British Soccer Players Refused To Be In Anti-Homophobia PSA (VIDEO)

By Ian Herbert, The Independent

Professional footballers have refused to appear in a campaign video against homophobia because they fear being ridiculed for taking a stand against one of the sport's most stubborn taboos, The Independent has learnt. Both players and agents declined a request by the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) to take part in a video which was to use high- profile players as figureheads in the association's drive against anti-gay prejudice.

The advertising agency Ogilvy, which was hired to produce the film, had advised that such involvement by well-known faces would be important if the campaign was to deliver the required impact. But instead, the FA was obliged to produce a generic "viral" anti- homophobic video - which was itself pulled earlier this week.

Keep Reading at the Independent. Watch the PSA below.

Comments

[sisyphus93]

11:40 AM on 02/18/2010

So what? Someone seems to think they are obligated to promote an agenda they may not agree with.

[JDinBalt]

02:38 PM on 02/27/2010

Aw, those poor babies. The footballers don't want to say beating up puffs is wrong, so they don't have to. Now THAT'S an agenda that British soccer players can get behind, am I right?

[paisleyface]

06:17 PM on 02/16/2010

What an awkward way for these players to come out of the closet.

[lithium451]

09:19 PM on 02/15/2010

Here kitty, kitty!

[InstantDogma]

04:07 PM on 02/15/2010

Jock culture, it's awesome.

[soisay]

11:40 PM on 02/14/2010

So DADT enforced through intimidation and fear, like in GOP land. That's what makes a unit cohesive, finding the runt and picking on it until it kills itself.

[robwriter]

10:53 PM on 02/14/2010

So we've established that they're afraid. How macho is that?

[arabbit]

12:02 PM on 02/14/2010

I'm sure they had quite a lively discussion in the showers after the game.

[Erzsebet Gilbert]

10:24 AM on 02/14/2010

Ugh, ultimately homophobia is a fear of oneself. What cowards - and kids idolize them...

[Cuthach]

07:00 PM on 02/14/2010

Who else are they supposed to idolize? Their government is in shambles, the entertainment "artists" are derelicts, at least the football clubs offer them a community they can be part of.

[deluk]

12:51 PM on 02/15/2010

Yeah, that's the US, what about the UK?

[Eric Penner]

10:56 PM on 02/13/2010

There was an article about this in the Guardian this week, and apparently there's quite a bit of homophobic banter in the dressing rooms. Take, for example, Justin Fashanu, the footballer who came out of the closet in the early 90s who ended up killing himself in 1998 - aged just 37. It's extremely unfortunate that such a culture exists in the game, but what can be done to change the minds of footballers? It's not just rampant in football, either. Rugby, basketball, and other 'macho' sports tend not to produce very many gay talents - at least none that are open about it.

I think the PFA, the Football Association, and the Premier League ought to have made the likes of Rooney, Fabregas, Terry, Lampard, Drogba, Giggs, Gerrard, et al. film this advert, as they are role models to aspiring young footballers all over the world.

[jadednotoverrated]

10:12 PM on 02/13/2010

So much for them having balls. Look, deal with the repercussions after all has been said and done anybody who harms you will be dealt with consequently as it should be, but seriously grow a pair and stand up for something that's wrong in the first place.

[NevadaLib]

04:51 PM on 02/13/2010

Unfortunately athletes have a genetic predisposition to perpetuate the dumb jock stereotypes.

[Wombfruit]

04:07 PM on 02/13/2010

The commercial was great. Entertaining. I support homosexuals not being discriminated against :D

[hallowellboy]

12:12 PM on 02/13/2010

These thugs are hardly good spokemen for anyone. Move on.

[David Rozgonyi]

02:22 PM on 02/13/2010

bingo

[Wombfruit]

09:50 AM on 02/13/2010

This article is proof of how extreme our society and world is getting. So we are doing this "you're either for or against us" thing, eh? *sigh* And yet people hate the god of the bible for doing the same thing (i.e. "you're either for me or against me!").

If these athletes don't want to do the commercial, then they shouldn't have to; however I do not support their reason for objecting: being afraid of what people will say. That is high school.

I do not support this extreme "if you do not support us than you are a bigot" stance either. It's extreme.

Since we like to compare the Civil Rights Movement to the Gay Rights Movement, let's discuss something "right quick". There were MANY lawmakers, politicians, hell, even religious figures like pastors, etc, who did NOT support the Civil Rights Movement. Read Martin Luther Kings letters from when he was in jail. He was writing to pastors, priests, who were opposed to the Civil Rights Movement. He merely told them his point of view, why they should support, and left them alone. HE spent his time rallying the support of those who WOULD support the Civil Rights Movement. I don't recall him vilifying those who did not support him or the Movement.

This team has a right to refuse supporting these ads if they so choose. Why this is news is beyond me.

[SaltyLassi]

11:06 AM on 02/13/2010

I suppose they have a right to refuse supporting the ads. But Why you don't consider it news is beyond me. They are a well-known team, and things they do will be newsworthy, just as if the Cavs or the Miami Dolphins or any other team did something like this. They don't have to be in the ad. But that they chose not to is of interest to me.

I wonder if there are any players on the team who wanted to be in the ad, but did not because the sport is so highly straight-male-cenric, and they felt being in the ad would provoke attacks from teammates or the public. Because otherwise, supporting equality shouldn't be such a big issue.

[Wombfruit]

04:06 PM on 02/13/2010

I guess maybe because I'm not a sports nut. I could care less about sports news. However this article has sparked some interesting dialogue.

Having now watched the commercial, it's a pretty good one. I dont know I'm just a fan of get in where you fit in. If that team won't do it, find a team that will. *shrugs*

Great commercial.

[DannyEV]

06:17 PM on 02/13/2010

"If these athletes don't want to do the commercial, then they shouldn't have to; however I do not support their reason for objecting: being afraid of what people will say. That is high school."

My observation is that straight men are terrified of nothing half so much as they are that someone will think they are gay--and it's a terror that borders on a panic disorder. It's just ridiculous. But when straight boys are in company with one another, listen to the conversation-- they spend most of their time proving to one another that they're straight. Watch 'em performing for one another at the construction sites and in their trucks as the see a pretty girl pass by--the whistling, cat-calls and horn-honking to prove their "manhood" to each other. They're just ridiculous. But look at it: they're terrified--terrified--of men whom they call demeaning names that are supposed to indicate that we're weak and "un-manly" and the rest of the kr@p the tell themselves about us. So I put it to you: who are the pansies?

[Wombfruit]

11:27 PM on 02/13/2010

Well put. ;-)

[johnny g locker]

06:17 PM on 02/14/2010

Why don't all gay athletes come out of the closet and fight for their beliefs?

Yeah, bash the straight athletes because the gay ones stay in the closet. Makes sense to me!!

[ttimotteo]

08:32 AM on 02/13/2010

Highly erotic game to watch i must agree. damn that commercial scared me