Gene_Clark

i think the subsequent responses, whereby posters recognise that homophobic comments are used & would be more prevalent if a player were to come out, suggest that your question has been answered? anecdotally, i have friends from the LGBT community who are season ticket holders & others who have been deterred from attending because of negative experiences. personally i'd hope that homophobic comments would be dealt with by stewards in the same way as racist language or other forms of hatespeech; remove, arrest, charge, convict, ban....

i agree with the first part of your first point, but don't feel qualified to comment on the second part as regards your second point, i wasn't equating LGBT with disabled fans; i was just showing where the idea for permanent seats on the FF came from

here we have reason enough to redouble our efforts to eradicatr homophobia in the ground & make SJP a safe & inclusive space for those from the LGBT community

the FSA / SD model for fans liaison committees advises that there should be representatives of minority / marginalised supporters grouping included. currently our FF has a permanent place for NUDSA, but the idea of an equality rep was parked because of the lack of a properly constituted organisation from that section of our support

two points; firstly, can you actually prove there aren't members of the LGBT community who want to go to SJP but don't feel safe / welcome currently? secondly, as you're not part of the LGBT community, i don't think you can accurately speak for that section of society.

think it would be up to the members to decide on that; at other clubs they have regular contact with Fans' Liaison Officers, so could be on Fans' Forum. In London, LGBT supporters groups have social meet ups, play in the London supporters league etc etc

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40846848 It seems as if Newcastle United are one of only 5 clubs in the Premier League that are without a designated LGBT supporters’ group. Bearing in mind the fact we’ve seen Gallowgate Flags facilitate the funding, design and display of a Rainbow Flag in the ground, I wonder if now is the time for us to show that NUFC is a broad, tolerant & welcoming club by forming one? Remember 30-odd years ago the racist chanting in the ground & NF paper sales outside were driven out by the Geordies Are Black & white campaign; now niqab wearing African Muslim women attend home games & are accepted alongside all other fans. Like many people at SJP, I am a heterosexual male. And like most, I couldn't care less whether the person in the seat next to me is male, female, black, white, straight, gay, Christian, Muslim, Atheist or whatever, as long as they're not a twat. However, from the depressing bigotry displayed on Twitter the Rainbow flag, which is the only one of their projects I’ve donated to, it seems a proportion of the support (generally from the diminishing white working class, middle aged, hard lad demographic) have a problem with collectivization of groups of people different from them. I do wonder how many people who quickly say, "We don't need an LGBT supporters group, it only serves to enforce barriers between gay and straight fans" do so because it's easier than admitting that the idea of a gay NUFC fans club makes them uncomfortable. Personally I'm convinced an LGBT group would provide a platform for those within that community to find a safe haven and a platform for their opinions. I'm not going to lose any sleep over NUFC not yet having one, but I sure as hell don't have a problem if our LGBT brothers and sisters start one. If I suggested a group was founded for OAP Newcastle fans which older fans could use to meet and socialise with others with similar life experience and interests to themselves, and use to make sure that older people at matches were well-looked after, I can pretty safely say that not one single person would say it is a bad idea, and that it would only build boundaries between fans of different ages. I've never been on the receiving end of any sort of "phobic" chanting so cannot comment on the effect it has on those being targeted, so I think we have to accept that those groups in society who feel victimised in this way do have a point, and should be respected. As pointed out in the article, the real way to stop racist or homophobic abuse is to report it, though personally I think having openly LGBT players would go much further in helping to eradicate homophobia... Food for thought?

1. Trembling Bells – The Sovereign Self; amazing Scottish proggy, folky, late 60s/early 70s hippy, trippy genius. 2. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress; astonishing, orchestral avant garde post rock from the Quebecois octet. 3. Band of Holy Joy – The Land of Holy Joy; they’ve been going over 30 years, but this is their finest Brechtian, Klezmer waltz through the capital’s ripped backside in over 25 years. 4. The Pop Group – Citizen Zombie; venerable, reformed post punk iconoclasts rage and howl at the evils of the modern world. Essential. 5. Wire – Wire; nearly 40 years in and the very definition of angular, awkward belligerence on one of their most compelling releases in 30 years 6. Penetration – Resolution; Ferryhill’s finest’s first album since 79 and it contains 5 solid gold classics. Buy this. 7. British Sea Power – Sea of Brass; the world’s cleverest indie band reimagine 14 classics with full orchestral backing. Simply adorable. 8. Euros Childs – Sweetheart; the annual slice of sweet, beautiful pop by the world’s most modest man. 9. Yo La Tengo – Stuff Like That There; quiet, homely acoustic re-treads of some favourites and parts of their back catalogue. Warm. 10. Gang of Four – What Happens Next; Andy Gill is the Gang of One these days, but it’s a fiery soup of righteous anguish and anger he produces. 11. Fairport Convention – Myths & Heroes; a lovely collection of down-to-earth proper folk roots by the incomparable masters of their craft. 12. Jad Fair & Norman Blake – Yes; community service C86 by numbers while we anxiously await the new TFC album. 13. The Fall – Sub Lingual Tablet; elderly drunk rants incoherently over the top of uninspired Killing Joke style sludge.

Let's not forget the step fathers out there; hope they convinced themselves they had a good day

much love x

the truth is out there

it's more the case that i can't make Saturday home games, so this one, Everton, Burnley & Stoke have been the only ones I've been able to get to; was on holiday for Man City & will be away for West Ham, so my last of the season

change the ground name back to the Sports Direct Arena

looking forward to this one; only my 4th NUFC game of the season

disappointed to miss out on Sat daytime tickets as wanted to see Pop Group, but looking forward to BSP & Wire tonight

you're an ignorant fool, aren't you?

Peter Bellamy Anne Briggs Shirley Collins The Copper Family Seamus Ennis Joe Heaney

didn't bother with Mascis the other week & away when B&S play City Hall got Wave Pictures tomorrow at the Cumberland, then JAMC in Leeds Tues 16th & Fairport at Sage night after (when JAMC play Academy) going to R6 Sunday for BSP & Wire only; possibly Saturday day for Pop Group then nowt until Lee "Scratch" Perry April 10 & Andy Irvine week after

or a trip to the African Cup of Nations.... why don't you engage with facts instead of just hysterical tittle tattle?

evidence?

Geordie Mafia OUT

i think we are where we will finish

we aren't struggling; we're mid-table

if we'd won today, yes to the end of the season is a probability