Spain's first openly gay referee receives death threats after returning to football

I though Spain was supposed to be tolerant, and accepting, and non-homophobic, and all that. They legalized gay marriage in 2005.

I will personally condole him and pay for his eyebrow waxing.

R1 I would assume the sentiments change when it comes to sports.

Cutie.

Changing laws does not change social and cultural attitudes. The laws may be different but the social abhorrence remains.

Some high profile Spanish sports stars need to come out in support of him and try to influence the public. Obviously soccer players would be great, but any Spanish sport stars would be helpful.

Nobody likes different!

R1 Interracial marriage was legal in 1967. That didn't stop couples getting racist taunts and ostracized by families.

R5 exactly. Changing marriage laws doesn't remove deeply ingrained homophobia that's been learned from freaking childhood

There's homophobia everywhere. And obviously football/soccer is notorious in Europe for hooligans looking for a fight during and after the matches. To my knowledge there's a Europe wide registry of the worst offenders who are denied entrance into the matches. Those hooligans are hardcore. I'm sure many right wingers just love to spread hate and violence wherever they can. If they love football it's a perfect arena for them. So no wonder he's been getting death threats.

Soccer's supporters are widely racist and homophobic.

They, though, not represent all the population, Thank God.

All referees routinely get death threats. Plenty get physically attacked during matches. Being gay is incidental to this; the fans would hate him regardless. He needs to toughen up or find a less dangerous sport to get involved with. Like skydiving.

This sport's fan base is largely Catholic, R1. People forget to make that connection.

Big cicites like Madrid, Barcelona are liberal, same thing in every country. He is cutie, beautiful eyes.

Spain's football supporters are amongst the worst, though. They're notorious for racism. And I suspect the death threats against this guy are particularly personal and targeted...and that he's getting way more than his colleagues.

R1, it is but this is football. The sport will always be homophobic. Doesn't matter what country. Football is still football.

R8, research has shown that there is a vey high acceptance in Spain for LGBT people.

I've only once been to a professional football match (I know, MARY!!) - I went with my brother in England in about 1996. The way people were abusing the referee whenever he got close to them was dumbfounding.

If you're going to put yourself in that situation, expect the worst.

(& why does a referee need to be 'out' - what's his sexuality got to do with anything?)

R17, why not be out? Those who have the courage to come out are the ones paving the way for the rest of us.

I'm certainly not militant about outing people and don't generally mind the closet at all. However I totally salute those who come out when they know they'll be facing harassment and hate. It takes courage.

He has wonderful eyebrows - amazing even. I'd love to see a full frontal both with and without erection ...

He's gotta have a decent bush.

If SJWs stopped navel gazing and travelled a bit they would realize in America and Canada and the UK we have it pretty goddamned good. If you're gay and you like to travel, you know where you're better off spending your time and money.

At least Spain has gotten this far. It's macho Catholic country after all.

Spain's a great place to be gay and the men are gorgeous ... I think Canada is amazing gay friendly (the big cities anyway). Parts of Europe are wonderful like Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.

[quote]. I'd love to see a full frontal both with and without erection ...

Does he do instagram?

I think this is very relevant.

Next stop gay porn ....

R23 check R4

Spain actually is one of the most gay accepting countries in the world, polling has shown that multiple times.

This proves the point though, even in a country that is doing better than anywhere else on homophobia, look at how much homophobia still exists. Especially in the world of sports as we see.

Even in the most tolerant nations, there are at least hundreds of thousands of Antigay people, if not millions. New York City is overall gay-friendly, but people get gay bashed there frequently.

Soccer is the big hetero male fantasy that is why

His instagram pics are awful. Full of endless vain selfies, including in bed with his BF...no wonder the football crowd don't go for it.

What? Datalounge says only blacks and Muslims are homophobic. There is just no way that he received homophobic threats from white Europeans.

No, it's the actions of blacks and muslims that make them appear to be homophobic, R30. But you can tell yourself whatever you like if it helps you sleep at night.

Also, "muslims" should not be capitalized.

The posters who say that Catholicism is the cause of homophobia in Spanish football have no fucking clue.

R22 = Rick Steves

R32 Are you fucking kidding? All of the nations that participate in the blatant homophobic chants are CATHOLIC. They let that so-called-virgin mary shit get to their heads.

R26 Polling aside Spain still has a Latin, Roman Catholic,macho culture. Spain has made great strides in the legalization of gay marriage however cultural prejudice still lingers in the background.

Uh, going to Madrid or Barcelona for a 3 day circuit party, doesnt make any of you experts on the country. You're laughable.

Suburban, small town & rural Spain are still conservative & that includes at least implicit homophobia. Yes, Catholic traditions play a big role

Soccer games bring out the worst in all Europeans. Even the tolerant Dutch have riots at their matches

[quote]Soccer games bring out the worst in all Europeans

And LATIN AMERICANS.

Sports and religion are similar in their tribal fanaticism and heteronormativity.

R4 You picked his worst photo.

Sharpie(R) is donating 120 cases of black markers so that he can maintain his eyebrow-and-beard maintenance for the duration of this threat.

R31, what?! That makes no sense. Have you ever been to a football match? I have. The people are mostly white (at least here in Europe). You do know whites can be homophobic too, right? I mean just look at Russia for christ's sake. It's an Orthodox Christian white nation and it's one of the most homophobic in Europe.

R31 = parochial American, Trump supporter. Has no idea how the world at large looks like. Not even the stereotypes of the different countries and their populations he understands. European soccer fans are human scum; they're working class losers who use their sports fandom to pretend they're vikings, or whatever is the symbol for outdated masculinity in their respective country. Even the UK, which is more of a PC nation than Spain, has many - oh so many - fans like those. And they're white; soccer hooliganism is a white problem.

If Latin people are white, R42 then I guess you're right. They would be considered "reds" I guess, but we'll lump them together.

^^ Oh Jesus, are we going to have yet another discussion about the colors & races in Latin America?

R44 I continually forget that none of the people in the Americas are indigenous. Silly me.

Why even bring that up in this thread? This is about a referee in Spain.

Okay then, I see, because it's sports, it's homophobic. That's just the way it is.

Alrighty then, so, just beat him up.

He's cute. I know that merely being on Instagram is narcissistic to a degree, but he seems more down-to-earth than your typical IG-obsessed A-gay wannabe.

He's very cute. I think Spaniards are very handsome. I've been to several cities in Spain and I've seen gay male couples holding hands in the park and in the streets. No one gave a stink about it. It was beautiful to witness.

r12, the vicious homophobia of European soccer fans is fueled by masculinity not religion. They are very secular but they still hate homosexuality because it is unmanly.

Here is an interview with a closeted gay soccer fan in the white secularist "utopia" of the Netherlands:

I swear, you racist 'mos are such pathetic losers. I've got news for you assholes: You'd hear actual homophobic chants at stadiums full of white English people.

Some of you are just so stupid and in denial when it comes to homophobia.

[quote]I though Spain was supposed to be tolerant, and accepting, and non-homophobic, and all that. They legalized gay marriage in 2005.

Are you 12? What does that have to be futbol? In freaking Spain?

^^to do with^^

Its sad the violent rhetoric and homophobia he has been subjected to.

[quote]Its sad the violent rhetoric and homophobia he has been subjected to.

He still posts pics of himself snogging his BF in bed, so he can't mind too much.

Even if you're a straight referee I doubt this is a very good idea.

He's vain and attention seeking.

If his eyebrows are that bushy, I can only imagine how hairy his hole must be!

Ironically, Americans think soccer itself is unmanly

[quote]If his eyebrows are that bushy, I can only imagine how hairy his hole must be!

You sure he hasn't posted a pic? Check his Instagram.

I assumed he was a top - he's into football, is Spanish, and doesn't have gayface. But his instagram is full of selfies and his boyfriend is a hound, so obviously he isn't. Which is disappointing.

The queens insisting that Catholicism is the root of homophobia in soccer have obviously never set foot in a soccer stadium. ...or maybe they have but only for a Madonna / Gaga concert.

[quote]He still posts pics of himself snogging his BF in bed, so he can't mind too much.

Or maybe he's just trying to give his persecutors the middle finger, even if he's feeling hurt. Maybe posting about his BF soothes his anxiety, etc.

[quote]Even if you're a straight referee I doubt this is a very good idea.

Straights never worry about self-censoring their PDA, whether they're also referees or not

[quote]He's vain and attention seeking.

And you're a 60 year old fag who wished he had a guy looking like him to snuggle with. You don't, so you lash out.

[quote]And you're a 60 year old fag

Yeah...I was enjoying your replies until this one.

[quote]The queens insisting that Catholicism is the root of homophobia in soccer have obviously never set foot in a soccer stadium. ...or maybe they have but only for a Madonna / Gaga concert.

Whuh? If Spain is predominately Catholic and football is the dominate sport and Catholicism is notoriously anti-gay (like every other religious cult) that would make Catholicism the root of homophobia in Spain. That would include soccer.

What does actually setting foot in a soccer stadium have to do with anything? That's just common sense. Religion is the root of homophobia.

[quote]And you're a 60 year old fag

Oh, dear.

[quote] who wished he had a guy looking like him to snuggle with. You don't, so you lash out.

Can't see anyone wanting to 'snuggle up' with you, dearie.

The worst homophobes are the self-loathing queens.

I'm an out homosexual and I worked in a homophobic workplace for a several years and it was very stressful. I can only imagine what this guy is going through. But it has to start somewhere and I admire him. There has to be a first openly gay referee, and a few more openly gay soccer players and things slowly start to get more normal. I admire this referee for putting himself in this position. I'm sure he is getting shit from all sides - but I'm sure he is also getting a lot of support ...

Jackie Robinson was the first black player in Major League Baseball. He put up with a tremendous amount of harassment and hatred from other players and from those that attended the games. I'm not trying to compare these to guys - Jackie Robinson was an amazing person, very classy with great strength. But they both were "firsts" and there are some similarities in the situation.

I see the conversation on race has emerged so I will say this. most of black homophobia has to do with protecting black masculinity, and not so much hatred. That masculinity may be flawed but in a heteronormative society this has very strong implications for the blame male wanting to fit in and ultimately succeed, proving to white america that he is normal. A white parent might say to a gay child, you have everything going for you why choose this, on the contrary black parents would say, "you have everything going AGAINST you, why choose this.

Sexy cubs! I hope he stays safe.

r66 - garbage drivel

Football (soccer) is Europe's Hip-Hop culture.

R64 derpity derpity derp

[quote]R31 = parochial American, Trump supporter. Has no idea how the world at large looks like

& you can't even write basic English.

You're a clumsy, illiterate mess.

R55/R64/R71 trounces a young gay man who's being bullied, then tearfully cries victim when she gets called an old faggot, which is what she is.

[quote] an old faggot, which is what she is.

Is that really the best you can do?

R 63, China is infinitely more homophobic than Spain, is it because of Catholicism?

India is infinitely more homophobic than Spain, is Catholicism the root of it too?

You have no fucking clue about what causes homophobia in soccer or sports in general.

Thanks r50, good short. But ugly, guttural language, Dutch. Also, blacks are prominently featured as hooligans in the animation when everyone familiar with Europe knows there are almost no black hooligans in European football. It's 99.9% white

Courage is rare. Bravo!

Of the first ten countries around the world to legalise gay marriage, most were (at least nominally) Catholic:

1. The Netherlands - 2000

2. Belgium - 2003 (Catholic)

3. Spain - 2005 (Catholic)

4. Canada - 2005

5. South Africa - 2006

6. Norway - 2008

7. Sweden - 2009

8. Portugal - 2010 (Catholic) - Supported by the most famous living Portuguese person on the planet, Cristiano Ronaldo, long before it became fashionable for celebrities, let alone athletes, to do so.

9. Iceland - 2010

10. Argentina - 2010 (Catholic)

Ironically, the most secular nominally Catholic country, France, is where same-sex marriage faced it's stiffest resistance in Europe, with mass demonstrations against and even riots until the law was finally stubbornly forced through by President Hollande in 2013 just two months before Protestant Britain. Italy is expected to officially approve same-sex unions later in 2016 leaving Germany as the only one of the 5 major Western European countries not to sanction same-sex marriage.

Truth is, referees are the most hated people in football and get the worst of the abuse.

These surveys showing high support for gay people in the Western world should be taken with a grain of salt, for two reasons. 1) They're marred by social desirability bias. 2) When people are asked to describe their attitudes to gay people, that means gay people of both sexes, male and female. We can assume, based on evidence, that their attitudes to lesbians are more favorable than to gay men. So, when a poll, such as the one at R15, shows that 55% of Spaniards are "gay-friendly" (not an impressive percentage, fwiw), we can assume the percentage who are friendly to gay men specifically is lower still. And as we know, hostility to gay people is expressed more harshly to gay men than to gay women.

[quote] Of the first ten countries around the world to legalise gay marriage, most were (at least nominally) Catholic:

Your list shows that 4 out of 10 are Catholic - not "most".

Also, r79, people lie to appear more modern. Most racists don't even acknowledge being racist in polls.

R81 Yes, that is covered in reason 1), social desirability bias.

R31, my iPhone automatically capitalizes Muslim so have fun with that "win".

Oops. I honestly didn't see it r82 Lol.

[quote]The posters who say that Catholicism is the cause of homophobia in Spanish football have no fucking clue.

Correct. Catholicism has long been losing its influence over Spanish culture since Franco died in '75 to the point that it is essentially disregarded in everyday life. After the civil war, church attendance was practically mandated and enforced. My father was a young teen in rural Spain during this time. He recalled having to get up extra early to do farm chores because he had to be at church by 7:00 a.m. The local authorities checked. (I'm sure it varied from area to area). A lot of people harbored enormous resentment against the church for getting extremely cozy with the Fascists.

About 20% of Spaniards identify themselves as atheist or agnostic; not believing in a god doesn't have the same social stigma it does in the holy rolling U.S. Church attendance is super low. Basically, the only regular attenders are old ladies. Think of the Fox News crowd minus their husbands.

R50 has it right. Virulent homophobia is associated with misdirected masculinity. It should be added that it's also associated with right-wing fascist groups across Europe that are typically known as "ultras.." Barcelona banned Boixes Nois from Camp Nou. Ultras Sur are still welcome in Santiago Bernabeu. Ultras Sur members are associated with all sorts of criminality and violence and have been subject to undercover investigations by undercover police.

When you think of soccer hooligans,, the closest comparison in the U.S. would be the most extreme Trump supporters.

Always a thread killer.

The idea that gay women are more accepted than gay men seem to come from amerixan or anglo cultures were usually straight men consider watching lesbian porn to be a very manly thing to do.

As a cuban guy with spanish roots, I can assure you that in latin america, spain, portugal and italy being a lesbian is far worse than being ga. Moreover, the idea that two girls having sex is sexy is not something that latino straight guys like very much, even the idea of women (or even guys) using sex toys is a strong taboo for latin hets.

When I went to cuba this last summer, some gay friends had some contacts who sell them porn videos which they get from the internet, becuase in cuba if people want to watch porn, they have to buy them from people with access to the internet. My friend buy their gay pirn vids from those suppliers. Well, the seller I met, was a closeted bi guy open only in gay circles, and he showed us his whole collection of porn videos.He had everything you could imagine in porn except pedophilia and interestingly, no lesbian porn videos either.

So out of curiousity, I asked him why he didn't have lesbian porn and he told me nobody buys them and they are not in demand, so sellers do not waste their expensive and often illegal internet connection downloading lesbian porn to sell them out. He also told me that he sells a lot of bisexual and transexual videos to straight guys. So, the idea that lesbians having sex is hot is mostly an anglo thing in my opinion.

I would rather live in the most conservative of the spanish towns than in the bible belt with the Christian fundies.

Amen, R68. at least there wouldn't be a sheriff's posse on your hind end.

R77, same sex UNIONS are not the same as same sex MARRIAGE.

R79, it's more than 55 %, you just don't know how to read the poll.

R87, sorry I just don't buy it. Lesbians are FAR more accepted in society than gay men. Just look at tv.. the lesbian characters get to kiss and have sex, unlike the gay male characters who are always neutered and barely get any screen time. Gay love is still taboo that's why you see so little of it on tv. Don't even get me started on all the openly lesbian athletes, actors, musicians etc compared to the openly gay male actors, athletes and musicians. It's clearly much harder to be an openly gay male if you want a successful career.

In most of latin american countries and southern Europe there aren't many open lesbians, becuase lesbianism is very frown upon. Movies and tv shows are not reality. Being called maricon is not as bad as when a woman is called tortillera. Most of the open famous lesbians are from anglo countries. When a woman comes out as a lesbian in latin countries, they are considered a rarity. This is also the reason why in those countries it is very common to see sissy gay men on tv shows who are very successful but you do not see butch lesbians given the same opportunities. Morever, the number of straight people who like to watch romantic gay themed movies are greater than those who like romantic lesbian ones, this is the reason why we do not see more straight female actors in lesbian roles. We might see the occasional sex between two women on a movie, but usually the characters do not have a loving relationship. Even in Asian socities gay movies are more popular and accepted than lesbian ones. Lesbians in latin countries are denied romantic and sexual relationships on a daily basis, nonetheless latin society more readily acknowledges that two men can have loving relationship.

In latin america and southern Europe, macho attitudes abound but these are really matriarchal societies to the core, and mothers are typically more accepting and supportive of gay sons than lesbian daughters.

Just looked up [italic]tortillera[/italic]—apparently Latinos think the sound of slapping out tortillas resembles the sound of tacos bumping.

As a Brazilian I can tell everyone R87/R93 is bullshitting. It's much easier to be a lesbian than a gay man where I am. There's not a week we don't listen about a brutal homophobic attack, and the victims are always gay men, [italic]never[/italic] lesbians.

Whether in Brazil or Spain, present attitudes towards lesbians x gay men in Latin America and Iberia are very similar to what you have in Anglosphere. Polls show that. Psychology studies show that. The news show that. This isn't a surprise. Latin and Anglo countries don't inhabit such vastly different cultural landscapes as you make it out to be. The same movies that make blockbusters there, tend to be successful here, too. The same singers that are popular with your youth, are beloved by ours. So, the same cultural products that, in Anglo societies, have elevated female homosexuality to the status of a normal and [italic]mainstream[/italic] sexual expression for women, those same modern, liberal TV series and songs that have argued so successfully about how pleasurable lesbianism is and how kickass gay women are, while leaving gay men out in the cold, have been eagerly consumed in Latin countries, too.

To the people trying to question the facts. 88% of Spaniards think society should accept homosexuality.

Only 60% of Americans answered the same way in their poll. 76% of Britons.

Yes, in spite of all these silly arguments about Catholicism or machismo, all the polling data we have indicates that Spain is one of the most gay friendly nations in the world.

95-baby im cuban and I know first hand the attitudes towards gays and lesbians in latin america and spain. the majority of attacks are against transexuals and crossgenders, I have been to brazil and have talked with a lot of brazilians there and in miami and they arrive to the same conclusion that lesbians have it worse than gays when it comes to social treatment and job opportunities. Not too long ago a lesbian was killed in colombia by straight guys.

Latin americans are not as homophobic as they are "sissyphobic".

In the canary islands they even have a festival with drag queens so popular with straights that it is shown on tv every year.

How many open famous lesbians are out? Very few.

In latin america and spain, gays are often view as well off, profesionals and they do have a certain "prestige", lesbians on the other hand, are regarded as trouble makers, and a lot of other negative stereotypes.

The fetishism with lesbians acts is mainly propagated by the porn industry as a macho thing but socially, lesbians, especially the butch ones, are very discriminated.

[quote]mothers are typically more accepting and supportive of gay sons than lesbian daughters.

You could argue that they are more supportive of sons in general.

BF

Bump

He is fat now.

Spanish men are my weakness so, nothing but dirty thoughts going on over here.