Football fans are praising Blackpool forward Jake Daniels’ bravery after the footballer came out publicly as gay. (YouTube/Sky Sports Football)
Pro footballer Jake Daniels has been praised for his courage and bravery after he became the first British male football player to come out publicly in 32 years.
Daniels, who is a forward for Blackpool, came out in a heartfelt interview on Monday (16 May) in which he discussed finally feeling ready to “be myself” and “be confident with it all” after “such a long time of lying” about who he really is.
The 17-year-old told Sky Sports that he considered waiting until he was retired to come out, but he knew that would “lead to a long time of lying and not being able to be myself or lead the life that I want to”.
Countless LGBTQ+ advocates, fans and football organisations praised Jake Daniels for his decision to share his truth with the world.
Liz Ward, director of programmes at Stonewall, said it took “incredible courage” for Daniels to come out publicly as the “UK’s first openly gay professional footballer in nearly 30 years”. She added the LGBTQ+ charity was also “heartened” to hear about the “solidarity and support” Daniels received from Blackpool FC and his teammates.
“Football is ready for this moment, and we believe it has been for some time,” Ward said.
Ward added that society is now “moving towards a world where players can live openly as their true selves, both on and off pitch” which is “something we can all take pride in”.
“This is an opportunity for everyone involved in football – from the players to the fans in the stands – to support Jake and show that football is everybody’s game,” she said.
Can’t put into words how much respect and admiration I have for Jake Daniels.
Being comfortable in your own skin, on and off the pitch, is the key to living your best life.
Your courage will change football for the better.
🔥
— Mark McAdam (@markmcadamtv) May 16, 2022
jake daniels will have just changed countless lives. incredible, courageous, normal. 🤍🏳️🌈 pic.twitter.com/11H4aZB2mD
— michael chakraverty (@mschakraverty) May 16, 2022
Jake Daniels has just become the 2nd male UK professional footballer to come out as gay.
This is so important for fans and for other players.
I wish him every happiness and every success.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍 https://t.co/VnspDLCsb6— Matthew Hodson (@Matthew_Hodson) May 16, 2022
When I was a kid I didn’t think I could ever accept myself as gay because I’m in to football. I was wrong. I found you can be gay and be a sports broadcaster.
Jake Daniels is more proof you can be gay and whatever the hell you want to be. His move today will help so many ❤️🏳️🌈⚽️
— Christian Hewgill 🎙 (@ChrisHewgill) May 16, 2022
“Football is for everyone” ⚽
Incredible progress to see the wonderful replies from teams and the leagues in the replies to Jake Daniel’s coming out 👏🏼 Welcome to the LGBTQIA+ community 🏳️🌈 https://t.co/14R74KOVOy
— Jamie Wareham (@jamie_wareham) May 16, 2022
A young footie lad like Jake Daniels coming out and making history at 17 and being so articulate and proud of who he is has immeasurable impact on young lads struggling with their sexuality in sport, this representation will literally change lives
— Harrison Brocklehurst (@harrisonjbrock) May 16, 2022
Jake Daniels has become the first professional footballer in 32 years to come out as gay.
A huge step and a moment many have long waited for.
Finally visibility in a sport that arguably inspires and influences more young people than any other. https://t.co/Km6aXSU14d
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) May 16, 2022
What is so heartening about Jake Daniels coming out is how incalculable a change it is. In a decade you’ll hear from so many people about him coming out was a factor in their own.
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) May 16, 2022
🏳️🌈 A wonderful and important moment- I wish you every happiness @Jake_Daniels11 and I hope you’ll inspire more young people to feel they can be themselves and create real change in sport 👏 https://t.co/R9nsKorlWB
— Scott Beasley (@SkyScottBeasley) May 16, 2022
🎉Massive congratulations to Jake Daniels—coming out is a very personal thing
😍The support is wonderful and it’s something we need to maintain; he’s
a young man at the start of his career and this can’t and shouldn’t be the only thing that defines him
🏳️🌈Welcome to the family! https://t.co/aCwfv8S0tV— Proud Lilywhites (@SpursLGBT) May 16, 2022
A 17 year old with the courage to do this. 17.
A massive moment for the men’s game and for so, so many football fans.
It shouldn’t need to be something players need to be brave to do, but it still is. Hopefully one day that may change. https://t.co/o8jYM9VOQL
— Adam Millington (@AdamGMillington) May 16, 2022
We are extremely proud of Jake and have been working with him and his club. He has the complete support of everyone at the PFA.
The PFA represents an incredibly diverse group of players across both the men’s and women’s games… https://t.co/Su9AZLVrGJ
— Professional Footballers’ Association (@PFA) May 16, 2022
Even prime minister Boris Johnson thanked Jake Daniels for his “bravery” as it “would have taken a huge courage to come out” in a statement on Twitter. Johnson added that the young footballer will be an “inspiration to many both on and off the pitch”.
Thank you for your bravery Jake, it would have taken huge courage to come out and you will be an inspiration to many both on and off the pitch. https://t.co/tCmSUBnj5R
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) May 16, 2022
It’s worth noting that Johnson’s statement comes after the UK has slipped even further down the ranking of most LGBTQ+ friendly countries in Europe under his leadership.
The annual Rainbow Map, released earlier this month by IGLA-Europe, ranked the 49 countries in Europe based on each nation’s commitment to championing LGBTQ+ equality and advocating for queer rights.
The UK finished in ninth place on the 2022 map – which assigned a score to countries for their standing in areas like equality, non-discrimination, legal gender recognition and hate crime.
Last year, the UK came in eighth and had been in fourth the year before. Until 2015, the UK was among the best places in all of Europe for LGBTQ+ rights.
Jake Daniels is the first active male place in the UK to come out as gay since Justin Fashanu in 1990. Fashanu was the first active professional footballer in the world to come out as gay, but after years of being hounded by the homophobic press, he died by suicide.
In 2019, his niece, Amal Fashanu, created the Justin Fashanu Foundation to tackle mental health problems, racism and homophobia in football.
Amal told the Guardian that Daniels’ decision will “come as a huge comfort to the many footballers at all levels of the game still secretly living as gay and who still feel unable to come out”.
“If my Uncle Justin were alive I know he would have been one of the first people to have contacted Jake to offer his support and best wishes,” she said. “Justin’s wish was to create a society where people could simply be kinder to one another and where bigotry doesn’t exist.”