Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterWhen Thomas Hitzlsperger came out as gay in 2012, he immediately became a prominent voice in the conversation surrounding homosexuality in football.More than a decade has now passed, but the former Germany international believes a significant divide between the mens and the womens game remains when it comes to acceptance.Openly gay and lesbian players are commonplace in womens football, but still few male players have felt comfortable speaking publicly about their sexuality.Hitzlsperger on creating a more inclusive environmentWhile the former Aston Villa and Stuttgart man does not expect the issue to stop being a talking point in football anytime soon, he hopes greater understanding and more open discussion will help create a more inclusive environment for the future.Thats why we have to look at the bigger picture, he tells FourFourTwo. Within the womens game, there are so many openly lesbian footballers that it doesnt even seem to be an issue any more. The womens game is fortunate in that respect, but there are other concerns theyre dealing with. They still want to grow their game and need more investment. You may like Thomas Hitzlsperger describes his experience of coming out as gay in 2014 Thomas Hitzlsperger criticises media for 'obsessive' coverage of gay footballers "The reality is there are very few openly gay male footballers. Its rooted in toxic masculinity, but life is toxic and thats the sad thing" - Thomas Hitzlsperger explains why so few male players have come out The mens game is very different and its still not normal to be gay. Its something thats always controversial and continues to be debated. I dont think well ever reach a point in football when homosexuality wont be discussed, because some people have issues. For some reason or other, they just dont like the idea of people being gay. There are certain people who will never change their opinion, theyll always be against it and thats a fact.Hitzlspergers hope is that while everyone does not share these same beliefs, there are plenty of people ready to be engaged in the debate.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.I think there are enough people who are open to discussion, he continues. Even if they dont like the idea at first, they at least listen. Theyre the ones Id like to address and say Look, I havent chosen to be like this, and Ive always been this way. Its not always easy, but I dont want to be criticised for something that I havent chosen to be, yet I accept it, I enjoy my life and I want other people to accept it.By no means do I believe it will no longer be a discussion point, though. It always will be because people have their own beliefs and wont change them. Its not just footballers, its society, otherwise more former footballers would say It was tough during my playing days but now I can share my experiences.Not many have done that, so clearly we have an issue within society around masculinity, and the reality is some men are afraid.Hitzlsperger also believes that one way to address these attitudes is to begin teaching children about respect and discrimination from an early age.Id be all for kids learning from a young age how we should respect each other and not discriminate, he adds. For me, the earlier the better, but its a very complicated discussion, because some would say Why would you discuss sexuality with kids at school?Overall though, we cant start early enough in telling people that any form of discrimination is wrong. From there, we could explain the types of discrimination and how we can be more inclusive within society in general.TOPICSThomas HitzlspergerGermanyAston VillaPremier LeagueJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromGrant Shub
