Homophobic fans

[Long slender neck]

Some of the replies to this tweet

Will the club take any action?

[O my gawd]

Do they need to? It's not exactly hateful, just 1 or 2 fans proving they are stuck in the dark ages & that there maybe a need for groups like this.

[Max Fowler]

Eh? Another day goes by without a manager being brought in and this is all the club have to worry about?

Groups like this are divisive, what about us straight fans - and I'm definitely 100% straight - where's our supporters group? Labelling people just breaks us down into smaller groups when we're all just fans at the end of the day, who we like to do sex to shouldn't even come into it. Except for the nonces, they shouldn't have a club.

[Story of O]

Groups like this exist because of the way they have been treated, now and in the past. Have you ever suffered abuse or violence because of your sexuality?

[Max Fowler]

Groups like this exist because of the way they have been treated, now and in the past. Have you ever suffered abuse or violence because of your sexuality?

Yeah. Lonely old housewives are always trying it on with me.

[Long slender neck]

How many OTF/ podcaster replies to that tweet?

[Max Fowler]

How many OTF/ podcaster replies to that tweet?

Gilso is tweeting all over it, trying to explain it to his bigot taxi driver mates.

[Long slender neck]

The same cab drivers he has fronting the orient hour?

[Dextercoindexter]

This has no place in these times. Equally I wish the club do something for once about the so called supporters who shout, swear and scream obscenities in front of young children during a game.

[Un Corte Sobre]

This is well meaning but not progressive.

Who would find it comfortable having a separate "Black Leyton Orient Supporters Group" ?

Just the racists I would suggest.

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Depressing but just a moronic minority

[Rich Tea Wellin]

This is well meaning but not progressive.

Who would find it comfortable having a separate "Black Leyton Orient Supporters Group" ?

Just the racists I would suggest.

Maybe we should?

I propose an ex manager supporters group which will gain numbers at an incredible place

[Chocolate_brownie]

Eh? Another day goes by without a manager being brought in and this is all the club have to worry about?

Groups like this are divisive, what about us straight fans - and I'm definitely 100% straight - where's our supporters group? Labelling people just breaks us down into smaller groups when we're all just fans at the end of the day, who we like to do sex to shouldn't even come into it. Except for the nonces, they shouldn't have a club.

If you’re not part of a marginalised or minority group then of course you’re not going to understand why these groups are needed.

[CEB]

Leaving aside the Neanderthals, the problem is about the distinction between meaningful commitment to making the club accessible, and keeping up appearances by being seen to be having the right initiatives.
The club currently allows a guy who was banned from here many times for homophobia to walk around the ground selling his fanzine, and has long indulged his abusive behaviour and demonstrably allows him to do anything short of being proven to have been racist: his misogyny and homophobia was no barrier to him being appointed to the board of the fans trust (after which I cancelled my membership citing his homophobia) and he retains their unequivocal support to this day. Would a gay fan feel comfortable being on the board with a man who has thrown around terms like “bum boy” on various iterations of this board?

Here’s the text of the exchange I had with LOFT upon hearing of Mat’s nomination:

“ Hi, I've heard from several places that Mat R***r has been nominated for this position. I would like to register my opposition to this due to the fact that he has previously used the unofficial Leyton orient board as a platform from which to threaten to use his existing connection to LOFT as a way of gaining the personal details of people he has fallen out with,in conjunction with him having issued threats of violence to me through social media (I can provide screen grabs of these conversations) and his history of posting homophobic content on various Orient websites. In the event that Mat R***r is given a position on the LOFT committee I would like to have all contact details for myself removed from the database, and for my resignation of my LOFT membership to be effective immediately if this person is chosen as suitable to represent the interests of Orient fans.

Thank you
Keith Williams”


Reply:

“ Dear Keith,

Thank you for your email. I do understand your concerns, however I hope I can assure you with the following points:
Any LOFT member is entitled to put themselves forward for nomination for election to the committee; that is their democratic right as a member of the society
The election to the committee is a democratic process carried out by a vote of the membership at large, it is not a selection process by the committee
All LOFT membership details are stored and accessed solely by the membership secretary and processed appropriately in accordance with the Data Protection Act
All LOFT committee members are required to act in accordance with LOFT’s Board Membership Policy, which is available on the LOFT website as part of the last set of Rules changes – this includes conduct, communications and abiding by collective responsibility for LOFT decisions
Anyone elected to the committee will be made aware of their responsibilities by me, in particular the above two points
As you know, Mat R***r is already one of our external board members (inaccurately often referred to as ‘trustee’) and while I’m not going to get into a character examination of either him or any other potential nominees, it’s fair to say that anyone who is hands on in the way Mat is will have those who like his approach and those that don’t in equal measure; that is why it is up to the membership to exercise their democratic right in who they elect to the committee, so that no committee member can take LOFT in a direction they don’t approve of.

I hope this assures you that LOFT’s propriety is foremost in my mind!

Kind regards,

Jonathan Kaye
LOFT Secretary & Webmaster”

[Dunners]

Well done the club. Hopefully this can get a bit more exposure. Perhaps the fanzines could also promote it?

[CEB]

Oh, and after an exchange of emails, this was the final thing I said… that went well!

“ OK, thanks. I wish LOFT all the best, but i can't support an organisation that would accept such a character into its ranks, I think there need to be standards for such a position which Mat R***r's previous and continued conduct doesn't meet; homophobia, threats of violence, shouting disproportionate abuse at officials etc.
Please accept this as my reluctant resignation. I sincerely hope Mat R***r doesn't embarrass the organisation, but I fear that LOFT will not be strengthened if this happens.

Thanks, Keith”

[Dunners]

[CEB]

I can see six years into the future, somehow…

But the point is - emailing the supporter’s trust with serious allegations about homophobia and an offer to provide proof (which LOFT never took me up on) resulted in me being fobbed off, and the fan in question being elected to the board regardless, with his behaviour continuing to be indulged and a blind eye turned (publicly at least) to incidents he’s involved in, aside from when the board offer him their unequivocal support.

So could a gay supporter who knew how LOFT dealt with concerns raised about homophobia by a high profile board member feel as safe to engage with the fans trust as a heterosexual white male can?

[Max Fowler]

Perhaps the fanzines could also promote it?

Would be good if the OTF podcast boys could support it too.

[The Orient Hour]

The same cab drivers he has fronting the orient hour?

No its not the same person who attends the show
We will be looking to promote this on a future show.

[Chocolate_brownie]

The same cab drivers he has fronting the orient hour?

No its not the same person who attends the show
We will be looking to promote this on a future show.

Doesn’t this come under the umbrella of the “virtue signalling” Andy Gilson was moaning about on Twitter the other day?

[Dextercoindexter]

That screaming Fanzine Peddler should be ousted once and for all, he is frozen in the 80’s. We have moved on from there surely? Is he a Copper by any chance?

[Adz]

I'd be interested to hear from any LGBTQI+ fans as to what they think about this setup, as really that's all that matters.

[Type high]

Leaving aside the Neanderthals, the problem is about the distinction between meaningful commitment to making the club accessible, and keeping up appearances by being seen to be having the right initiatives.
The club currently allows a guy who was banned from here many times for homophobia to walk around the ground selling his fanzine, and has long indulged his abusive behaviour and demonstrably allows him to do anything short of being proven to have been racist: his misogyny and homophobia was no barrier to him being appointed to the board of the fans trust (after which I cancelled my membership citing his homophobia) and he retains their unequivocal support to this day. Would a gay fan feel comfortable being on the board with a man who has thrown around terms like “bum boy” on various iterations of this board?

Here’s the text of the exchange I had with LOFT upon hearing of Mat’s nomination:

“ Hi, I've heard from several places that Mat R***r has been nominated for this position. I would like to register my opposition to this due to the fact that he has previously used the unofficial Leyton orient board as a platform from which to threaten to use his existing connection to LOFT as a way of gaining the personal details of people he has fallen out with,in conjunction with him having issued threats of violence to me through social media (I can provide screen grabs of these conversations) and his history of posting homophobic content on various Orient websites. In the event that Mat R***r is given a position on the LOFT committee I would like to have all contact details for myself removed from the database, and for my resignation of my LOFT membership to be effective immediately if this person is chosen as suitable to represent the interests of Orient fans.

Thank you
Keith Williams”


Reply:

“ Dear Keith,

Thank you for your email. I do understand your concerns, however I hope I can assure you with the following points:
Any LOFT member is entitled to put themselves forward for nomination for election to the committee; that is their democratic right as a member of the society
The election to the committee is a democratic process carried out by a vote of the membership at large, it is not a selection process by the committee
All LOFT membership details are stored and accessed solely by the membership secretary and processed appropriately in accordance with the Data Protection Act
All LOFT committee members are required to act in accordance with LOFT’s Board Membership Policy, which is available on the LOFT website as part of the last set of Rules changes – this includes conduct, communications and abiding by collective responsibility for LOFT decisions
Anyone elected to the committee will be made aware of their responsibilities by me, in particular the above two points
As you know, Mat R***r is already one of our external board members (inaccurately often referred to as ‘trustee’) and while I’m not going to get into a character examination of either him or any other potential nominees, it’s fair to say that anyone who is hands on in the way Mat is will have those who like his approach and those that don’t in equal measure; that is why it is up to the membership to exercise their democratic right in who they elect to the committee, so that no committee member can take LOFT in a direction they don’t approve of.

I hope this assures you that LOFT’s propriety is foremost in my mind!

Kind regards,

Jonathan Kaye
LOFT Secretary & Webmaster”

Reading through both articles seems to me your another that supports the cancel culture and in a fit of peek you've thrown the baby out with the bath water, you might grow up one day and realise your wrong mate.

[Type high]

I'd be interested to hear from any LGBTQI+ fans as to what they think about this setup, as really that's all that matters.

I'm not in the least bit interested in these separatists banging a drum about anything that is currently flavor of the moment. they just want to be separatists that we mainstream people are not interested in. If they want to push the LGBTQ agenda then set up their own team and watch them play, don't highjack our team.