It isn’t just football either, sadly. You don’t see the major sports league here in the States actively pushing to keep homophobia out of their ranks. As far as I know, the only team sports athletes to come out while still active are females (Sheryl Swoopes and Natasha Kai, who have represented the US in their respective sports, that I know of off-hand).

It has to be said though, there is a light atop the hill at the club level in the form of St Pauli, but aren’t they always the beacon for progressive change in football?

Vikash Dhorasoo, the somewhat enigmatic Indian-French player, has spoken out against homophobia in football a number of times, and even lended his name and face to a campaign by Paris Foot Gay (http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=1017053.html). Sol Campbell has openly spoken out against it as well, and Campbell has been on the end of some filthy homophobic stick despite being heterosexual.

The English tabloid press hardly help matters for the FA, though, as they consider all this from a PR perspective. The abuse Justin Fashanu, the first prominent openly gay footballer in England, received from the press indirectly led to his suicide.

Moreover, it’s just not a priority for the FA. The lack of diversity at the top of the FA itself is a cause of this. In my opinion, I don’t think they understand or care all that much about it.

Finally, they are often terribly hamfisted even on things that are priorities, such as the World Cup bid. So we can also chalk it down to the ineptitude that often accompanies their efforts.

That might all be a bit hard on the FA. I’d let someone closer to London now provide perhaps a fairer take.

Elliott, I wouldn’t disagree, and many groups like the Justin Campaign and the Gay Football Supporters’ Network do I believe also work on that at the grassroots with clubs. But leadership from the top is also needed, especially when there’s a very clear taboo barrier right now at the top of the game that needs to be broken through. If the FA don’t want to tackle homophobia, then they shouldn’t keep saying they are going to and then make a mess of it as in this case. Certainly though, the broader culture change needed wouldn’t come just from a video from the FA, however good it was.

These quasi private/public remants of “open masculinity” can make both LGBT and heteros (“breeders” as we like to be called) more comfortable in a transition period. And I think this starts with the grounds,pitches, locker rooms, and clubs.

What am I missing? I just do not understand this.