In a recently released anonymous letter, a second gay footballer has stepped forward about his sexuality.
The eye-opening statement was initially sent to the Justin Fashanu Foundation, as first reported by The Sun.
The foundation was created in honour of Justin Fashanu, one of the world’s first openly gay football players. He took his own life in 1998 after battling damning reports and abuse for his sexual identity.
In the letter, the footballer opens up about his sexuality, stating: “I’ve known since the age of 14 but even then as a teenager, I knew the two things could not go hand in hand. ”
He continued: “So I stayed quiet for years. playing football helped massively.”
The unnamed person is an active player in the Premier League.
He also stated that while society has evolved when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, the league hasn’t, writing: “Those running it needs to put more measures in place so that gay players know they will get the support they need.
“Right now the powers that be are only playing lip service to the issue.”
The stigma around LGBTQ+ athletes in sports has been a topic of discussion over the years.
In 2019, another anonymous athlete, who was known as the Gay Footballer on Twitter, also came forward about his desire to come out publicly within the sport.
That same year, the Premier League collaborated with Stonewall to launch the Rainbow Laces campaign, in a bid to better show their support for the LGBTQ+ community.
“Supporting their Rainbow Laces campaign is a demonstration of our commitment to LGBT inclusion in football,” says interim chief executive Richard Masters.
The new player references the Gay Footballer in his letter, writing: “In the near future, I am hoping to meet with the player. The reality is that we are two of many players in the Premier League who are gay.”
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