Manchester United star stands up to homophobes over gay relationship

Manchester United forward Geyse says she has been subjected to “deeply hurtful” homophobic attacks after going public about her relationship with her girlfriend.

The Brazil international, who moved to United from Barcelona last summer, has put out a courageous and defiant statement on X, saying LGBTQ love such as theirs deserves respect and that she will not be intimidated by hate.

The 26-year-old has won over 50 international caps for her country and was part of the Brazilian squads at the last two Women’s World Cup tournaments, and at the Tokyo Olympics.

In June and July, Geyse posted several photos of herself with girlfriend Bruna Gois to her X account.

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Nós contra o mundo pic.twitter.com/GV0CNaCeuz— Geyse Ferreira (@geyse_ferreiraa) July 18, 2024

An FA Cup winner with United in her first season at the club, during which she made 19 Women’s Super League appearances, she returned to the U.K. for pre-season training at the end of last month.

On Saturday, she posted images of herself with Bruna as a collab to her Instagram account for what appears to be the first time.

Geyse has 10 times as many followers on Instagram than she does on X.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BRUNA GOIS (@bruna_goisss)

The next day, she was calling out the online cruelty she had received.

She wrote: “Yesterday, after publicly sharing my relationship, I was the target of homophobic attacks. I would like to clarify that love, in all its forms, is something that should be respected and celebrated, regardless of gender, orientation or any other characteristic. These attacks, in addition to being deeply hurtful, reflect a mentality that is not in line with the values ​​of respect and empathy that we should promote as a society.

“I reiterate that I will not remain silent in the face of prejudice. I will continue to live and share my life with authenticity and courage, in the hope that one day everyone will be free to love whoever they want, without fear of judgment or reprisal.

“I would like to thank everyone who sent me messages of support and affection. Together, we can fight hate with love and build a more inclusive and respectful world.”

The Instagram post is still on Geyse and Bruna’s accounts. “I love you, us against the world,” wrote the United star in the comments, which have now been turned off although many that are homophobic are still visible.

GEYSE #MUWomen pic.twitter.com/hjN3DaghPf— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) August 9, 2024

There were at least eight LGBTQ players in the Brazil squad that won Olympic silver medals in the women’s soccer tournament at Paris 2024, including the legendary Marta.

Meanwhile, several of Geyse’s United teammates are also out as LGBTQ, including Wales international Hayley Ladd, England defender Millie Turner, and midfielder Leah Galton.

Officials from United, which has a huge global fanbase, are not known to have made any public comment in defense of Geyse following the abuse directed at her online.

The team is due to kick off its WSL campaign at home to West Ham on 21 September.

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