Alex Steine
It is not sexism or it's more evil sibling racism. It is the embarrassing relative, hidden away in the attic, the one who should not be spoken of. It is not religious intolerance, or even divisiveness directed at atheists. It is not the flimsy, and perhaps ugliest accusation of paedophilia. It is homophobia! The groundless fear that homosexuality creates, and leads to a clandestine existence for gay people the world over. They have no sense of fear or perversion amongst themselves, they just fear the repercussions that the questionable values that society places on itself will bring. It is bound up in ignorance, religious strait-jacketing of their devotees, traditional conservative 'values', and a 'dirty' stigma perpetuated by much narrow-mindedness in the media.
Football is a purveyor of people's dreams. It reaches out, grabs and holds you. It allows fantasies to unfold in your mind, the winning goal in a cup final, or the adulation from adoring fans. It allows us as individuals to step outside ourselves for as long as it suits, and to travel to the outer reaches of the universe in our minds. Conquering, laying all before us. How macho is that? Arsenal has been my crutch and support all my life. My alter ego surfaces as my pulse quickens and my blood courses ever faster in my veins. Passion. My involvement with Arsenal screams, 'I am here! I exist!' I am the most outrageous of extroverts, riding the roller coaster of being a part of my club. So how are the two linked?
Well what if I had been a player, a player at Arsenal even? What if I had lived the dream? Then what if it was happening right now, and I felt I was superman? Then consider this, what if I was gay? I have just popped that bubble, haven't I? Yet I shouldn't have done so. A gay person plays football, loves the sport, the camaraderie of his teammates, the thrill of the adoration from fans. He is a part of it all. He/she is me, and so too you, reading this article. A little trite but we are one.
I am not about to go existential on you. I am just laying down the parameters, marking out the pitch, illustrated by a once grandly stated by the Bard, 'If you cut me, do I not bleed?' So that is the fundamental obstacle we need to overcome, we are the same. Given that acceptance, as it permeates our consciousness the fear, disdain, or whatever convoluted set of feelings are at play are interrupted, and stop affecting that homophobic mentality. We rise above it, and with ease. That is the first part, the acceptance that it is not bad or wrong, and to recognise that it is commonplace and normal.
I found myself with my wife and a couple of youngsters in London the year before last, which coincided with 'Gay Pride'. We stood in Regent St. and had a ball. My high spot was seeing Peter Tatchell. Chance circumstances found us with my grandchildren in Dublin this June and guess what? Yes, 'Gay Pride' was taking place, and it too was a nice occasion. A 'Gay Pride' groupie, no less! I mention this to give a certain credence to this article. My grandchildren accepted the event as a normal carnival, as did the other two youngsters. Me too! Now football has a problem. It is a pretty unusual, though not unique work environment where being gay is still a taboo. It is all caught up with the generally accepted principles of a man being a man. Sadly that is an archaic view. What all of us can do in alleviating this phobia is really limited. Yet perhaps something could be done. Any gesture, no matter how small, if positive, will count. In Neil Armstrong language a small step in the right direction can lead to a gigantic stride.
Firstly, it is sensible to accept that a token is just a token, and things cannot be overturned, or reversed in one beau geste. Yet a statement can be registered and who knows how many may join the movement, making their own statements, footie fans often do this kind of thing. Football needs that statement, Arsenal F.C needs to make that statement. We at AFC have always been pioneers. The first at this or better at that. Forever finding ourselves in the vanguard. It is personified for many of us as the spirit of Herbert Chapman; it is a part of footballing tradition now that 'The Arsenal Way', exists, even though some neutrals would have it otherwise.
Is there any way that those amongst us who feel it is a just cause, can find it in themselves to stand up and be counted. On behalf of gays in football, can we effect a positive move? Can we utilise our current yet traditional, 'Forward Arsenal' battle cry? We are tailor-made for the role as fans of the Arsenal. As a thought, had a float in those two 'Gay Prides' I mentioned, trundled past denoting, 'Arsenal Fans in Support of Gay Footballers', I would have filled up with my own pride. Any gay players in the Premier League right now are suffering, in silence. We cannot take that pain away, but we can give them our invisible support. Come on you Reds, come on you Yellows, come on you Pinks!
(Ed’s note – In fairness to Arsenal, they have done as much as they can to promote inclusiveness in this area through posting this page on the official website. However, what they cannot do is force a gay player to come out. My own view is that an individual’s sexual preference is down to them, and whether they wish to publicise it is their own choice. However, knowing the mob mentality of football crowds, you can be certain any player coming out would be targeted verbally by elements of the opposition support, and that saddens me. Frankly, where homosexuality is concerned, it’s not something I see changing any time soon. Maybe others think different…)
