‘I convinced myself I’d be crucified’ 🟢 The LGBT+ footballers facing homophobia in a sport that has 'a long way to go'
Joe DugganWhen Jahmal Howlett-Mundle came out as bisexual last July the then-Sheppey United defender feared he would be “crucified”, but his team-mates were positive and supportive.
And while he has found players are increasingly more aware of inclusivity, he believes more can be done in terms of educating some spectators. He believes the use of homophobic language has been “drastically underreported in the grassroots game for years”, and that the FA’s complaint system is “not fit for purpose”, with up to six months required for a complaint to reach a hearing.
“I wasn’t actually at this game in person. As I recall, the opposition, who knew they were playing an LGBTQ+ club, were singing YMCA in the changing rooms, and at one point during the game one of their players told one of ours to “get up, you fairy” after they were injured in a tackle,” he said. “I’m confident we will continue to see more and more openly LGBTQ+ players in the men’s game over the coming years.
This year’s World Cup sharpened focus on LGBT+ rights in Qatar, where homosexuality is criminalised and people face persecution, arrest and censorship from the authorities. Human Rights Watch has reported a litany of abuses against members of the LGBT+ community by security forces. The global appeal of the lucrative Premier League, with commercial considerations for clubs and players regarding sponsorship, may be another reason that top players have not yet come out, with “proactive club/board room support” needed for LGBT+ players, he added.
Mr Howlett-Mundle says he made and unmade the decsion to come out “time and time again” as he had “convinced myself that if anyone found out then I would essentially be crucified for it”. “The main reason is they don’t want to make other people feel uncomfortable – family, friends, team-mates especially,” he said.
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