OXFORD United Supporters’ Panel have shared their column this week with U’s fan Sammy, who set up Proud Yellows, an LGBTQIA+ supporters’ group.

Sexuality is still a taboo, especially in the men’s game. There is currently only one ‘out’ player in the men’s professional leagues in the UK and just a handful around the world.

There is often speculation in the media, suggesting who they believe might be gay in the Premier League. The comments we see on social media around these speculations highlight and show the battles we face ahead of us and further prove that homophobia is still very prevalent in football.

However, in the women’s game, there are more than 60 ‘out’ players in the Super League alone. Although homophobia is still present, the women’s game feels much more inclusive and forward-thinking.

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I’m sure every single one of us has experienced homophobia at a football game before, whether that be in a chant, a comment from a fan to a player, or even a fan to another fan. We have all been witness to it, whether people speak up against it or not. We are calling for attitudes to change.

Attitudes are slowly changing with the help of organisations such as Football v Homophobia, Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces and grassroots leagues around the world such as the GFSN, which help build a safe and inclusive space for people from the LGBTQIA+ community to play and enjoy the game we all love.

We also rely on supporter groups within clubs to help push visibility. The majority of professional teams already have an active LGBTQIA+ supporters’ group.

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I recently set up Proud Yellows, a new LGBTQIA+ support group for Oxford United, not only for visibility but to build community, for fans to feel they have a voice in a safe and inclusive space.

We’d like to mention that the club and Supporters’ Panel have been absolutely fantastic with their support and guidance and we’d like to express our thanks, especially to Andy, Janine and Grace.

Being a part of the Proud Yellows isn’t just about campaigning (if you don’t want to, you don’t have to).

As mentioned above, it’s just as much about community, and to this end we already have socials planned with other LGBTQIA+ supporter groups before and after games, home and away. We have many more social events in the pipeline.

If you fancy getting involved in any capacity, we’d love to hear from you.

You can email us on proudyellows@gmail.com or find us on social media @ProudYellows