In most of the world, it’s called football; in the U.S., it’s called soccer. No matter. The sport is internationally popular, and many players are national heroes. There have always been gay players, but many have hidden that fact because there continues to be homophobia in this sport, especially among males. Among females? Not so much.
Homophobia refers to more than simply intolerance for gays. There is a large swath of sexualities that are probably represented but misunderstood in the sporting world. Players, coaches, and managers should visit Taimi, the LGBTQ dating site, read some of its resource articles, and gain a much better perspective on this community. They are people who come from all career fields with the same goals and aspirations as those in the “straight” world.
Here are five well-known soccer greats who have come out as gay and the impact it had on their lives and careers.
Justin Fashanu
Fashanu began his career at age 17 in the UK. Over two seasons, he made 40 goals in 103 contests, including an amazing strike against Liverpool – a strike which earned him the BBC Goal of the Season award in 1980.
His skill and talent earned him a £1 million contract with Nottingham Forest FC in 1980.
Things didn’t go well at Nottingham Forest. Fashanu frequented gay bars, and rumors began to fly. The team manager eventually banned him from training with the team. Fashanu’s performance suffered, and he ended his career in 1982.
Fashanu came out to a British newspaper, The Sun, the first gay British soccer to do so. He authored a book, Stonewall 25, hoping to change viewpoints. The fallout wasn’t good – the black community turned on him, and his brother, a soccer player himself, tried to pay him off to just shut up. He committed suicide in 1998, at age 37.
Robbie Rogers
Rogers played for both the U.S. and the UK during his career and was a part of the US Olympic team in 2008.
Rogers states he knew he was gay at age 14 but felt he had to hide this if he intended to play. So, he dated girls. He also relates how all of the locker room slurs about gays, made him ashamed and fearful.
Finally, in 2013, he mustered up the courage, first coming out to his family via emails, while living in the UK, and later, publicly, via an Instagram post. He then retired from soccer, happily surprised that his family, friends, and fans were all supportive.
Casey Stoney
The professional and personal life of Casey Stoney, a famous female soccer player, serves as a reminder that female gays have an easier time in this sport with their sexuality. Stoney was both a player and a manager during her later career, never being stigmatized for being gay. She retired from soccer in 2021, not because of her personal life but because she had a string of losing seasons, and in any major sport, owners are pretty unforgiving.
Stoney came out as gay in 2014 at the height of her career, and no one thought much of it – she suffered none of the harassment and disdain that male players did. And in 2012, Toney was named on the UK newspaper, The Guardian’s list of 50 of the most influential lesbian and gay Brits.
Stoney does keep her private life pretty private. But she has revealed that she is in a long-term relationship with a former teammate, Megan Harris. They have three children.
David Testo
Testo was a soccer star both in high school and college, and, in fact, helped his University of North Carolina team to an NCAA championship during his junior year. After graduation, he played for two U.S. teams and was released in 2005. He then signed on with the Vancouver Whitecaps and played the rest of his career in Canada finishing with Montreal in 2011
He publicly came out in an interview with a Canadian radio station but stated at the time that his family, friends, and teammates all knew and were supportive.
Testo was the first American soccer player to come out. Since his retirement, he appeared in a documentary film about homophobia in sports and is also on the Advisory Board for You Can Play, a campaign focused on fighting homophobia, especially in sports.
Thomas Hitzlsperger
A German midfielder from 2001-2013, Hitzlsperger played for both national and international clubs. He retired rather early because of injuries. Since 2019, he has been the CEO of one of the largest German clubs – VfB Stuttgart.
Hitzlsperger recalls that he had a long relationship with a woman which he broke off in 2007. By 2010, he knew that he was gay, and it was not an easy path to come out – to family and friends first. Finally, in 2014, he made a public announcement during an interview with the newspaper, Die Zeit. To his relief, he received acceptance and support within the German soccer community.
Acceptance of gay athletes within their sports continues to grow, though many, especially men, still live in shame and fear. Everyone needs to realize that athletic skill and talent come in all sizes, colors, and sexualities.