“It’s like you can’t be a gay football player, people will go mad.
I give the example, when I was playing for West Ham, someone from the English federation came and he said ‘we need to accept everyone’ and the amount of players that were like no, if some of my team mates are gay they have to leave now, I won’t do any shower [with them].’
I stand up and I say ‘shut up, shut up everyone, can you hear yourselves?’ We still don’t accept everyone. In the football world they are not open minded enough and it’s a shame.
I understand [why players stay in the closet] because even myself when the players they were coming to me I was like, be careful because if you say it loud you see the reaction of all the players but I will support you and because I had such a power in the dressing room I will protect [you], I will support you.”— Former soccer star Patrice Evra, speaking on the Midpoint podcast about the locker room homophobia he witnessed during his career.
Kangol2
Not a surprise but I’m very glad to hear Patrice Evra was an ally and supporter of gay pro soccer players. Let’s see if anyone else responds to this piece.
jt1990
For future reference Queerty, Football is played in the USA. Those homophobic homosexuals of Europe play a female sport known as soccer.
d34n
Pfft, American Football is the kids version of rugby, and soccer is football, but football is the correct name for the sport where you kick the ball with your foot
spiralx
For future reference, jt1990, “american football” is played in the US of A.
Soccer, also known as football, is played in the rest of the world. By both sexes.
Den
Here we see JT1990 demonstrating clearly what a tiny minded child he is. Much like the majority of right wingers.
Though there is the possibility he has some small intellect but gets off on being humiliated in public.
Football refers, throughout the remainder of the English speaking world, to a sport we call soccer. It is wildly popular throughout the entire world.
The sport we play with a prolate spheroid is called “American Football,” a bastardization of the older more widely played and followed Rugby. Get over yourself and your provincial attitude.
Robothedestroyer
Please don’t gender something, then use the feminine as a pejorative. That’s classless anywhere but especially on a queer website.
Also, soccer is called football literally everywhere but here. Don’t be so short sighted.
monty clift
It’s nice to hear straight men sticking up for gay men even knowing they could be on the end of that criticism.
Diplomat
Might it be that deep down they’re just seriously afraid they might pop a boner.
Rikki Roze
Spiralx – that should be “football”, also called “soccer” in the US ……
CityguyUSA
Let’s face it most men don’t want to have “that” judged and more by gay men. What could be worse than a gay man giggling at you.
Mack
Awwwww, the poor straight guys are afraid some gay guy might see their little peepee.
wiggie
By the time your gay teammate comes out, you’ve already seen each other’s junk. Get over it.
charmin88
First of all why are they still showering together anyway. Meaning there is no reason there isn’t individual stalls to shower in. There problem solved. Then homophobic clowns wont have any excuse to having gay people in the locker/shower room.
mike_TNYC
In many team sports, including soccer and the NFL, there are gang showers because it’s so much faster. If you have individual stalls, someone walks in, takes off his towel, hangs it up, uses the shower, dries himself off, and puts his towel back on before he leaves and the next guy can use the shower.
By contrast, with gang showers you’re all naked to start with and waiting by the door of a big room with shower heads, and the guys who want to use them next are there watching you, so you’re gonna hurry up or get razzed. Then when you’re done with the shower, you can walk away and dry yourself while the next guy is using the shower. It’s much more efficient, and if you have a bunch of dirty guys and a small number of showers, it matters.
gaym50ish
Some straight men act so ridiculously. Even the ones a gay guy wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole act like the guy is going to attack them in the shower.
johncp56
Ditto frightened babies
Cam
So the men are horrified that somebody might look at them they way they look at and treat women.