Product Description
In 1998, Justin Fashanu, the world's first openly gay professional footballer, took his own life in tragic circumstances. In the aftermath of Fashanu's death, and as attitudes within society as a whole have changed, issues surrounding homosexuality and homophobia in football have emerged as a talking point within sections of the media and in the sport itself. More specifically, a focus has been placed on the lack of openly gay, male professional footballers who are currently active in the sport. In addition, clubs, players, governing bodies, the media and supporters have faced increased scrutiny for the way they approach the topic of homosexuality within the game.
In 2005, while researching the implications of the Civil Partnerships Act, HM Treasury and the Department of Trade and Industry concluded that 6% of the population of the United Kingdom should be classed as gay; one in every 16.6 people and an estimated 3.5 million people in total. As of 2012, there are over 4,000 professional footballers currently playing the game in England alone. Despite this, there are currently no openly gay professional footballers in the country and there have not been any since Fashanu.
However, to suggest that this issue is exclusive to English football would be drastically wide of the mark. In actual fact, this complete lack of openly gay professional players can be observed throughout all of the top professional football leagues across the world.
'A Culture of Silence' tells the story of football's problematic relationship with homosexuality and of the homophobia that, unquestionably, still plagues the sport.
In 2005, while researching the implications of the Civil Partnerships Act, HM Treasury and the Department of Trade and Industry concluded that 6% of the population of the United Kingdom should be classed as gay; one in every 16.6 people and an estimated 3.5 million people in total. As of 2012, there are over 4,000 professional footballers currently playing the game in England alone. Despite this, there are currently no openly gay professional footballers in the country and there have not been any since Fashanu.
However, to suggest that this issue is exclusive to English football would be drastically wide of the mark. In actual fact, this complete lack of openly gay professional players can be observed throughout all of the top professional football leagues across the world.
'A Culture of Silence' tells the story of football's problematic relationship with homosexuality and of the homophobia that, unquestionably, still plagues the sport.
