There must be a reason why so many gay football players
will not say how they want to live.
It's about making sure that everyone is treated equally,
and that it's OK to be who you are and be true to yourself.
It's a great campaign. And it looks good!
It does look good! Rainbow colours look amazing.
So, the question is: why are we here?
Yeah, we're here because of a very important cause to the club,
and to a lot of members at the club, for the Rainbow Laces campaign.
Exactly. So, the question was a bit more philosophical -
why do we have to be here?
And still talk about it, because...
You know how to say it in English? You are an openly...
Yeah, openly gay footballer.
Yeah, I think in women's football I've been very fortunate that it's not as unusual,
it's very accepted and the community is very strong,
but I think for the entirety of football there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.
Especially on the men's side, just to make it a platform that's accepted,
and that it's OK to be who you are and be true to yourself.
That's what life is about. The thing is -
and I'm 100 per cent sure it's not a problem in the dressing room,
which is obviously the starting point for it - I don't know...
how much it would be a problem in a football stadium.
There must be a reason why so many gay football players will not say what they think,
how they want to live.
In the changing rooms I don't think it's a problem,
but I think potentially outside there's a lot of external factors and opinions
that are a maybe little bit outdated,
and it's just about making sure that everyone is treated equally
and not looked down upon for their sexuality or how they present.
Yeah, if someone does step out and say, "This is who I am",
then it's accepting them for them and making it a place that's safe.
I think one of the issues is, that if you do it, the whole world makes a big fuss of it,
and it's a part of life where you don't want to make a big fuss.
It's private. But you have to go and open up, and that makes it so strange as well.
It's like you sit there, and cameras from all over the world,
and "here's one", and "how do you feel about it?"
I agree. For me, I was very fortunate to be surrounded by a very supportive network
in my family and friends, and they accepted me for who I am,
but I think on the men's side there is a lot of stigma around being who you are,
and that outing, we need to create a platform where,
if someone does come out and identifies who they are,
there isn't a big fuss made about it, because it should just be, you know?
Yeah, exactly.
Is it like, as a gay person, you have pretty much two outings?
One when you realise it, but then you have to tell your parents. Is it like that?
Yeah, I think so. For me, on a more personal note, I was very young,
and I think my mum already knew; like most mums, they know everything!
So it was more to my friends, and then my wider family,
and in a football setting.
Maybe even a third time if you want to publicly announce it,
or say it to the world almost, and I think for me that came more naturally.
I just sort of made a post around the timing of the year
when we do celebrate and highlight these issues.
I feel...not that it’s a job for me to put myself out there,
but I always think that the way I carry myself,
if I can affect another young person or someone around my age
and they can see me out there…
You are still young now.
- I know! - 25!
You know what I mean.
But being honestly who I am and being true to me,
if that helps them come to terms with what they’re dealing with,
then that’s amazing.
Is there a number or an email address which, if I want to talk about it,
for footballers, or people in general maybe, can just call?
I think that Rainbow Laces do have a contact that you can obviously reach out to
and talk to and…
That's probably the moment where we have to put the number under...
That's it!
I'm used to that feeling.
Exactly - look here.
Well, Stonewall’s main message this season is 'Lace-Up and Speak Up',
and I think for me personally, obviously I will be wearing the, here...
Show and tell.
I will be wearing the laces to show my support,
and obviously being an out-and-proud footballer -
so it’s a visibility kind of thing,
it’s to encourage others to speak out, like we say,
highlight it to reach out, if you need help
or you need guidance,
or any sort of forms of information to help you as an individual.
What about you, Jürgen, how do you feel about it?
Great. They will stay there. I really love every year when it happens,
I'm a perfect example for it,
how the awareness level changes the moment when you put them [rainbow laces] in.
So you should try, really, it feels great.
And you can increase awareness of something which is really important.
I think to really understand it...
Because that's the problem, and it's difficult, I'm 54,
I've went through a lot of periods in my life, but there are a lot of problems I never had,
so it means you talk about it like an interested viewer.
"Oh, how would that be, how would that feel?"
And I never had the problem.
But I have so many gay friends, at my age now,
and I never thought about how it was when they had to say,
"By the way, Mum, Dad, whoever else... I'm not exactly how you expected it maybe."
And that's a challenge we should not face in the way we face it in our lives.
That's how it still is obviously, and whatever I can do -
I can say it here today, live, on camera - I will do.
I'm completely in. It's a great campaign, I have to say...
and it looks good!
It does look good!
Rainbow colours look amazing.
They bring a smile to everybody's face.
As an ally, it's so important for us to have people like you
who are in our corners and standing behind us and supporting us,
and the biggest thing you can do is listen and support and educate yourself
if you don’t know, because I think that’s an area
that a lot people can place more attention on,
is just educating, because at the end of the day, we’re all people, we’re all humans.
We’re all doing the same thing, we’re all kicking a ball around,
so, I totally agree with everything you're saying and your support means everything.
- Great, I'm in. - Perfect, me too.
I said it on television!