Rainbow coloured corner flags at football matches starting Saturday

[Tom Fleuriot]

6 hours ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

 

You're right about the maths. Appalling on my part. I don't agree with you that having rainbow flags constitutes trying to force the issue. 

[Robin1988]

21 hours ago, Bar BS3 said:

Why don’t they just get the players to play wearing mini skirts and have done with it..?! 

The World has gone ####ing mental! It will soon be socially unacceptable to be in a heterosexual relationship with your wife. Especially if you are outrageous enough to be white & work..! 

Didn’t you used to post non-bullocks or am I thinking of someone else?

[Robin1988]

4 hours ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

Sure, but at 7 years old?

Seriously, I agree with the sentiment of your argument, but just think 7 is too young to start 'educating' children as they risk being confused.

Some young boys wear girls' clothing and their mother's make-up, whilst some young girls play with 'Action Man', wear jeans and, heaven forbid, climb trees.

That's just fine. Let them get on with it.

Why clutter up their minds with what, at that age, must surely be a difficult subject, rather than let them enjoy themselves while they still young and innocent?  

Agreed mate. Knowing gay people exist is really confusing. Only just getting my head around the whole man-woman thing.

[22A]

22 hours ago, spudski said:

Where is all this LGBT stuff coming from? Who's leading it? What is the agenda behind it? Why is it being thought of?

I notice the the education secretary is also advising teachers at all girl and all boy schools, not to refer to them as boys or girls when addressing them as a group.

The whole world is going absolutely feckin mental. It's getting beyond ridiculous.

All it does is cause resentment...not awareness.

It's all going to backfire soon...and I'm under the impression that's what the 'agenda' actually wants. Social unrest amongst everyone.

A gay man where I work is a valued colleague, although I disagree with his lifestyle. He is against gay pride and rainbow flags etc as "We cannot have integration by having a special event to let everyone know we're here". 

Similarly why are the Music of Black Origin Awards permitted? Surely it should be just Music Awards?

I'm waiting for a special day to be announced that will celebrate White Anglo Saxon heterosexual males who are able bodied and in full time employment. After all we're a persecuted minority.

[spudski]

27 minutes ago, 22A said:

A gay man where I work is a valued colleague, although I disagree with his lifestyle. He is against gay pride and rainbow flags etc as "We cannot have integration by having a special event to let everyone know we're here". 

Similarly why are the Music of Black Origin Awards permitted? Surely it should be just Music Awards?

I'm waiting for a special day to be announced that will celebrate White Anglo Saxon heterosexual males who are able bodied and in full time employment. After all we're a persecuted minority.

This....spot on.

And how that lose woman programme is allowed is beyond me...so hypocritical.

Your 'special day' will be after the celebration of Black Lesbian Muslim single mums, with four kids ( one gay, one straight but ginger ;-), one transgender, the last undecided MX ) all from four different people, two of which were from semen kept from when she was a man and had the change.

[AshtonGreat]

I've got nothing against promoting Zippy and Bungle Bonce at Ashton Gate

[Paddy31]

1 hour ago, 22A said:

A gay man where I work is a valued colleague, although I disagree with his lifestyle. He is against gay pride and rainbow flags etc as "We cannot have integration by having a special event to let everyone know we're here". 

Similarly why are the Music of Black Origin Awards permitted? Surely it should be just Music Awards?

I'm waiting for a special day to be announced that will celebrate White Anglo Saxon heterosexual males who are able bodied and in full time employment. After all we're a persecuted minority.

You "disagree with his lifestyle"?

What?

PS International Men's Day was 19th November - you just missed it

[Robin1988]

42 minutes ago, spudski said:

This....spot on.

And how that lose woman programme is allowed is beyond me...so hypocritical.

Your 'special day' will be after the celebration of Black Lesbian Muslim single mums, with four kids ( one gay, one straight but ginger ;-), one transgender, the last undecided MX ) all from four different people, two of which were from semen kept from when she was a man and had the change.

Spudski, I know you mean well and have a good intention in your post, and you’re far from alone in your views.

But the fact you make them shows how little understanding you have of the issues faced for the LGBT community, MOBOs etc. now and historically. Which is fine, but then it might be an idea to research them before casting them aside as nonsense.

Although of course as a white male football agent/coach/voice of knowledge/whatever it is you actually do I’m sure dealing with discrimination has been a daily occurrence.

[RumRed]

This thread makes me ******* depressed.

There is no ‘agenda’ people want to live their own lives and if others can make that easier through simple gestures that have little or no effect on them personally then what’s the issue.  It’s a coloured flag at the corner of a field that young men get paid a shit load of money for kicking a ball about on, get the **** over yourselves.

[Cider red]

21 hours ago, Bar BS3 said:

I shall elaborate and reiterate my conclusions....!

If there are, say, 2,500 professional footballers in England. (Approx 25 x 92 & round it up) 

That would mean that, by national statistics, there COULD be 37 ish gay players. 

Now, are you telling me that Prime time TV on a Saturday night couldn’t easily account for those 37 ish gay individuals above the national ratio..?

So, is it really inconceivable that football just doesn’t have any noteworthy number of gay players..? So why this big campaign to hunt them down and then make them come out..?! 

 

without trawling through the rest of the thread, I think your missing the point somewhat. The flags (I guess) are meant to be a symbol of inclusion- an attempt to make gay people feel welcome, watching/playing football. A whole lot more could be done, but it may be a start (who knows).

Its a flag, I don't see how it justifies your OTT reaction- no one is saying 'you must come out' , but simply trying to make an environment where players feel able to do so. There is still a lot of prejudice in society towards minority groups, particularly with the political landscape we currently find ourselves in, what we need is proportionate responses on both sides to try and create some equality.

[Rich]

22 hours ago, Robbored said:

Statically there will be a percentage of footballers who are gay but nobody is claiming that the game is full of homosexuals.

Just a reflection the national percentage.

 

Don't you think it's possible that there are certain professions that people from the LGBT community would naturally go in to?

I'm sure there won't be too many deep sea divers, Miners, steel fixers, bricklayers, or other historically masculine occupations filled with openly gay men, though I'm led to believe rugby does attract a lot of lesbians. Equally, there will be a higher percentage of the LGBT community taking up professions they'd rather be in, such as, caring, nursing, hairdressing, retail, the arts and, anywhere they can influence peoples opinions, such as politics, journalism and the local authority.

[RumRed]

1 hour ago, spudski said:

This....spot on.

And how that lose woman programme is allowed is beyond me...so hypocritical.

Your 'special day' will be after the celebration of Black Lesbian Muslim single mums, with four kids ( one gay, one straight but ginger ;-), one transgender, the last undecided MX ) all from four different people, two of which were from semen kept from when she was a man and had the change.

All this from someone that as far as I can see it:

Imports small pink men from China and Europe

Spends time buffing off their rough edges

Gently caresses them with a sable brush

Makes them look good

Sticks them on a pedestal

and sells them to other men at a profit.

 

hmmm....,

[LondonBristolian]

33 minutes ago, Rich said:

Don't you think it's possible that there are certain professions that people from the LGBT community would naturally go in to?

I'm sure there won't be too many deep sea divers, Miners, steel fixers, bricklayers, or other historically masculine occupations filled with openly gay men, though I'm led to believe rugby does attract a lot of lesbians. Equally, there will be a higher percentage of the LGBT community taking up professions they'd rather be in, such as, caring, nursing, hairdressing, retail, the arts and, anywhere they can influence peoples opinions, such as politics, journalism and the local authority.

I think you are confusing stereotypes with reality...

[AppyDAZE]

Which game is Graham Norton officiating tomorrow, anyone? (keep it clean)

[Rich]

1 minute ago, LondonBristolian said:

I think you are confusing stereotypes with reality...

No, I'm using my life's experiences to form an opinion, just as you have expressed your opinion, probably based on your experiences, there's no confusion at all.

[Maesknoll Red]

3 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

I think you are confusing stereotypes with reality...

I have raised this before, I have spent the large majority of my life in Engineering and a smaller period in sales, I had never knowingly worked with a gay Engineer for nearly 40 years, I now occasionally work with a lesbian Engineer, my one experience in all that time ( that’s not saying thats everyone’s experience). While I was in sales, which was for 18 months there was 4 out of a team of 12 ( 3 lesbians of which two were a couple and a bloke)  One company I worked for had various departments, engineering, operations, production and catering/customer hosts and the catering/customer host dept was widely acknowledged to be the dept with the highest level of gays/lesbians.

When a lifetimes experience tells you one thing, you must understand that, that is many peoples reality.  

I am still pretty much convinced the agenda in ‘outing’ a gay footballer is media driven, click bait and rag sales...  although if there were a high profile gay footballer, do you not think that the scummy redtops or their internet equivalents wouldn’t have already have that info and be publishing it at the most financially opportune moment.

[BCFC Rich]

32 minutes ago, Maesknoll Red said:

I have raised this before, I have spent the large majority of my life in Engineering and a smaller period in sales, I had never knowingly worked with a gay Engineer for nearly 40 years, I now occasionally work with a lesbian Engineer, my one experience in all that time ( that’s not saying thats everyone’s experience). While I was in sales, which was for 18 months there was 4 out of a team of 12 ( 3 lesbians of which two were a couple and a bloke)  One company I worked for had various departments, engineering, operations, production and catering/customer hosts and the catering/customer host dept was widely acknowledged to be the dept with the highest level of gays/lesbians.

When a lifetimes experience tells you one thing, you must understand that, that is many peoples reality.  

I am still pretty much convinced the agenda in ‘outing’ a gay footballer is media driven, click bait and rag sales...  although if there were a high profile gay footballer, do you not think that the scummy redtops or their internet equivalents wouldn’t have already have that info and be publishing it at the most financially opportune moment.

I'm pretty sure this was pointed out to you last time you posted about this but whilst your experience is valid it actually (when paired with a little bit of research and reading up) shows the opposite of what you suggest. A quick bit of research reveals studies and threads about how it is a difficult profession to be 'out' in, where the overall atmosphere is not actually that different to football (an example).  

[The Constant Rabbit]

My son is gay, so I pointed out this thread to him.

Reaction?

 

'FFS, what a crock of shite. I'm sick to death of people telling other people to treat me the same as anyone else, by doing things that make me stand out as different.

I haven't got laid for months, and a bloody rainbow flag at some stupid football game isn't going to help.'

 

So there you have it. My gay son is more interested in getting laid than the colour of the corner flags at AG.

 

Personally I think he's a selfish bastard as no doubt somebody at the FA got paid to go on a very expensive course, with a highly remunerated panel of veteran gay rights warriors, to discover that rainbow corner flags will solve the problem of gay men being accepted.

When in reality, my son thinks a new shirt and more stylish suit will get him laid this weekend.

So there we have it.

All gay footballers should be issued vouchers from the FA for new shirts and suits, which in turn will get them laid, possibly by a teammate or one of the crowd leading to greater acceptance of gay men.

They could raise the money  for the shirts and suits by cancelling the order for 20000 rainbow boot laces and 4000 corner flags.

 

Problem solved.

 

 

Thread closed.

 

 

PS - I'll let you know if the shirt and suit worked. 

 

 

[DaveF]

3 hours ago, SX227 said:

My son is gay, so I pointed out this thread to him.

Reaction?

 

'FFS, what a crock of shite. I'm sick to death of people telling other people to treat me the same as anyone else, by doing things that make me stand out as different.

I haven't got laid for months, and a bloody rainbow flag at some stupid football game isn't going to help.'

 

So there you have it. My gay son is more interested in getting laid than the colour of the corner flags at AG.

 

Personally I think he's a selfish bastard as no doubt somebody at the FA got paid to go on a very expensive course, with a highly remunerated panel of veteran gay rights warriors, to discover that rainbow corner flags will solve the problem of gay men being accepted.

When in reality, my son thinks a new shirt and more stylish suit will get him laid this weekend.

So there we have it.

All gay footballers should be issued vouchers from the FA for new shirts and suits, which in turn will get them laid, possibly by a teammate or one of the crowd leading to greater acceptance of gay men.

They could raise the money  for the shirts and suits by cancelling the order for 20000 rainbow boot laces and 4000 corner flags.

 

Problem solved.

 

 

Thread closed.

 

 

PS - I'll let you know if the shirt and suit worked. 

 

 

I will not... have your sons sexually bandied around this forum willy... nilly...

[AshtonGreat]

7 hours ago, AppyDAZE said:

Which game is Graham Norton officiating tomorrow, anyone? (keep it clean)

It's a Eurovision Cup match

[gl1]

15 hours ago, LondonBristolian said:

I get your point but I think two key things are:

1) A lot of LGBT people would say that, even as young as seven, they knew they felt different from other children.

 

 

I knew I was “different”by the time I was 8or 9, certainly junior school, but didn’t know I was actually gay until 13 or 14.i grew up in a time of less tolerance than we have these days (down to the lack of education?) so became introverted and tried to hide these feelings. The only obviously gay men of that time were Boy George, Larry Grayson, and Mark Almond and I didn’t really identify with the effeminate nature of their personas. I made a stupid attempt at telling a classmate I fancied men, he  told everyone else and overnight I became the class pariah, frequently verbally and physically attacked and worse of all shunned from my group of friends. Only when I left school could I ‘start again’ at work, playing up to a fictious straight me.

Through my late teens I tried to be straight, forcing myself to date and fail with some very bewildered young ladies who had no idea what was going on. I suffered from anxiety and self worth eroded over time to a point I’m sure I would have been considered depressed in today’s society.

To cut to today I am a very happily married man to my husband and partner of 16 years, and live out with friends and colleagues. I don’t tell people I am gay to do “look at me, look at me”as some here have suggested, it’s merely to let them know and save them from the embarrassment of the “your wife, kids”comments I get. It’s not attention seeking, or trying to thrust my sexuality down peoples throats, again, as some have suggested on here. It’s just I don’t look or act gay, I don’t conform to gay stereotypes in dress and appearance, accent, hobbies or likes. In every way other than finding other men attractive I appear to conform to a heterosexual male identity, and for this reason and this reason alone I tell people I work with, and become friends with. And no, it’s not a sweeping grand announcement, I just drop it onto to conversation “did you watch the England match last night? Wasn’t it boring, even my partner dropped off and he usually loves watching it” - see what I did there? 

Back on topic though, what do I think about rainbow corner flags? It’s not going to make an iota of difference to anything. I’m not sure it’s going to help any gay players come out (there must be a few, surely). It would be great if it wasn’t an issue, but for some reason it is, we have openly gay rugby players, cricketers, actors, politicians, singers, and authors, but all footballers from grass roots to Seria A are straight? 

It causes debate on platforms such as this, and that’s great, and will keep nudging the debate in the right direction until a point it won’t matter what you are on or off the pitch. I’m not going to hold my breath though...

 

[Maesknoll Red]

9 hours ago, BCFC Richard said:

I'm pretty sure this was pointed out to you last time you posted about this but whilst your experience is valid it actually (when paired with a little bit of research and reading up) shows the opposite of what you suggest. A quick bit of research reveals studies and threads about how it is a difficult profession to be 'out' in, where the overall atmosphere is not actually that different to football (an example).  

I have absolutely no interest in researching it.  I’m surprised how many of my colleagues have got married to hide their real sexuality then.....   

[Dastardly and Muttley]

21 hours ago, WolfOfWestStreet said:

That's one of the main arguments about letting gay men into a football team.

I havent got a problem with that, a gay man isn't going to put me off, i can handle myself. But if during a match, is he going to be concentrating on the game, or is he going to be looking at me and going "Ooh. He looks tasty in his kit".

And I'm not homophobic, all right? Come round, look at my CDs. You'll see Queen, George Michael, Pet Shop Boys. They're all bummers.

I’m sure that’s why mixed doubles tennis or badminton never took off, everyone keeps shagging when it’s time to change ends as they can’t keep their hands off each other.

Just because someone is gay doesn’t mean they’re going to spend 90 minutes staring at the other players’ bums or groping them at corners and free kicks.

[spudski]

12 hours ago, Robin1988 said:

Spudski, I know you mean well and have a good intention in your post, and you’re far from alone in your views.

But the fact you make them shows how little understanding you have of the issues faced for the LGBT community, MOBOs etc. now and historically. Which is fine, but then it might be an idea to research them before casting them aside as nonsense.

Although of course as a white male football agent/coach/voice of knowledge/whatever it is you actually do I’m sure dealing with discrimination has been a daily occurrence.

Cheers fella...Everyone faces issues every day, it's part of life....whether discrimination or other problems. However...

My point I've tried to get across...poorly it seems....is do we need reminding every 5 mins? Imo...we don't. As others have mentioned on this thread, Gay people don't particularly want it pointing out again that they are different and a cry for them to be accepted. Probably because it's been done to death and the majority of the general public are used to it and it's become the norm. Like I said in a previous post....The Entertainment Industry and media etc are full of alternative people, it's in our psyche each day. Many are adulated for what they do. Most Entertainment programmes have alternative people in them or story lines about their lives, or presenters, singers etc,etc,etc. Then you read all the stories in the papers every day....why do we need reminding anymore?

Perhaps someone is in a job that needs to promote this...they get paid for it. Perhaps they approach all the 'outlets' and if refused, it would look bad and be used against them?

A bit like those working for H&S constantly thinking up new ideas to strangle us with, otherwise they'd be out of a job.

The same for people who go to look for a job at the job centre, but instead of being shown any jobs, they get a list of all the benefits they can claim...keeps em in a job ;-)

The same for certain Doctors practices, who will offer medicine by certain pharmaceutical companies....you get my drift ;-)

11 hours ago, RumRed said:

All this from someone that as far as I can see it:

Imports small pink men from China and Europe

Spends time buffing off their rough edges

Gently caresses them with a sable brush

Makes them look good

Sticks them on a pedestal

and sells them to other men at a profit.

 

hmmm....,

....it's a hobby...amongst other things. Other days I can be found dusting my feather boa and oiling up my pink pvc mini dress with said sable brush ;-)

 

The only positive I can see from this thread...is NTTDS must be overjoyed. It must be his longest thread ever ;-)

[View from the Dolman]

11 hours ago, Rich said:

Don't you think it's possible that there are certain professions that people from the LGBT community would naturally go in to?

Does this mean it's unnatural for myself and other gay City fans to follow football too? Should we start doing something else with our Saturday afternoons?

[BRISTOL86]

2 hours ago, gl1 said:

To cut to today I am a very happily married man to my husband and partner of 16 years, and live out with friends and colleagues. I don’t tell people I am gay to do “look at me, look at me”as some here have suggested, it’s merely to let them know and save them from the embarrassment of the “your wife, kids”comments I get. It’s not attention seeking, or trying to thrust my sexuality down peoples throats, again, as some have suggested on here. It’s just I don’t look or act gay, I don’t conform to gay stereotypes in dress and appearance, accent, hobbies or likes. In every way other than finding other men attractive I appear to conform to a heterosexual male identity, and for this reason and this reason alone I tell people I work with, and become friends with. And no, it’s not a sweeping grand announcement, I just drop it onto to conversation “did you watch the England match last night? Wasn’t it boring, even my partner dropped off and he usually loves watching it” - see what I did there? 

The missus goes mental when I try and do that too.

On a serious note though, an interesting perspective, thanks. As far as I can tell, most gay people think things like this are all media driven nonsense that won’t make a bit of difference, and the real world accounts here seem to back that up. 

As a gay man, would you feel like you couldn’t disclose your sexuality, for example, whilst sat in Ashton Gate, surrounded by fellow City fans? 

[22A]

9 hours ago, SX227 said:

more interested in getting laid than the colour of the corner flags at AG.

Aint we all?

[screech]

19 hours ago, DaveInSA said:

I'll tell you a story.

My brothers two boys attend a school, where the head mistress is not straight. 

From the age of 7 they have been fully made aware at school about LBGT issues.

Now I'm not being funny. But why the *^&% do kids need to know about this? At the age of 7? When I was that age I was busy out on my bicycle, playing football and ar5eing about with me mates. Do they really need to know that some people born as a girl can have hormones and an operation to give them balls and a dick rather than tits and a fanny?

No wonder there's so many depressed and confused kids out there. They can choose to kiss boys, girls, both or change gender completely. What's wrong with being a boy or a girl? and kissing the opposite sex. I would term this healthy (not that anything else is unhealthy).

My kids were being preached to at the same age about pro European propaganda leading up to Bexit, Hilary Clinton is the messiah leading up to US elections, Conservatives are anti schools (not much disagreement from me) going into the election.

My politics and lack of religious belief are kept away from them because I would never want them to follow, but make their own mind up, I was pissed to hear them come home from school chatting about these things, they should be taught these subjects but teach both sides of the argument. If they want to talk about slavery for instance, also make it known that Blacks were enslaved in Africa by Africans too. 

In the USA, some of their campuses are already closing down freedom of speech by rushing conferences or in some cases, stopping planned events. This is not a healthy situation for anybody. That's why I believe the increase of people yelling Fascist, Nazi, Racist etc. at people who don't share the same generic view they have of the world. It's alien to them, and they reach for the buzzwords to close down discussions.

Done right in schools it will be an asset to their education, teach them too young and it will just confuse the shit out of them when they still don't even know who or what they are. You do have the extremes though,  I read that there are children as young as 3 years old being referred to gender identity clinics.

[gl1]

2 hours ago, BRISTOL86 said:

 

As a gay man, would you feel like you couldn’t disclose your sexuality, for example, whilst sat in Ashton Gate, surrounded by fellow City fans? 

I go to AG with my other half, he is also a season ticket holder. We don’t, as I see SOME straight couples do, show forms of affection to each other whilst there. Would I disclose my sexuality there? Good question, and the answer is probably not, not out of fear or shame, it just doesn’t seem appropriate. By the same token I don’t think I would disclose my political leanings, my remain vote at Brexit or my views on Trump

if a supporter started shouting homophobic  things (and I mean vitriolic hate chants, not the chants aimed at Brighton fans) I probably would disclose my sexuality to him in a quiet 121 way

I tell people I am gay if I work with them, my friends, family, and those people who have become friends, like guys I have met and become friends with at the gym etc. On a side note I have never had a bad reaction from people I have told at the gym, even though we’ve been in the changing rooms together countless of times. For me it’s about a long term honesty, it’s hard to keep up secret if I see someone as a friend. I don’t out myself in ththe supermarket queue, or to th barista in Costa “full fat cappuccino please, oh and a choloclate muffin please. By the way, I’m gay you know”

i don’t have a problem with people being out and proud, it’s just not for me.

 

[Rich]

3 hours ago, View from the Dolman said:

Does this mean it's unnatural for myself and other gay City fans to follow football too? Should we start doing something else with our Saturday afternoons?

No and no again. You do what you naturally want to do, why would you not? Of course the choice is yours and you've chosen to do what you want to do. 

I think you are looking for something that isn't there, almost trying to put words in my mouth.