hypochondriac

I don't think that should be used at the football and is clearly offensive. That says more about that individual than football fans in general and I certainly don't think it is more than in normal society.

What is the example of crass homophobic chanting?

I think part of the fun for some supporters of chanting at people like Le Saux is that it is alluded to but never explicit (not that that makes it right), in the same way that Beckham or Kevin Phillips was chanted at for alleged affairs. If he had actually come out as gay I don't think there would have been any noteworthy anti gay chanting

It's taking a well known steretype about their city (that there are a lot of gays there) and is poking fun at it, the same as the welsh are sheep ****gers, those from the north are dirty northern monkeys, liverpool fans are scouse scallys etc etc.

I don't consider a joke (even an unfunny one) an example of homophobia. Certainly not an unfunny joke on an internet messageboard. I'm not hurling abuse near the doorway of G.A.Y. or burning rainbow laces. You've spent most of the thread getting offended on behalf of other people (unless you are gay yourself but you declined to answer) and then looking for homophobia where none can be found.

That is 8 people which if we are taking your percentages and extrapolating it to professional footballers is a small percentage of gays in football. How do we not know that the rest are fine? As I said though, they don't want to come out because they are worried about anti-gay abuse, yet there is no evidence of this supposed abuse around at the moment. It appears that the problem is with them rather than the other way around if they are uncomfortable about hiding their sexuality yet do so anyway because they suspect with no evidence that they will be subject to abuse.

How is it solvable when she has to give evidence? She was objecting to the jury being able to see her whilst she did so.

TBF is she is a hottie I probably would.

How about not highlighting it as a huge problem (when it isn't) and just letting people do what they feel comfortable doing (which at the moment appears to be keeping their sexuality private). That seems like a worthwhile something else to do.

Well we can't ask them can we. I don't think wearing rainbow laces will prove that at all and if someone suddenly decides to make their sexuality known to the world (not sure why they would need to) on the back of this then it's clearly not something they take that seriously. The only way we will be able to say if it will or will not happen is for a footballer who is gay to decide to tell everyone and then see what happens. No amount of rainbow coloured sweatbands, laces or other rubbish is going to change anything it just irks football fans for saying there is a problem when in many people's opinion one does not exist to any greater extent than in wider society.

Solidarity against what? anti-gay abuse? Where is the example of this anti-gay abuse?

Why rainbow laces? Isnt that a bit stereotypical and offensive?

Where is the example of this anti-gay abuse? I would suggest that if they believe in this anti-gay abuse without any evidence, then they are the ones with the problem.

And how many are there like him who feels the way he does? He is one person. And how are rainbow laces a movement that makes him more accepted? Where is the example of him not being accepted within football?

Such as?

Why do they feel the need to? Why do they want to create a divide between the gay footballers who like rainbow laces and the straight footballers?

I presume you have conducted interviews with these gay footballers to determine their reasons for keeping quiet about their sexuality?

He didn't say that. He proposed a theory (using examples) that said that genetics have a bearing on how successful a group is at sport. He said that homosexuals differ genetically from straight people and that this genetic difference could also mean that they were not as genetically disposed towards football as a straight man. You may not agree but I can't see how that is offensive.

The implication is that those who do not support this campaign are against gays. Quite a few have suggested this on this very thread.

When players are pelted with butt plugs and told to get out of a club for being gay, then you can compare it to racism in football. As yet, no one has actually come out so we can only speculate on the reaction of supporters and clubs. My suspicion is that there would be a very small number of chants at first from a tiny minority and then they would cease.

The downside is that it is an utter waste of time and money, promotes the idea that doing something, even something ridiculous and pointless is better than doing nothing to combat a problem that many people believe doesn't exist and perpetuates the stereotype that football fans are homophobic, racist anti-semites.

I just laughed out loud at an image of two blokes going at it in the toilet whilst a little kid is hunched in the opposite cubicle crying.

A couple of years ago I used to go to the odd game with my mate Edwin who is a gay. One time we scored and I punched him in the side of the head whilst celebrating. He hasn't been with me since so not sure if that was a hate crime or not or whether he was put off by the homophobic chanting. I'll have to ask him.

Are you a gay Toon Saint?

I think there is little doubt that this will be a watershed moment in the fight against the plague of homophobia in football. When the first gay premiership footballer holds his press conference for the world's media next year and they ask him what prompted his announcement he will answer 'the laces.'