LGBTQ+ / Rainbow Laces

[werthersoriginal]

Are we though? In the 22/23 season there were 1,007 reports to Kick It Out of discriminatory behaviour/language in all of professional and grassroots football in England. 15.5% of those were related to sexual orientation (~156).

There are a minimum of 1,990 games per season in the top 4 divisions, with 34,521,540 total spectators in the 22/23 season across all divisions (according to transfermrkt).

Even if you forget about grassroots football for a minute, just 156 incidents over such a vast number of events in the top 4 leagues with tens of million of attendees is actually pretty good. 0.07% of games would've had a homophobic incident, and just 0.000004% of attendees (assuming it's 1 perpetrator per incident) will have been homophobic at a game. Add grassroots into that, in which thousands of games take place each week with hundreds of thousands of participants, and those already tiny figures are even smaller.

Obviously ideally that number would be zero, but to suggest we're 'a very long way' from homosexuality being accepted in the game isn't really backed up data wise. Statistically it's quite rare, and proportionately it's an incredibly small number of individuals who do it.

Would you feel happy and safe to hold hands with your boyfriend at a game?

 

[dickwalton1964]

does anyone sit near you? If you’re as opinionated and repetitive as you are on here I’d be looking for a vacant seat elsewhere.

But I’d you’ve never heard a racist comment in 53 years of match going you might need your ears syringing.

If you're talking about someone, near me, shouting out 'you black *******' to a player, no I genuinely have not heard that. Not in the Osler Road at the Manor, nor in the SSL at The Kassam. I can't recall hearing it away either. When I was younger perhaps I was just oblivious to it but certainly since all the racial and sexual awareness has been around I have not heard anything. Around me at The Kassam I have never heard the word 'gay' mentioned from someone in the crowd towards a player or coaching staff - not once.

 

[MustardYellow]

And yet not a single senior professional male player in the UK feels accepted enough to come out.

The women’s game is certainly streets ahead on that particular measure of acceptance.

There's a lot of reasons why someone may not take part in the act of 'coming out', not all of them are to do with homophobia.

EDIT: It's interesting to mention the women's game though. I may be wrong but I believe nearly 15% of the women who played at the women's world cup were openly gay. Maybe that can be an example - most people know a significant portion of female footballers are openly gay, yet no one cares. I don't remember any homophobia towards those players during the world cup, despite it being watched by a large portion of people who watch the men's game too?

 

[dickwalton1964]

Would you feel happy and safe to hold hands with your boyfriend at a game?

Yes, why not. The truth is it isn't a familiar sight at a football game but it isn't an overly familiar sight elsewhere either. Perhaps I don't get out enough but I don't often see two men holding hands anywhere. Why do a lot of societal 'problems' fall on football though? Why does football have to try and provide the answers for everything and then get mud chucked if it dares make the wrong move that doesn't appease a minority group.

 

[MustardYellow]

Are the club just supporting the football supporting part of the community or the community in general in Oxford/Oxfordshire?

I'd suggest the latter and stats were put up earlier by Mojofilter about hate crimes.

I thought the thread was about Rainbow Laces which is about homophobia specifically football?

 

[Marked Ox]

I thought the thread was about Rainbow Laces which is about homophobia specifically football?

Yes the thread title is but the latest part of this thread is about Oxford United sponsoring Oxford Pride. So an extension, of the original conversation and Oxford Pride isn't just about football (obviously).

 

[MustardYellow]

Would you feel happy and safe to hold hands with your boyfriend at a game?

If I had one, yeah. Why not?

 

[holdsteady]

Would you feel happy and safe to hold hands with your boyfriend at a game?

I have taken my missus to about 4 games before both of us giving up on the idea, in those four games we never held hands, maybe that's where we went wrong but I think you might be reaching here, I don't think a football match is where any couple goes to hold hands.

 

[holdsteady]

If I had one, yeah. Why not?

If someone shouts at you to stop holding hands with your boy or girlfriend at a football match it will be me, its just weird.

 

[MustardYellow]

Yes the thread title is but the latest part of this thread is about Oxford United sponsoring Oxford Pride. So an extension, of the original conversation and Oxford Pride isn't just about football (obviously).

Ah I see. I joined just talking about the Rainbow Laces thing.

No issue with sponsoring things like Oxford Pride. I would imagine fairly low cost exposure for the club.

 

[MustardYellow]

I have taken my missus to about 4 games before both of us giving up on the idea, in those four games we never held hands, maybe that's where we went wrong but I think you might be reaching here, I don't think a football match is where any couple goes to hold hands.

Walking to/from the ground is fine, maybe stood in the stadium while watching the game is where I'd agree it's a bit weird Still, people can do what they want!

We've all hugged strangers after we score, what's the difference between that and seeing boyfriends do similar? I don't think it would get any negative reaction at all.

 

[holdsteady]

Walking to/from the ground is fine, maybe stood in the stadium while watching the game is where I'd agree it's a bit weird Still, people can do what they want!

We've all hugged strangers after we score, what's the difference between that and seeing boyfriends do similar? I don't think it would get any negative reaction at all.

Well the bloke in the seat next to me is my cousin, we ain’t Swindon so I won’t be holding his hand.

Boys, girls, whoever nobody needs to be holding hands while watching a game of football, you hug after scoring but you don’t carry on doing it for the rest of the game.

 

[m]

It's like you can't just support an actual football club nowadays, there are so many other issues and campaigns linked to it. I consider myself a weathered football fan, 53 years following Oxford, I've seen most stuff a football match can throw at you. I must have been to at least 50 away grounds across the country in that time too - never once have I heard a racist comment from someone in the crowd and never once have I heard anything, since it's been topical, of a sexual orientation. I'm not sure where these people are who can't accept it but they don't sit near me - home or away. We've had the Akinfenwa chant and there's been a bit of gentle goading of certain players at higher profile games (Le Saux back in the day) but, in my opinion, it's stopped short of crossing that line. I may be wrong but I think in the past few years that type of chanting has died down considerably and been pretty much eradicated.

You're a liar.

 

[chromeyellow]

It's like you can't just support an actual football club nowadays, there are so many other issues and campaigns linked to it. I consider myself a weathered football fan, 53 years following Oxford, I've seen most stuff a football match can throw at you. I must have been to at least 50 away grounds across the country in that time too - never once have I heard a racist comment from someone in the crowd and never once have I heard anything, since it's been topical, of a sexual orientation. I'm not sure where these people are who can't accept it but they don't sit near me - home or away. We've had the Akinfenwa chant and there's been a bit of gentle goading of certain players at higher profile games (Le Saux back in the day) but, in my opinion, it's stopped short of crossing that line. I may be wrong but I think in the past few years that type of chanting has died down considerably and been pretty much eradicated.

Funny because here's a thread with fans remembering (somewhat shamefacedly) the Joe Cooke chant - he played for Oxford for 2 years between 1979 and 1981.

Did you not go to those games?