Straight talk
Is homosexuality in football the last major taboo?
“The Pass,” a film about two gay premier league footballers who deal with their sexuality in vastly different ways, is being used to combat arguably one of the last LGBTQ+ taboos; homosexuality in football. And more films should be used in this way, state the filmmaking team behind the movie.
“Moonlight” this year won the Best Picture Academy Award, becoming the first LGBTQ+ film to ever do so, while athletes such as diver Tom Daley and rugby player Keegan Hirst are openly gay in their respective sports. Football, however, remains an immovable wall of anti-progress, with “The Pass” director Ben Williams labelling the FA’s attempts to raise awareness of homosexuality in football as “empty symbolism.”
“The rainbow laces campaign — what does that do? It’s just not good enough. The FA and football in general need to do more,” the director says.
Williams, whose directorial debut came with “The Pass,” explains how the film reflects writer John Donnelly’s research in writing the script. Main character Jason would sooner release a sex-tape with a prostitute, publicly revealing cheating on his wife, than let anyone know of his homosexuality.
“It’s a heightened sense of fear of absolute rejection and fear of accepting themselves for who they are publicly, which is only made worse by the FA’s lack of work,” says Williams.
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Indeed, whilst writing the original play from which the film was adapted from, Donnelly conducted research which proved to be telling.
“I asked people in the industry if there were any players, without naming names, currently playing in the UK who were gay. No one knew anyone. It’s such a horrific taboo in the industry that the gay players tell absolutely no one for fear of rejection.”
But there is a possible solution, with “The Pass” producer, Duncan Kenworthy championing his indie film’s ability to become a tool of education while again joining his colleague in criticising the FA and football.
“It’s shameful there are no gay players in the premier league; the FA has allowed that to happen. Teaching the next generations early about acceptance, sexuality and masculinity — and exploring those things — is the key to eventually tackle football’s problems, as well as other areas.
“I’ve got teacher friends who plan to use “The Pass” in their classrooms to teach kids about exactly those things — it’s the long term game but it will prove effective, as long as the filmmakers stay strong and continue to commit to telling diverse stories which shine lights into all areas of life, even those deemed ‘controversial,’ like homosexuality in sport.”
One such filmmaker, aside from Williams, is Sally El Hoiseni, who proved her commitment to LGBTQ+ stories when her “My Brother the Devil,” which focused on a gay Arab man, faced production trouble.
“I was told by an investor that they would give me the money to make the film if I removed the gay storyline completely. They thought it would make the film ‘more commercial.’ I refused and managed to get the film made the way it should have been — with truth.”
It is this ever-increasing resolve in filmmakers, Donnelly says, which has aided the film industry’s progress and will help to further triumph film and art as an educational tool. Indeed, art being used as education is something Donnelly believes is already finding success.
“A school group came to see “The Pass” and, During a moment where the two actors kiss each other, groans were heard and homophobic comments made by the kids. A few months later, I got an email from the class teacher saying that other pupils challenged those kids who made homophobic comments, which lead to an open class discussion about homosexuality.”
Openness, it seems, is the solution — if films like “The Pass” can begin that discussion and make the unspeakable, such as homosexuality in football, speakable, then such tremendous taboos will not seem so fearful. They will shrink and, with time and more films used as educational tools, more room will be found for increasingly open conversations.
Indeed, this idea of film as an educational tool is encapsulated well with Donnelly’s words, with the writer believing that art is best at asking questions and allows conversations to be had at times and places where any discussion at all wouldn’t even be considered. Football, perhaps the last LGBTQ+ taboo, needs that discussion.
