this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2023
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Football / Soccer / Calcio / Futebol / Fußball
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You couldn't have said it any better. There's probably players out there who wanted to come out and the support of players like Henderson would have been encouraging, but now that he's done this what are those players going to think? That their peers supporting them are actually just doing it for money and don't care at all about you or your struggles? I hope it doesn't make those considering coming out to change their minds.
It will impact them 100%. Young gay players have no role models to look up to really, they need allies to communicate that hate is unacceptable. Henderson did that and undid it just as quickly. I don’t think people clock that a gay footballer will have the same role models as a straight one purely because there is nobody else so having that extra bit of support, to say “the England captain supports me and others like me”… is so important to younger kids.
Jake will hopefully have a decent little career and be a role model for others too, but that’s years down the line now. Hope he’s doing okay, lad is only 18. Second year of college age, lot to deal with and speaking to the BBC is very brave.
Yeah to come out at such a young age in the current football environment is insane, hopefully it inspires the next generation.
It is, but I still think the fact he's the only one, and barely a pro, and the last one killed himself over it before I was even born, is a huge problem. As in a how tf are we throwing a high horse over this, level of huge.
If I was the "Saudi PR team" I'd be chucking the bag and another bag but gold-plated at this bloke, manage to sign him and it's suddenly 🇸🇦1-0🏴 for openly-gay pro players in the leagues.