Earlier this week, 17-year-old professional soccer player Jake Daniels came out as gay. It made him the first UK player to do so in over 30 years.
He was met with overwhelming support, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeting a congratulatory message. Representatives for Daniels’ soccer club, Blackpool FC, also said how proud of the player they were.
Related: British soccer player Jake Daniels comes out as gay
Now the wider town of Blackpool, in the north of England, has also shown its visible support.
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Blackpool, on the northwest coast of Lancashire, is famed as a summertime coastal resort, primarily for blue-collar Brits (it has a slight Coney Island vibe). It offers a big Pleasure Beach with a massive rollercoaster and the iconic Blackpool Tower, built in 1894.
It announced it was lighting up the tower in alternating rainbow colors and orange light for the rest of this week. Tangerine is the official color of Blackpool FC’s players’ jerseys.
For the rest of this week, the iconic Blackpool Tower will be lit in tangerine alternated with rainbow colours to show respect and support to @BlackpoolFC’s Jake Daniels 🧡
On Monday, Jake became the UK’s first male professional footballer to come out publicly as gay since 1990 pic.twitter.com/XCjseTYUgA
— VisitBlackpool (@visitBlackpool) May 18, 2022
Daniels, who was born in the village of Bispham, just outside Blackpool, was touched by the amazing show of support and tweeted his thanks.
Anytime Jake 👊💚 https://t.co/KIfoe3iaX7
— The Blackpool Tower (@TheBplTower) May 19, 2022
Related: Australian soccer player Josh Cavallo comes out as gay
LGBTQ sports fans are hoping Daniels’ decision to come out at the start of his career will prompt other professional soccer players to do so.
Other people to post messages of support to Daniels include Elton John, Matt Lucas, and Ian McKellen.
Congratulations @Jake_Daniels11!
A courageous and game-changing statement. At seventeen, he has hopefully changed the face of football forever. Bravo 👏🏻 🚀 pic.twitter.com/XYloE10jc3
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) May 17, 2022
At 17, @Jake_Daniels11 represents a generation that rejects old-fashioned homophobia in football and elsewhere: those who haven’t yet grown up as he has. He sets an example. No wonder so many of us, gay and everyone else, admire & treasure him as a hero. What a goal he’s scored!
— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) May 17, 2022
It’s a landmark day in British LGBT history. Brilliant, brave @Jake_Daniels11 – a professional Championship footballer with @BlackpoolFC – has come out. Huge respect to you, Jake, and to your club and teammates for supporting you. ⚽️🏳️🌈
— Matt Lucas (@RealMattLucas) May 16, 2022
Mister P
Unfortunately in the US he would be harassed and get death threats.
bachy
Don’t think for a minute that’s not happening in the UK as well.
Just.my.opinion
I am so hoping that this world will eventually get to the point that no one has to “come out.” People should be free to live their lives honestly and without explanation.
masteradrian031
The fact that a huge amount of people are congratulating this couragious young man on his ComingOut, i.e. telling the world he’s homosexual instead of heterosexual is showing how SICK, ROTTEN and STINKING this world is!
Heterosexual football/soccer-players do not ComeOut, when a heterosexual football/soccer-player would announce he’s heterosexual he’d be told not to make a fool of himself!
It’s top-news all over the world that a football/soccer-player announces he is homosexual…. think about it….. what is so special about a homosexual football/soccer-player?
Does he kick a ball differently from a hetero one? No!
Does he make goals different? No!
Does he cheer different from a hetero? No!
I feel the world should be ashamed of itelf to consider it top-news that a person is special when he/she decalres to be not heterosexual, being gay is as normal as being straight!
linedrive
Strange rant. I think the support he’s receiving is heartwarming but whatever.
Joshooeerr
Strange, yeah. But more to the point: completely and utterly clueless.
Aquafina
Straight people are not required to “come out”. Think you missed that point…
linedrive
@joshooeerr: Definitely!
bsg1967
homosexuality can get you a prison or death sentence in many countries, your privlige is showing