By Paul Nicholson
January 9 – The messages of anti-discrimination and social inclusion of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people might be starting to get through as more high profile athletes and governing bodies are taking stands. Thomas Hitzlsperger became the biggest name footballer to come out as gay, while in the US the National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America has added a ‘Gay, Lesbian and Ally’ page to its website.
Hitzlsperger, a former German national team player who played 52 times for his country in a career that saw him star in the German Bundesliga and the English Premier League, told Germany’s Die Zeit newspaper: “I am expressing my sexuality because I want to promote the discussion of homosexuality among professional athletes.”
The first German player to announce he is gay, Hitzlsperger said “homosexuality is not a serious issue in England, Germany or Italy, not in the dressing room in any case,” and that “I was never ashamed of how I am,”
But he did say that some behaviour of teammates was at times difficult to accept. “Think about it. There are 20 young men sitting around a table drinking. You let most of it go, as long as the jokes are halfway funny and the rubbish about homosexuals is not hugely offensive,” he said.
Hitzlsperger, 31, retired from the game four months ago. His stand has been applauded by current and influential national team players in Germany, like Lucas Podolski, as well as by German politicians.
Separately in the US, and in a move to prevent bullying – and in particular the widespread American practice of ‘hazing’ in college sports in particular – the National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America (NSCAA) has added a ‘Gay, Lesbian and Ally’ advice page for coaches to its website.
The site provides links to LGBT blogs, a section on FAQs for coaches and players, as well as providing access to confidential and anonymous services.
NSCAA president Jack Huckel told Soccer America: “We have to make it clear the association stands for the acceptance of everyone.”
Dan Woog, heads of the NSCAA’s LGBTQ committee, said: “If a kid is dealing with any issues that prevent him from focusing, he’s not going to be as good a player as he could be…He’s not going to be able to contribute what he could and that impacts the entire team.”
“The point is not to have kids come out before they’re ready…The kid wants to be on the soccer field. He looks up to his coach. The time he puts in is really important to him. So coaches need tools – what they say, what they don’t say, the words they use, the examples they use – to create an atmosphere where all kids feel comfortable to achieve to their potential.”
The US has been football’s most accepting nation of gay and lesbian players. LA Galaxy’s Robbie Rogers was the first openly gay player in professional sports in the US – he felt he had to retire when he made the announcement but then came back and played again when he found support amongst players and fans.
At its highest level, soccer in the U.S. has been the most accepting major sport when it comes to gay and lesbian athletes.
In the women’s game two of the world’s biggest stars – Megan Rapino and Ballon d’Or nominee Abby Wambach – are lesbians. Wambach is better known for being the leading goalscorer in the history of the women’s game.
Earlier this week former Jamaican international and English league player Michael Johnson, resigned from the FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board for comments he made 18 months ago describing homosexuality as “detestable”. Johnson insists he has since changed his views but decided, following intense media coverage, to step down from the board put together by new FA chairman Greg Dyke with the aim of widening inclusion in football.
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