Ten years ago, I made a documentary about gay footballers, inspired by my uncle, Justin Fashanu, the first openly gay British footballer. My uncle’s career was marred by homophobia and racism both on and off the pitch. He died by suicide in 1998. My film unearthed a litany of systemic barriers to making football a more open and welcoming place.
My uncle was desperate to pave the way for others in the game to live authentically. The news about the Blackpool player Jake Daniels coming out has shown just how different the world is now. There has been an outpouring of love and support for Daniels in the press and across social media – something that would have been hard to imagine in days gone by. Change may not have come as quickly as we had hoped, but Daniels’ experience shows we’re on the right path.
