Two cheers, at least

As I passed the newspaper stand in a supermarket near work this afternoon, I spotted today's headline story in The Sun. I normally avoid that cruddy excuse for a newspaper like the plague, but when the headline suggested that a Premier League footballer had come out as gay, I had to investigate a little. Needless to say, given the nature of the publication, the content of the story didn't quite match the headline - the player concerned was actually an ex-Premier League footballer, in fact, an ex-footballer altogether, as he had, unbeknownst to me, retired through injury some months ago. That said, though, it was certainly a reasonably high-profile individual, Thomas Hitzlsperger, who not only played for three different English top flight clubs, but won a Bundesliga title in his own country, and. most significantly for his reputation, made fifty-odd appearances for the German national team, not something that happens if you're some second-rate benchwarmer. The reason for my less than ecstatic title, though, was, when I read a little more on the BBC website after I'd got back to base, I found that he'd said in his interview that although he'd considered coming out while he was still playing, he didn't think it was a practicable option, that it would've been too much of a 'distraction'. Still, two cheers are better than none, and it marks, in my opinion, another small step in the direction of sexual orientation becoming something that doesn't affect anyone's life or career, however prominent or humble that individual might be. And, in the interests of fairness, given that I normally cordially loathe the paper and all its works, I have to say that what little I read of The Sun's take on the story was positive, rather than the sort of 'lowest common denominator' sensationalism and populism that is normally their stock in trade. I have little doubt, though, that some 'religiot' will be along soon to opine about Hitzlsperger being a terrible role model for the youth of today, and that he should be silenced/ostracised/imprisoned/stoned to death/all of the foregoing.

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B