Homosexuality in English football Homosexuality in English football Homosexuality in English football is sometimes said to be a taboo subject by both players and the media. As of 2012, there are no openly gay footballers in England's top four divisions. Some, such as Peter Clayton, who chairs the FA's "Homophobia in Football" working group have argued that clubs prevent players from "coming out" as footballers have an increasing commercial market value which may be damaged. Homosexuality in England and Wales (but not Scotland or Northern Ireland) was decriminalised in 1967, leading to a more liberal public attitude. There are many openly gay politicians and
Homosexuality in sports in the United States 2002, the National Gay Flag Football League was founded. Homosexuality in sports in the United States Historically the United States has not embraced openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) athletes. The study of the relationship between sports and homosexuality did not emerge until around the 1990s, when Brian Pronger and Michael Messner began interviewing athletes about their views on homosexuality. Neither researcher was able to find a male athlete who was openly gay and active competitors in both individual and team sports. They suggested that it was not that there were no such athletes during this period in time,