BOTINERAS

[masonville]

Thanks to massusa for the inspiration

Feel free to justify or support your selection by commenting on how openly gay relationships are viewed in your geographic location

For those who dont follow BOTINERAS, Flaco and Lalo are two Argentinian gay athletes (soccer/football) who are in the closet because of fear that their careers will be destroyed if their homosexuality becomes public knowledge.

Can soccer/football players be openly gay and continue playing?

Is being gay more acceptable in other sports?

Thanks for participating!

[gm]

I'd vote for soap footie culture because anything is possible in soap world. I think they could pull out the outing/coming out reasonably well (with at least one of them staying active) if they really tried.

In real life I tend towards answering none and with each passing year I am less and less optimistic, but since it never happened who knows... we might be surprised.

[Flaco&Lalo]

I voted for the last option too, sadly the football/soccer world seems not to be ready yet to accept openly gay players, even in the most liberal countries of Northern Europe (the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden etc..) out sportsmen are a rarity and it's not a phenomenon restricted to this discipline unfortunately..

I think the main reason is that in team sports the camaraderie in the locker room is an essential factor for the success and the cohesion of a team and openly homosexual players would be a "disturbing factor" in this context, I'm also not optimistic that we'll experience changes soon..

Regarding Botineras: I hope the writers will be brave with the Manuel's and Lalo's storyline, fiction often precedes reality

[valso]

Voted for the last option.
I really can't see them being able to be out and proud in a country like mine (Italy), where soccer is some sort of sacred cult. Just an example yesterday inter footbal club won the 2010 italian league and this morning the first thing I saw entering my usually coffee shop was a gigantic flag hung in the middle of the room and the bartender (a girl!) was proudly wearing the football club tshirt plus an hairband with the colors of the team. I think this can give an idea of how serious (edging on the fanatic side) soccer is considerd in some countries.

[masonville]

May 10, 2010 15:18:23 GMT -5 Flaco&Lalo said:

I think the main reason is that in team sports the camaraderie in the locker room is an essential factor for the success and the cohesion of a team and openly homosexual players would be a "disturbing factor" in this context, I'm also not optimistic that we'll experience changes soon..

Then we better hope that the old guard soccer homophobes dont see the scenes of Flaco and Lalo kissing naked in the showers whilst another team-mate looks on in shock unbeknownst to them

[HQ75]

I chose Australia because Australia has an active anti-homophobia campaign in sports and has done for years.

There are tons of Australian footballers and ruggers who would be supportive. And there is a national campaign against bullying.

There is no place in the world where it would be all sunshine and roses (homophobia is everywhere) but having the institutional support is crucial and they'd have it in Australia.

I think in any profession it would be hard to work on the same "team" as your spouse/lover so that would probably be the bigger difficulty.

[masonville]

WHAT IS MENS SOCCER / FOOTBALL

It's a game of balls...men in shorts chase the(ir) balls...other men protect the(ir) balls...men with striped / brightly-colored shirts whistle and throw flags at men playing with the(ir) balls...men score by putting the(ir) balls into other men's goalmouth....

Why all the homophobia?

[gaby]

IL y a un film qui passe à la télévision française la semaine prochaine "Esprit d'équipe", ca parle d'un footballer qui fait son coming-out, il paraît que ce n'est pas impérissable mais il a le mérite d'exister.

Je met le lien allociné pour info : www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=111209.html

Je remercie si quelqu'un veut bien traduire.

[masonville]

Hey gaby, I reviewed the information on "Esprit d'équipe". Thank you for posting it. This film was not very well received as a sports comedy or social satire because it did not show sufficient soccer scenes and was felt to be rather simplistic in it's approach toward prejudice and homophobia.

I found another film with a similar premise. It's a 2004 German production "Männer wie wir" / Guys and Balls (the English title). It follows a gay goalkeeper (Ecki) who is thrown off his soccer team when his orientation is discovered and his attempts to form his own squad consisting of 11 homosexual players. Along the way he discovers love (with Sven), acceptance (from his father) and fulfilment as his new team defeats his old homophobic team.

Here's a trailer / music video which summarizes the plot and there's a niiiiiice scene on the elevator between Ecki and Sven for those who are patient ...
I'm torn between posting this here, in BOTINERAS or in the Short Film Forum of this board,
since I usually post in BOTINERAS, I'll post it here <---- people should venture out of their "usual sections" ;D



The World Cup starts in a matter of days .... just think of the possibilities...and opportunities

[gaby]

Hey masonville,

I saw this film ""Männer wie wir" / Guys and Balls (the English title)" to.

I sorry for my english. I don't know speak and write well.

In Paris, there are a football club "Paris gay football club". They was with big problem, last winter, with other teams.

parisfootgay.free.fr/

bye

[masonville]

Hockey shoots and scores with this
PSA

[masonville]

Let's hear it for the girls!

[masonville]

The times, they are a-changing ....