We, the Proud Lilywhites, Tottenham Hotspur’s official LGBTQI+ supporters’ group, are thrilled to celebrate a decade of standing strong and shining bright! From a small group of passionate fans in 2014, we’ve grown into a vibrant community of nearly 1,000 members worldwide, all united by our love for Spurs and our commitment to inclusivity.
We’re all looking forward to Monday; our team is playing with courage and guile; Poch is back at the Lane and there’s nothing like a London derby.. However, a number of Spurs fans, yep, the people you hug when the ball hits the back of the net, are approaching the game with trepidation and some dread.. All because of a particular chant levelled at Chelsea.
Firstly, Happy International Non-Binary People’s Day! I am pleased to be writing a blog to celebrate non-binary people across the globe. Whilst we aren’t legally recognised across the world we are still here, and we should be proud to stand up and be counted
It’s the start of the season, the sun is shining and things are looking good; let’s not tarnish it with homophobic chanting on Sunday.
And yes, the ‘rent boy’ chant is homophobic—if it wasn’t, nobody would bother. It’s busted out precisely to be insulting and hateful, and when the affected community tells you it’s homophobic and explains the impact, please hear us (see Lee’s story).
Lee Johnson is co-chair of the Proud Lilywhites. Here is his story, in his own words.
I personally had my whole involvement in football flipped on its head by that chant at a match.
When I was a teenager, learning to accept my sexuality (gay), I was a regular visitor to the old White Hart Lane to watch Spurs.
Like all Spurs fans, we’re looking forward to a cup semi-final under the lights. However, unlike all other Spurs fans, we’re also approaching the game with an impending fear of dread at the prospect of hearing the homophobic ‘Chelsea Rent Boy’ chant.
During our most recent “Talking Tottenham on a Wednesday night”, members had the opportunity to vote for their Players and Goals of the season so far – both for the men’s and women’s teams.
It was a rollercoaster of a day and a night. There were bumps, hits, highs and lows. I won’t be able to do it justice but wanted to set out the highlights I remember, one year on, of how those magical 24 hours unfolded—from 3pm on 8 May 2019. COYS!
We hope you all are well in these weird times. All of us are adapting to the current circumstances, so we wanted to let you know that we’re planning a few online events to take place in the next month or so.
Like all Spurs fans, we’re looking forward to today’s clash against Chelsea. However, unlike all other Spurs fans, we’re also approaching the game with an impending fear of dread at the prospect of hearing the ‘Chelsea Rent Boy’ chant.