Report of homophobic abuse at the City v Brum game! http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11709/9483921?
Reminds me of this article on MyFootballWriter that was posted a few days ago. It's pleasing to see the club taking a strong stance on this, absolutely no place for discrimination in football.
10/10 for the supporter who reported it. I had hoped that we had left this nonsense behind years ago but I suppose when we have some politicians referring to immigrants in inflammatory terms it is bound to raise it's ugly head again.
Not sure it's been reported what the incident was, could have been abuse of a fan/player/staff/stewards.
The context I most hear "gay" used in by young people is the way we used to use "naff".I am quite confused.If it was half time it could not have been a player as they would not have been on the pitch.
There's more to homophobic chanting than calling someone or something "gay" though, unfortunately. Could have been shouted as the players left the pitch or something.
As a gay man, I can see both sides of this. I don't want to live in a society where people are constantly censoring themselves and don't feel able to say what they really feel, but I also don't want to live in a society where someone can shout (as I saw it reported) "those f**kers [gay people] deserve shooting". Theoretically, it seems quite simple. Expressing an honest opinion is OK, incitement to hatred is not. In practice, though, deciding which side of the line individual instances fall is often almost impossible.
You cannot censor what people think or say between themselves. I often say things when I am with mates up the Pub or on the golf course that I wouldn't dream of saying elsewhere. One of my offspring is in a same sex relationship and sometimes you can see the disapproval in some peoples eyes, That is fair enough but homophobic comments to them, in front of them or shouted out would be completely unacceptable.
I find this quite sad.I visited old friends the other day,their 21 year old son is a medical student in Manchester.His mother was complaining to me that he seems desperate for them not to visit him,and is always making excuses as to why they should not go.I have thought that he was gay since he was a young lad.I was almost tempted to tell them as they appear to have no idea. Instead I told them how much fun MrsCT and myself had on a night out in Manchester.It's such a shame because they won't have too much of a problem with it but I bet their son is scared to tell them.
You have my sympathy CT. As you imply there is normally no problem once things are out in the open but it is getting there which causes problems. If the subject is raised again couldn't you say something like ' perhaps he is worried that you won't like his girlfriend or boyfriend as the case may be ' A jocular remark which might put the thought in their heads. Just a thought.
It is truly remarkable how things have changed since I was a lad growing up in the politically incorrect seventies. There's a lot of PC crap bandied about these days but on the whole you have to say that change has certainly been for the better. Younger posters might not believe it but we have come a hell of a long way since those days. Back then, if you were any other colour than white you were either a n****r, s*mbo, w*g, w*p, p*ki, sp*ck, c**n, if homosexual you were a p**f, t*rd b*rgler, shirt lifter, bandit or dyke (that's if you were brave enough to 'come out'). If you were mentally disabled you were at best 'thick' or 'simple' and at worst a '******' and if you had the misfortune to have a physical disability you were often called a 'cripple'. These terms were used in everyday language, not by all, but by many and were generally accepted. The racial abuse given at Football matches was horrendous and it makes me cringe now when I think back and I find it hard to believe that I lived through it.
It was so acceptable that TV shows featured it. Can you really believe Till Death Do Us Part and Love Thy Neighbour were allowed to be shown?
Weird wasn't it. Though I don't watch much TV, I must have seen them at the time without taking much notice, which shows you how things were. Recently saw 'Love Thy Neighbour' on the Gold channel or something, and was horrified! The black familiea always tended to come off best, but that still doesn't excuse the racist dialogue. Nina Baden-Semper was as nice as I remember, though.
