Hitzlsperger primarily kept quiet about his sexuality during his playing career because he only became gradually aware of it over time, as he explains: "I grew up in a small community in Bavaria, which is predominantly Catholic. Homosexuality was seen as something unnatural or even criminal." These prejudices did not interest Hitzlsperger at the time and he does not feel affected by them. "I didn’t care", he said, "because I couldn’t imagine it would ever be an issue for me."
For a long time, the Munich native was in a heterosexual relationship. It was a genuine and happy relationship and not something intended to cover up his true feelings. "Our relationship helped me through many difficulties, because my partner always stood by me", he explained. "It lasted longer than many other relationships in our circle of friends."
Hitzlsperger gradually became aware of his feelings towards the same sex, and only in the autumn of his career did he realise that homophobic comments were an attack on his identity. At that time, he was not yet in a position to make his orientation public, not so much because of a fear of being different in the macho world of football, but mostly because he felt that society as a whole was still intolerant: "Today, there’s still something of a feeling of obligation when it comes to sexuality. Anyone who flouts this obligation faces ridicule."
"It’s ridiculous to think that homosexuals are unmasculine"
Of course, there were situations in which Hitzlsperger felt uncomfortable when among team-mates. "Peer pressure can be huge", he said, citing an example: "There are 20 young men sitting around a table drinking. You let most of it go, as long as the jokes are reasonably funny and the rubbish about homosexuals isn’t hugely offensive."
Hitzlsperger hopes that by coming out, he can help to reduce ignorance towards gay people. He hopes that he can break down many of these prejudices as an individual: "It’s just ridiculous to think that homosexuals are 'unmasculine'. That’s a prejudice you hear time and time again. If anyone thought my performances on a football pitch were unmasculine; well, there’s probably not a lot I can do to get through to them. I was a tough opponent with an extremely powerful shot. My nickname was the 'Hammer'. That simply doesn’t fit with the image many people have of homosexuals, namely that gays are wimps."
However, Thomas Hitzlsperger generally believes that the mood is changing, both in society as a whole and football in particular. "There’s no place for outmoded views and people with obsolete prejudices in modern football", he said. "That’s encouraging for young lads entering the world of professional sport now." He hopes his outing will be a first step towards normality: that one day, athletes will no longer have to come out because nobody will care about their specific sexual preference.
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Thomas Hitzlsperger does not look like someone who had to pluck up the courage to announce his homosexuality. In a video on his website, the former German international speaks in a relaxed manner about a situation that is normal for him but often still a sensitive issue in football.
"It’s the right time for me now that I have stopped playing football", said Hitzlsperger, who was capped 52 times for his country in an international career that saw him take third place at a World Cup and second place in a European Championship. "I’m entering a new phase of my life and want to take this opportunity to talk about my experiences as a gay professional footballer."
Above all, he is keen to encourage young players, point out the prejudices still present in football and help to eradicate them. "For me, the process of realisation took a long time", said Hitzlsperger, "but I think that young players today are often aware of their sexuality at a much earlier stage. They can talk about it and deal with it openly because they see my example and that of some other players and see that you can be gay and a successful professional footballer at the same time."
"I wanted to start a public discussion"
The 31-year-old announced he was gay in a high-profile interview with DER ZEIT on Wednesday afternoon. In Germany, some politicians, artists and other public figures have already gone public with their homosexuality, in addition to several footballers, including prominent female players such as German international goalkeeper and UEFA Best Women’s Player in Europe Nadine Angerer, who has spoken openly about her bisexuality.
Hitzlsperger is the most prominent male footballer to come out so far. He won the German Championship with Stuttgart in 2007, played 52 times for Germany and was a runner-up at the 2008 European Championship and helped the Nationalelf secure third place at the 2006 World Cup. He played his last match for Germany on 11 August 2010 against Denmark, captaining the team to a 2-2 draw in Copenhagen.
The former midfielder is aware of his history and the prominence that goes with it, and saw himself as duty-bound to reveal his sexuality after retiring from football. "I wanted to start a public debate about homosexuality among professional athletes," he said. "I wanted to make a contribution to that debate by speaking publicly so that the sexual orientation of an athlete can eventually become a private matter once more when such things are no longer a big deal."
Homophobic comments an attack on identity
Hitzlsperger primarily kept quiet about his sexuality during his playing career because he only became gradually aware of it over time, as he explains: "I grew up in a small community in Bavaria, which is predominantly Catholic. Homosexuality was seen as something unnatural or even criminal." These prejudices did not interest Hitzlsperger at the time and he does not feel affected by them. "I didn’t care", he said, "because I couldn’t imagine it would ever be an issue for me."
For a long time, the Munich native was in a heterosexual relationship. It was a genuine and happy relationship and not something intended to cover up his true feelings. "Our relationship helped me through many difficulties, because my partner always stood by me", he explained. "It lasted longer than many other relationships in our circle of friends."
Hitzlsperger gradually became aware of his feelings towards the same sex, and only in the autumn of his career did he realise that homophobic comments were an attack on his identity. At that time, he was not yet in a position to make his orientation public, not so much because of a fear of being different in the macho world of football, but mostly because he felt that society as a whole was still intolerant: "Today, there’s still something of a feeling of obligation when it comes to sexuality. Anyone who flouts this obligation faces ridicule."
[bild2]
"It’s ridiculous to think that homosexuals are unmasculine"
Of course, there were situations in which Hitzlsperger felt uncomfortable when among team-mates. "Peer pressure can be huge", he said, citing an example: "There are 20 young men sitting around a table drinking. You let most of it go, as long as the jokes are reasonably funny and the rubbish about homosexuals isn’t hugely offensive."
Hitzlsperger hopes that by coming out, he can help to reduce ignorance towards gay people. He hopes that he can break down many of these prejudices as an individual: "It’s just ridiculous to think that homosexuals are 'unmasculine'. That’s a prejudice you hear time and time again. If anyone thought my performances on a football pitch were unmasculine; well, there’s probably not a lot I can do to get through to them. I was a tough opponent with an extremely powerful shot. My nickname was the 'Hammer'. That simply doesn’t fit with the image many people have of homosexuals, namely that gays are wimps."
However, Thomas Hitzlsperger generally believes that the mood is changing, both in society as a whole and football in particular. "There’s no place for outmoded views and people with obsolete prejudices in modern football", he said. "That’s encouraging for young lads entering the world of professional sport now." He hopes his outing will be a first step towards normality: that one day, athletes will no longer have to come out because nobody will care about their specific sexual preference.
