This year’s Women’s World Cup in Canada will showcase elite players from across the globe, many of whom in the competition will for the first time be paid a wage (of sorts) to train and compete professionally.
While the men’s professional game has been reluctant to be fully inclusive and supportive of anyone within the game who identifies as LGBT its generally regarded that football is much more accepting of women who are lesbian or bisexual. But exactly how true is this?
With society in general a little more accepting of homosexuality these days, players are out to team mates, coaches and managers in numbers compared to say 10-15 years ago. But still very few playing at the highest level are out and proud publicly meaning they can be seen as much needed role models for young people to look up to and aspire too.
Asking why this is, we at Just A Ball Game? (JBG?) have been given a number of reasons. Some state it’s a non-issue, some are ‘out’ to their team but not to family members or friends, some are not out to work colleagues, some still fear being vocal about sexuality will affect endorsements or chances of being selected for team or country. Others quiet simply want to keep their private life just so, and others see a need to protect partners or family from bigotry or abuse.
In celebration of those women’s players who have spoken to the media openly about their sexuality, here at JBG? we have produced a double sided poster of 14 players and a coach who will feature for their International sides in the tournament in Canada all of whom are OUT, PROUD and KICKING.
