Andy Brennan says shame is ‘huge issue’ hurting gay and bi footballers
South Melbourne FC winger, who came out as gay in 2019, is a guest on the Football v Homophobia Podcast; Brennan studying for doctorate in psychology and says men’s game still has much to learn on LGBTQ well-being; listen to the episode in full now…
Professional football’s lack of leadership on culture change in the men’s game continues to affect players who are struggling with their sexuality.
That’s the view of Andy Brennan, who is one of just five male footballers currently active at a pro level to have come out publicly as gay.
The 31-year-old has been speaking on a new episode of the Football v Homophobia Podcast ahead of his South Melbourne FC side’s Australia Cup semi-final at home to Macarthur FC.
Brennan and his teammates have already had a season to remember, topping their league table and lifting the Dockerty Cup, the knockout competition for men’s clubs in the state of Victoria.
GOAL | A moment of brilliance in the early stages was all it took to secure a hard-fought win against Hume City. Andy Brennan, showing his class against his former side, delivered the decisive strike that propelled us into the Dockerty Cup Final. pic.twitter.com/TFK8y225N9
— South Melbourne FC (@smfc) July 16, 2024
Off-field, he’s studying for a doctorate in psychology. When you factor in his unusual football journey, it adds up to a unique insight into LGBTQ+ inclusion in the sport.
He believes more effort should be made by governing bodies and federations to tap into learnings on this topic, such as his own and others like his countryman Josh Cavallo; British forwards Zander Murray and Jake Daniels; Czech winger Jakub Jankto, who is at Cagliari in Serie A; and the American midfielder, Collin Martin.
“One of the most powerful things is to leverage people’s personal experiences,” explains Brennan on the FvH Pod.
“That’s a really good way of conveying the message in a way that hits home with people, in a way that they can resonate with.
“I think everyone in some form or another has experienced prejudice, rejection or a feeling as though they don’t belong.”
Brennan had been internalising homophobia for several years but courageously conquered his sense of shame. He came out as gay five years ago via an Instagram post and a powerful blog on the website of the players’ association in Australia (PFA).
He said at the time he was “breaking through the wall” because football needed to talk about the danger of men “bottling up” emotions relating to sexuality and masculinity.
Since 2019, he’s taken on advocacy roles in Australia, working with organisations such as Proud 2 Play, and spoken in interviews with FIFPro, the A Leagues and Football Australia.
While welcoming those opportunities, he says deeper conversations deserve to be had at the higher echelons of the global game if federations are truly serious about this area of player welfare.
A willingness from senior leaders to empathise is essential, insists Brennan.
“Let them see the kind of pain that people can feel when they don’t feel like they’re welcomed, and what that does over the long term, how that feeds shame, how that hurts people’s self-esteem.
“And then if it continues, how that leads to people thinking about whether their life is worth living. That’s the road it can go down and it does go down.
“It is a huge issue that I wish that people at the top of the game would take seriously.”
On the podcast episode, Brennan also talks about how grassroots clubs can address cultures in which homophobic language and behaviours are still common.
He also shares more about his stellar season with South Melbourne FC, the contrast before and after his coming out, and his views on Pride and anti-discrimination campaigns.
Discover how you can support the Football v Homophobia campaign through education and resources on the FvH website – and for more from Andy, listen to the FvH Podcast!
Further reading…
Gay pro soccer player getting degree in psychology to help other LGBTQ people thrive (Outsports, September 2024)
Andy Brennan on what it was like becoming Australia’s first openly gay footballer (The Latch, April 2022)
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