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
Human rights in Northern Cyprus homosexuality was still criminalised in northern Cyprus until January 2014, while anti-homosexuality legislation formerly in effect in the Republic of Cyprus was repealed following a 1993 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights ("Modinos v. Cyprus"). On 27 January 2014 Turkish Cypriot deputies passed an amendment repealing a colonial-era law that punished homosexual acts with up to five years in prison by a new Criminal Code. It was the last territory in Europe to decriminalise sexual relations between consenting, adult men. In response to the vote, Paulo Corte-Real from the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, a