Footballing legend Neville Southall made LGBT+ Everton football patron
(Photo: Phil Cole /Allsport)
You name it, and Neville Southall has made a stunning skeleton-based metaphor out of it.
The former Evertonian may have once seemed like an unlikely advocate of LGBT+ causes, but since his one-of-a-kind Twitter presence put the sporting hero’s pro-trans beliefs on the map, he has earned the kudos of the LGBT+ community and even gained a magazine column.
And in his latest move to advocate for LGBT+ causes, Everton campaign group and supporters club The Rainbow Toffees have decided to make the Welsh goalkeeper the patron of their movement.
“I am delighted to become patron of the Rainbow Toffees as the footballing world must embrace the LBGT community and lead the way in bringing equality for everyone,” said Southall to Liverpool Echo.
“Football faces some tough challenges ahead not just at top level but at grassroots where gender and sexuality issues need clear and equal rules.
(Photo by Mike Powell/Getty Images)
“If we don’t talk about these issues they won’t go away: we as the football world need to address the issues now even if it means some challenging times for both Football and the LGBT community.
“There are people both kids and adults who are suffering now as humans we must not let this happen. We must act now,” he added.
In a recent column for Huck, the footballer said he is “privileged” to now work so closely with gay people.
“As the years have gone by I have been privileged enough to meet many people who are gay and some of them now I am lucky to call good friends,” wrote the footballer.
“If I had been born a woman in a man’s body, and I told everyone I was a woman, I think I would have got a different response altogether and not a positive one. But if I knew that was what I was inside then what is the difference?” he added.
“We’re delighted that Neville has agreed to become a patron of the Rainbow Toffees,” said founding member Dr Mike Homfray.
“We look forward to working with one of our club’s greatest ever players as he helps us raise awareness of LGBT issues in sport and improve acceptance of who we are in the football community.”
The supporter’s group has 263 members on Facebook to date.
