The German football magazine 11Freunde recently ran the headline "You can count on us". In a statement of solidarity, 800 professional football players affirmed that they would support, encourage and, if necessary, defend homosexual football players against hostilities if they decided to publically announce their coming out.
They make clear the fundamental grievance right at the beginning of their statement:
"Even in 2021, there is not a single openly homosexual football player in the German professional men's leagues. The fear of being attacked and ostracized after coming out and of jeopardizing one's career as a professional football player is apparently still so great that gay football players believe they have to hide their sexuality."
The action, signed by Max Kruse, Christoph Kramer and Niklas Stark, among others, is great and should be reflected on.
Great because it represents an important step towards discrimination-free football. Because it comes directly from the center of professional football through the support of 800 male and female players. Because it creates attention.
The statement is worth reflecting on, acknowledging that there is still not a single openly homosexual professional male football player. In 2021! It is unfortunate that it is apparently still a big deal when men love men. It is concerning that there is apparently still a lot of fear from the reactions of the stands once they are allowed to be filled again. Added to this, is the worry of coming under journalistic scrutiny, of being permanently elevated to the media stage by tabloid journalism - and not with reference to the weekend's footballing performance.
Sexual orientation is a private matter – social pressure is not
In fact, there are footballers who do not conform to a heteronormative gender model. There are footballers who hide their sexual identity.
Anyone who believes that 100 percent of professional football players – in Germany and elsewhere – are into women also believes in Santa.
And of course it is permissible to argue that this is a private matter and nobody's business. But if social grievances lead to people hiding their true identity, having to play a role, being afraid of public pressure, then this has to be addressed.
So here is a suggestion: How about the country's major media - from tabloids to serious news magazines, from public radio to private trash TV channels - rallying behind a statement of their own? A statement in which they pledged to pick up on the first player’s outing for a week, but then refrain from major media coverage of his sexual orientation.
How would it be if all football clubs in the first to third leagues set an example and formulate a voluntary commitment that makes consistent intervention obligatory if homophobic remarks are made in the stands?
How would it be if the DFL presented a tough catalog of measures to punish homophobic outbursts in the stands? Suspension from the game, painful fines, or ghost games, even after Corona – such a catalog of measures has a lot to offer.
Perhaps the time of empty stadiums is helpful for the first outing
Perhaps the time of the pandemic – without spectators, with less attention, less machismo and testosterone in the stadium – is just predestined for the first outing.
And maybe we realized then that we have arrived in the year 2021. That a person's sexual orientation is actually no longer a big deal. That the idiots who make homophobic statements have to justify themselves – and not the players who have shown courage and are tired of hiding.
Thomas Hitzlsperger received widespread attention after coming out after his professional career, but almost exclusively great encouragement. Today, he is not the "gay" president of VfB Stuttgart. He is the president of VfB Stuttgart. He currently receives plenty of criticism from fans – but it is completely independent of his sexual orientation.
11Freunde has given reason for hope. It has kicked off the game against the team of homophobia. Let's do everything we can to win it – as officials, as players, as teammates, as fans, as society.
Be Fearless. Be Focused. B42