Casey Stoney: ‘My life would probably be lot simpler if I was straight – It’s not a choice’
Former England women’s captain Casey Stoney has rebuked people who tell her being gay is a choice, saying her life would be a “hell of a lot simpler” if she could decide to be straight.
The Arsenal footballer, who came out as gay in February, is currently expecting twins with her partner Megan Harris.
She told The Guardian on Friday how she is “excited” to come home every night to a family of her own, and discussed how coming out has affected her life so far.
She said: “It’s getting closer so I’m probably getting a little bit more nervous.
“No. I’m excited. To come home every night to two little babies and a family of my own, life doesn’t get any better.”
Speaking of a letter she was sent which explained how homosexuality is a disease, Stoney said it’s about “people being uneducated.”
She said: “That was a piece explaining how homosexuality is a health hazard and basically telling me I was mentally ill. But that’s kind of a rarity. The positives far outweigh the negatives.
“For me, that’s people being uneducated. Being gay isn’t a choice. I didn’t wake up one morning and think: ‘Oh, I’m going to live this way’. My life would probably be a hell of a lot simpler if I was straight. It’s not a choice.”
She added: “I also need to reiterate that it’s not catching. Some people think it is.
“People who would talk to you one minute would not talk to you, which is ridiculous. I’m still the same person. I still have the same moral background.
“I think I’m a good person and I think I try and do as much as I can for other people, and this was about helping other people. I don’t regret it at all.”
Last month, she said she made the decision to come out so that her kids would grow up ‘proud’ instead of hiding.
