German soccer president calls on players to come out

The sea may separate them but the footballing communities of Germany and the UK are both facing similar issues.

It is perhaps in these two countries where the issue of homosexuality in the national sport has been most prevalent.

We have already touched on the most recent case in the UK, where a non-league footballer got sacked by his team for a homophobic tweet aimed at rugby legend Gareth Thomas. The fact he has since been resigned by another team is very disappointing.

But in Germany the debate is happening at a much higher level.

Theo Zwanziger, the outgoing German soccer federation president, has said it’s time for gay players to come out, reportedly saying they should "have the courage to declare themselves".




However these comments have been countered by the national team captain Phillip Lahm (right), who said: "The politicians can come out these days, for sure, but they don’t have to play in front of 60,000 people every week. I don’t think that the society is that far ahead that it can accept homosexual players as something normal as in other areas."

It is hard to imagine Premier League chief Richard Scudamore and national team captain John Terry having such a public argument around LGBT issues.

What is equally clear is that both the comments from the German figureheads are from people who have thought about the issue but differ on this pretty major point.

It perhaps sums up the situation where football, particularly in Europe and North America has reached: do we - supporters, campaigners, footballing authorities - encourage someone to come out; or do we continue to ignore the situation and hope it will change in the future as society's views develop?

The simple answer is that while nobody should be forced to publicly accept who they really are, steps should be taken to ensure that the support network is in place for anyone that wants too.

To think, like Phillip Lahm, that footballing society is not ready for a player to say "I'm a member of the LGBT community" is simply sweeping an issue under the carpet and hoping that somebody else will approach what is a difficult, but ultimately not impossible, subject.

As has been said before homosexuality in football remains the last taboo and until we all can stand up and acknowledge that something can be done about it, it will sadly - and wrongly - remain hidden away.

PRESS RELEASE: Lahm urges players not to come out

German international footballer Philipp Lahm, in his newly published autobiography “The Subtle Difference”, discusses homosexuality in football and ultimately concedes that gay players shouldn’t, at the present time, come out.

“I would not advise any gay professional footballer to come out,” he explains. “I would fear that he could end up like Justin Fashanu who, after he outed himself, was driven into such a corner that he ended up committing suicide.”

The Bayern Munich star’s comments are sure to provoke much debate, and the Justin Campaign would still hope that a gay player would feel able to be themselves and come out.

However, Lahm’s comments, while controversial, do raise the question – is football a comfortable and welcoming environment for LGBT players and fans?

Unfortunately, at this moment in time, the answer has to be no.

Thankfully the likes of The FA are now starting to properly tackle the issue, but for all parties concerned, there is still a long way to go.

Lahm himself made similar comments earlier this year, but his concerns are coming from the right place.

In 2008 from the Weimar Gay Triangle, a German LGBT rights organization, for his outspokenness against intolerance.

Therefore, however hard it may be to hear Lahm’s words, the Justin Campaign applauds the player for discussing the issue in public and adding an important voice to the debate.

It's what happens on the pitch what counts

Once again footballers in Germany seem to be taking the lead on the issue in homophobia on football.

Schalke and Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has urged homosexual footballers to stop hiding their sexuality.

The 24-year-old, who has been recently linked to Liverpool and Manchester United, told a German celebrity magazine that coming out would lift a great weight from gay players' shoulders.

He added the fans would soon accept it saying what matters is the performance delivered by a player.

Neuer's comments follow on from those of Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez last November.

Once again it is encouraging to see footballers speak positively about the issue.

The majority of players are actually very bright and aware of the wider world, contrary to popular belief.

More statements like this and both players and footballers alike will feel more comfortable with the fact that being LGBT is both fine and acceptable.

Must be something in the German water

German football has long been overlooked by fans in other countries.

Despite its national team reaching the later stages of a plethora of international competitions, its communal approach to ownership of teams, and reasonable admissions prices, supporters don't quite rate the Bundesliga as much as its English, Spanish or Italian counterpart.

Yet, the players in the German league seem way ahead of its more "glamorous" rivals in one area - that of LGBT inclusion.

For years Hamburg-based St Pauli have proved that it not only what happens on the field which makes a club great.

Behind the banner of a skull and crossbones and with its fan base of punks, prostitutes and political activists, it helped bring the anti-racism and anti-homophobia agenda to the footballing table.

But it is not just a small corner of Germany's second largest city which is promoting equality within the world's favourite sport.

Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez has urged gay colleagues to come out.

In an interview with celebrity magazine Bunte, the German international said homosexuality was treated as a "taboo topic" in mens' sports.

"They would then play as though they'd been unshackled," the 25-year-old added.

"We have a gay Vice-Chancellor, Berlin's mayor is gay - professional football players should commit to their inclination," Gomez said.

They are refreshing words to come from such a high-profile player.

After all this is the player who is a former German soccer player of the year, a player who is still revered in Stuttgart for his goals which brought the side the Bundesliga in 2006/7.

Much like Florent Malouda, the reasons for the statement from Gomez is open to debate.

To speculate on his motives would be to simply discredit what is a positive statement to promoting equality within the world's favourite sport.

What is not speculative is that Gomez has been extremely brave in making the comments.

Despite his position as an established international, he has yet to live up to his hefty price tag for Bayern Munich.

Bavaria is also not exactly known as a place of open liberal thought so quite how the fans at the Allianz Arena will greet them will be interesting to see.

What makes them braver is that they come after international teammate Tim Wiese warned in April that any gay player who revealed his sexuality would be ridiculed by "merciless fans".

Additionally, Bayern teammate Philipp Lahm told Playboy last year that the pressure would be too great for players to be openly homosexual.

While it is clear how we feel about this, the important thing is that in Germany they are actually having a debate.

This is sort of public discourse that needs to happen in every country as if people keep on shying away from something it will never fully be tackled.

For that we praise all those professionals who are actively discussing the issue in Germany. On this issue, much like the single currency, it appears the Germans are leading the way.

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