I agree, it is.

When I was a kid, I remember the monkey chants coming from a large section of the crowd when Des Drummond played against us. Black players were a rarity in the game in those days, as indeed were black people in Wakefield. I wouldn't expect to see any of that kind of behaviour at a league game now. There may well be a good number of fans who are prejudiced against black players, but they know to keep their traps shut and not to shout abuse at games (well, the majority, at least). The same is true in this case. You may think it's banter, but who are you to judge?

The club can't control the reactions of such a large number of people, but the stewards can act to remove people they see/hear making homophobic remarks. It seems draconian to some now, but in the same period of time it's taken fans to realise black players are not monkeys, fans may realise they were bang out of order on this issue too.

Homophobic: a strong dislike and fear of homosexual people

If Gareth dropped the ball and somebody shouted "did you think it was a big block of soap Thomas," would that really be homophobic?

Maybe have a few vote options?

Homophobic abuse.
Homosexual related banter.
No gay remarks at all.

Spot on!

Good point!

Sadly one remark would get you a night in the cell and the other not.

Does that make one right and the other not?

No it means both are insulting but with different consequences. I personally wouldn't want fans getting at me for recently coming out but I would expect it, understand it and take it from the terraces. Some forms of insults are more socially exceptable than others but I'd like to think our fans can stay away from the upper limits that nears abuse.

If that's the case, I think Ted may as well stand in the car park with a bag full of the Brough money and the 2 points from the Cas game and hand it over to the RFL guy when he arrives. Save us all the bother. Then the knuckleheads can sing and shout to their hearts' content too.

I've heard a rumour that a gang of Gay blokes are turning up tomorrow to shout sexually related remarks at all the straight guys out on the pitch. Is this acceptable?

happy men , in Wakefield! what utter nonsense

Did anyone stand near those girls behind the sticks at the Giants game? The girl from Outwood with the giant zoom on her Pentax?

Wrong; hate crime legislation covers incidents that are both racially motivated and homophobic in nature.

Nope it will be deemed bullying unless there's is actual assault or damage of property involved which makes it an homophobic hate crime.

Soap remarks will be judged as mocks as far as the Law is concerned.

Although the discussion has actually been dragged to a reasonably sensible discussion in the last few pages (well done guys!) I think we still missing the point.
The remarks to Thomas are not just a problem for Thomas, and I'm sure he is man enough to take some grief.
The point to Wakefield is that it creates an atmosphere of exclusion. The crowd appears to be full of bullies who identify and pick on those they see as different and react in an aggressive way.

What those people shouting may see as banter, the people in the crowd with young families, or are in fact gay, or have been bullied in the past, or are simply not happy with an atmosphere where it is not just about enjoying the game will start to stay away. And that, I assume, quite large group of people, not coming back to the ground would hurt the club badly.

We talk about the Wakefield family when we are supporting each other with issues like serious illness and unfortunately death, yet if we act like a the small number of Cas fans quoted in the original story, we are acting like a family of ASBO kids and people will stay away from that family.

You make some good points and i have to say "if" we have a problem then i would rather "remove" the problem than lose out to such people in the long run, the club and the game are far more important than a few "run offs" who feel they can abuse players and fans a like.

The problem is how do you define abuse/banter, some people have different values.