Lower Smith's racism/homophobic comment?

Quoted from MarinerWY

Yeah, and in 2021 there's no openly gay professional footballers in England just cause we're all being too sensitive and imagining homophobia...

Why do gay people have to come out and announce their sexuality? Isn't that in itself homophobic? We don't expect heterosexual people to publicly announce their sexuality. They should be able to do what they want and get on with it.

I heard the homophobic “F” word being shouted at Wealdstone on Tuesday night by a Town “fan”. I was about 80% certain who it came from- an old bloke stood about 5-10 yards to my left (I was in the last seat of the seating section behind the goal).

Unfortunately we have a history of discriminatory language being chanted at BP. Until a few years ago a Town employee used to enjoy, encourage & sometimes mimic a composer as some Town “fans” chanted “G***” at him as we walks in front of the Pontoon. I know for 100% fact that this was reported to Kick it Out and the club had to put a plan in place (the employee in question walked behind the Pontoon instead) to stop it happening again.

I would hope the new owners will put out a very strongly word statement making clear that the club is for the entire Grimsby Town community & anyone who shouts discriminatory abuse like I heard at Wealdstone & like clearly happened yesterday in the Lower Youngs will be banned for life.

I heard the PA system anti-discrimination message clearly in the Pontoon. And some cretins even booed it. Thankfully this encouraged the majority (ie decent people) to applaud the message.

Can I please encourage anyone who feels fit to boo the taking on the knee, makes excuses for yesterday’s incident and booed the anti-discrimination message on the PA system to f*** off and find something else to do at 3PM on a Saturday because you are not welcome at Grimsby Town.

And I’ve scanned through this thread and there are a few on here that I would extend that message too.

[quote=552]I heard the homophobic “F” word being shouted at Wealdstone on Tuesday night by a Town “fan”. I was about 80% certain who it came from- an old bloke stood about 5-10 yards to my left

So did you question what he said ?

If someone kept shouting faggo.t at me I really wouldn’t be that upset by it . Definitely wouldn’t go running to a steward and report it .

Quoted from DB

Pot kettle black Tarmac colour

Please clarify?

Quoted from dapperz fun pub

[quote=552]I heard the homophobic “F” word being shouted at Wealdstone on Tuesday night by a Town “fan”. I was about 80% certain who it came from- an old bloke stood about 5-10 yards to my left

So did you question what he said ?

Question it? It’s an offensive word used as a term of abuse. What is there to question.

You are part of the problem if you think it needs questioning rather than condemning unequivocally and stamping out.

Quoted from pen penfras

Why do gay people have to come out and announce their sexuality? Isn't that in itself homophobic? We don't expect heterosexual people to publicly announce their sexuality. They should be able to do what they want and get on with it.

Heterosexual footballers don’t feel the need to pretend to be something they’re not every day of their life. Clearly we are a long way from the point where gay footballers can just ‘get on with it.’ Just because them coming out isn’t important to you it doesn’t mean it’s not important to them.

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

If someone kept shouting faggo.t at me I really wouldn’t be that upset by it . Definitely wouldn’t go running to a steward and report it .

It’s not really about what’s offensive to you though, is it?

Quoted from GollyGTFC

Question it? It’s an offensive word used as a term of abuse. What is there to question.

You are part of the problem if you think it needs questioning rather than condemning unequivocally and stamping out.

So you let it happen ..it’s you not calling it out that’s the problem. Reporting it on a msg board wont stop anything going up to the guy and saying leave it out might have done

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

If someone kept shouting faggo.t at me I really wouldn’t be that upset by it . Definitely wouldn’t go running to a steward and report it .

What if the fan stood next to you was gay? Or maybe the fan stood next to you had a gay child? You don’t think that would be offensive to them? Who are you more concerned about? The cretin who shouted the homophobic term or the gay Town fans who witness this sort of thing happening and either suffer in silence or have just stopped coming to games?

And this is ultimately why I (and the majority) support and applaud taking the knee. I used to think me not being racist but staying silent was enough. But it isn’t. Showing solidarity & vocal/active support to oppose discrimination is needed if these vile, nasty people are going to be silenced. The political climate has emboldened racist and homophobics and that needs reversing.

Nobody is perfect. You learn. When I was younger I used to join in with Peter Sutcliffe related songs as I thought it was harmless fun. I think it was the 30th anniversary of Peter Sutcliffe being caught that I saw a documentary on TV which featured Richard McCann who’s mother, Wilma, was murdered by Sutcliffe. He spoke with dignity about what Sutcliffe did to him and his family. The penny dropped for me. Why would I think chanting about a man who caused untold misery to countless people would be funny?

But I guess that’s the difference between decent people and people like those who shamed our club at Wealdstone and yesterday. If you’re open minded to be proved wrong and open minded to improve as a person you can become a kinder and better person. People who aren’t bothered because the homophobic/racial slur doesn’t effect them are little better than the scum who shouted the abuse. its simple empathy for people who are different to you.