Laura Montgomery: 'There's more work to be done in the fight against homophobia'

Glasgow City chief executive Laura Montgomery has seen attitudes change throughout her career in Scottish football but believes there’s still a lot of work to be done in the battle against homophobia.

Montgomery, one of the most high-profile lesbians in the game, still sees players being abused because of their sexuality and heard derogatory language and attitudes as she played the game and then built a hugely successful club.

In an interview with STV as part of a series marking LGBTQ+ History Month, she shared her disappointment at the leadership of the game in Scotland regarding the Saudi World Cup, stressed the need to continue combating homophobia, and reflected on the importance of February being a dedicated time to talk about history and ongoing issues.

“I think it’s really important,” Montgomery said. “I think with all things in life, particularly when there’s been a lot of struggle, it’s important that we never rest on our laurels.

“We do need to celebrate those that have paved the path that we’re all on today. But also we need to recognise that there’s still a lot to be done.”

Montgomery says that as a young woman, her football team was “a safe environment” at a time when other people in her life were not aware that she was gay and she lived “two different lives”.

But she found that the attitude from people outside her team was “not certainly very negative”.

“I think it was always that externally people weren’t aware of who I was,” she said.

“I never had anything directly said to my face but if I was in a conversation with other people and they didn’t know that I was gay, there would have been a lot of negative remarks.

“So for example, most people wouldn’t have assumed I’m gay growing up so in an environment where I would say that I play football, they would say ‘Ah, it’s full of dykes, isn’t it?’, assuming I’m not one of them so they can say that derogatory remark.

“That’s probably largely how bad it was.”

After decades in Scottish football, during which time she co-founded Glasgow City FC and saw the club grow to a powerhouse that set records and competed at the highest level, Montgomery says she has seen attitudes change and evolve.

“I would say the difference now in any changing room that I’m a part of or aware of, it’s part and parcel of everyday life,” she said. “Nobody bats an eyelid.

“Certainly at my own club, nobody cares what country you come from, what religion you are, what your sexuality is.”

But while things are improving for gay footballers, abuse continues, with social media used as a tool for targeted abuse.

“There’s probably players that have put themselves out there a bit more and been more open and without doubt they have had abuse from certain parts,” Montgomery explained. “I think we all know that as much as social media is a great thing, it provides a platform to people to come and say not so nice things.

“We’ve had players who have tried to put their head above the parapet to speak out for stuff and had abuse for it.

“Hopefully it is a minority but it has happened and it still happens today.”

Montgomery understands how those who speak out can “go from being identified as a footballer to being identified as a gay footballer” and applauds the bravery of those who do. But she is dismayed by the lack of courage from the leadership in Scottish football.

Saudi Arabia’s confirmation as the hosts of the men’s 2034 World Cup drew condemnation given the human rights record in the state, and the fact that the country is one of 64 nations around the world which have laws that criminalise homosexuality.

Montgomery said the decision to award the huge event to Saudi Arabia “hurt” but also leveled criticism at the Scottish FA for not taking a public stance against the award.

“It does hurt,” she said. “And I think it’s gotten so political that it’s not decisions made for the greater good, would be all I would say.

“Certainly with our own, let’s be honest, small association it’s hugely disappointing but we only need to go back to the early Seventies when Scotland was the only country in UEFA football that voted against women’s football so we’ve got a bit of history in making the wrong votes.”

Despite the ongoing struggle against abuse and for progress to be made, Montgomery believes there is still a positive message that she can draw from her own experiences and achievements.

“It’s difficult to be yourself at times, and difficult when you’re in the room and you think you’re the only one,” she said. “All I will say is that you won’t be the only one, you might just be the first to say so.

“It’s important that we all try to live our true, authentic selves because if you don’t then it’s fundamentally hard to be really happy.”

This article is part of a series from STV Sport marking LGBTQ+ History Month, examining the current climate within Scottish football.