the i has been good recently
Daniel Storey
Jordan Henderson left his morals at the door when Saudi Arabia waved £700k a week in his face
This is a betrayal of trust. You don’t get to choose to be an LGBT+ ally when it suits“
You have the responsibility to educate yourself better about the challenges they experience. That’s where my own position on homophobia in football is rooted. Before I’m a footballer, I’m a parent, a brother, a husband, a son and a friend to the people in my life who matter so much to me. The idea that any of them would feel excluded from playing or attending a football match, simply for being and identifying as who they are, blows my mind.”
That’s Jordan Henderson, by the way, in an interview with The Athletic on why he chooses to be an ally for the LGBT+ community. Apparently it doesn’t “blow his mind” as much as earning £700,000 a week, so good to test these things out. What amuses most is when people describe this as life-changing money, as if Henderson isn’t already earning comfortable six figures weekly at Liverpool.
It reminds of an anecdote about golfer Jon Rahm, when a LIV Golf offer was made. He sat down with his family and realised that it would make no difference to their daily lives. Someone being offered four times their £25,000 annual salary is life-changing. Watching the bank balance rise that little more quickly, no? Wealth brings with it the privilege of choice. You can not take up the Saudi Arabian Pro League cash. It is a personal decision.
Assuming this deal goes through – and we have already heard that Henderson has accepted it – we should prepare for a good deal of bluster. Bluster about making change from within and using the money to make a difference. Bluster about how values will remain the same.
It’s almost easier to stomach the Anthony Joshua head-in-the-sand line about Saudi Arabia “trying to do a good job politically” and everyone in the country having a good time. To that bluster, an easy response: if you care about LGBT+ issues and believe you are important enough to make a difference, let your presence be a reward for change not an ill-fated attempt to drive it.
Instead, the righteous reaction comes from those who Henderson purported to serve. Like Kop Outs, Liverpool’s LGBT+ fan group, who tweeted: “We are appalled and concerned that anyone might consider working for a sportswashing operation for a regime where women & LGBT+ people are oppressed and that regularly tops the world death sentence table.
“We hope that Jordan Henderson proves to be a man of his word and stays true to the values of our club, which so far he has been an absolute embodiment of.”
And what does Joe White think, the non-binary England fan who was supported by Henderson on social media when he said that “football is for everyone no matter what”.
And Liverpool supporter Keith Spooner, told by Henderson that he wore a rainbow armband because to “help even just one person then it’s progress”.
And Josh Cavallo, who Henderson publicly supported when he came out. These people do not exist in a bubble. What impacts upon the LGBT+ community around the world makes their lives harder to live too.
One horrible suspicion arises here: that Henderson’s allyship in the past makes him an even more valuable asset for Saudi Arabia and their state-sponsored clubs. Look, this guy has offered his support for the LGBT+ community and we’re happy to sign him and he’s clearly happy to come here (OK, don’t ask about all the money), so what’s the problem guys?
This is a betrayal of trust, whether or not Henderson chooses to accept it. You don’t get to choose to be an ally when it suits. In fact, that allyship is proven in these decisions. Henderson could come out and say that he isn’t taking up the offer because of his concerns, and immediately offer significant support to many who see him as a role model.
There is no issue with Henderson (or anyone else) taking the money here, let’s be clear. The issue comes when you purport to be an ally to a community and then abandon that community when the money comes.
