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Updated July 11th, 2020 at 12:38 IST

Gay PL player pens open letter, says team or manager 'wouldn't understand' his sexuality

A gay Premier League footballer has penned an open letter to his fans & team, opening up about the ordeal that he was facing for not disclosing his sexuality

Reported by: Koushik Narayanan
Gay
| Image:self
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A gay Premier League footballer has penned an open letter to his fans and his team, opening up about the ordeal that he was facing as a result of not being able to disclose his sexuality to his teammates. The unnamed player, in an open letter, wrote, “I am gay. Even writing that down in this letter is a big step for me. But only my family members and a select group of friends are aware of my sexuality. I don’t feel ready to share it with my team or my manager.” The unnamed player's letter came to light after the Justin Fashanu Foundation, working against racism and homophobia in football, revealed the letter to the media in order to highlight the struggles faced by such players. 

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'Absolute nightmare'

Terming it an absolute nightmare, the unnamed player recounted the horror of having to live each day without disclosing the details of his sexuality and said that it took a toll on his mental health. The footballer said that he feels trapped and that he is scared of disclosing the truth as it could make things worse. The PFA and the FA offered 'their full support' to the player and expressed their 'willingness' to work alongside any player who chooses to come out. 

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“I am gay. Even writing that down in this letter is a big step for me.

"But only my family members and a select group of friends are aware of my sexuality. I don’t feel ready to share it with my team or my manager.”

“How does it feel having to live like this? Day-to-day, it can be an absolute nightmare. And it is affecting my mental health more and more.

“I feel trapped and my fear is disclosing the truth about what I am will only make things worse.”

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It is pertinent to point out that there are no openly Gay or bisexual footballers in the UK at present. Justin Fashanu, Britan's first Gay footballer, took his own life in 1998, just eight years after disclosing his sexuality. Justin Fashanu foundation is run by the late footballer's younger brother Amal, whose aim is to help footballers battling racism and homophobia in the UK. 

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Image credits: AP / Twitter / Representative image

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Published July 11th, 2020 at 12:38 IST

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