it's happening globally. Look at the USA.
This player is also getting a hell of a lot of support for saying No. Hopefully lots of children, teens & young adults will also be inspired to tell the agenda pushing NGOs & other groups to fuck off if they don't want to partake in any virtue signalling agenda that pushes them out of their comfort zone. Enjoying the pushback ,the tide has turned.

I'm googling him and am yet to see any quotes or anything attributed to him that even remotely suggests gay people shouldn't 'exist'. If you can help me out here, I'd appreciate it. He has strong religious beliefs, and those beliefs are the same for pre-marital sex, infidelity, etc. It doesn't mean he hates gay people and 'thinks they shouldn't exist'.

FWIW I'm non-religious and support gay rights. However I also support people who have strong religious views and don't think they are any more 'homophobic' than they are infidelityphobic or pre marital sexphobic. Religious beliefs should be respected as much as atheist beliefs or gay beliefs are. It doesn't make him a bad person. I think its very narrow-minded and bigoted to say religious people are wrong for their beliefs.