Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Women’s Football Weekly podcast, former Arsenal, Manchester City and Scotland defender Jen Beattie said: “It still saddens me to this day that we know how progressive women’s football is and how much it isn’t. the male. It is still fueled by homophobic comments and racial comments.
“As much as we know the extent to which sport can have a positive impact on so many people, it is still very frustrating that social media platforms allow that level of hatred towards players.
“It’s another reminder of how social media platforms need to be more accountable for the hate spewed at people as human beings, regardless of their sexuality or race. I think it’s another reminder of how far society has to go.”
Asked about the incident during a press conference on Tuesday, England coach Sarina Wiegman said: “It’s very, very disappointing. I’m very happy for them. They look very happy and I hope everything goes well.”
Chelsea Pride, an LGBTQ+ support group, condemned the comments via X.
“It’s heartbreaking and infuriating to see social media flooded with hateful comments when we should be celebrating love, pride and unity,” she said.
Meta, owner of Instagram and Facebook, said she takes “bullying and harassment situations seriously,” but that it is “a unique challenge and one of the most complex issues to address because context is critical.”
He added: “We are always creating new resources and tools, and reviewing policies with the help of experts to continually address the issue.”
