Trolls who tried to ruin young Skye's big football break make me sick

The Herald Scotland

12 hours ago

And if I'm being honest here, no matter how much I might fancy myself to be a feminist ally, I proceed at a glacial pace of two steps forward and one a half steps back.
It's not that I don't fully support organisations like For Women Scotland and Sex Matters; it's just that, well … like Eric Morecambe playing Grieg's Piano Concerto, I don't say everything in the right order (or use the appropriate language). I come with attitudes shaped by upbringing, faith, environment and historic social mores that can be difficult to unpack.
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Yet, for all that Scotland might believe itself to have reached the gold standard in women's equality, we never have to wait long between incidents that render such claims premature.
Last week, a young teenage footballer called Skye Stout, won her first contract with Kilmarnock FC. This should have been a joyous moment for Ms Stout and a source of great pride for her family. I'd have gladly swapped whatever I've achieved in my career just to have played football with any senior club.
Kilmarnock shared a picture of Ms Stout in their famous blue and white colours. It was a lovely photo of an attractive young woman looking both joyful and proud. And if you looked at it closely you'd also have sensed a wee glint of cheeky defiance in her eyes.
Some men though, chose only to notice that Ms Stout had a skin condition not uncommon among girls and boys who are still negotiating the terrain that lies between childhood and adulthood. The abuse was such that Killie felt compelled to remove her picture from its social media accounts.
Ms Stout though, seems possessed of a strong character and no little resilience. A few days later, she made her full debut for her new club and marked it with a delightful goal – direct from a free kick – in a 4-0 win. When I was her age, my attempts at executing something like that usually ended in a search party being organised to fetch the ball.
It was heartening to see several high-profile former professional footballers, including Ally McCoist and John Hartson express support and sympathy for Ms Stout. Yet, I couldn't help thinking how crushed and mortified this young woman might have felt when she was told why her picture was being taken down. The story moved me to tears and I fervently prayed that she would be surrounded by the love and support of a strong family and her new employers.
Ally McCoist expressed support and sympathy for Skye (Image: PA) Some there are who will claim that such treatment isn't confined to girls and women. You don't need to be a strong feminist ally though, to know that such a belief is, at best, mistaken and probably delusional.
During the Covid lockdown, I gave a few online seminars on behalf of the NUJ about aspects of writing for a newspaper. Among those who had signed up for these were several young women and this compelled me to change my introduction slightly. I had to tell them that they would encounter online abuse, merely for the fact that they were women. And that although my columns will often attract criticism, most of it will be legitimate comment about my writing style or the case I'm attempting to make.
Women who venture to express a sincerely-held belief will also have to deal with mockery for even having an opinion. Very quickly, this can descend into vitriol about their appearance followed by something darker in the realm of sexual harassment.
Over the last two years, I've been appalled at the abuse Nicola Sturgeon has had to endure while being questioned by police in Operation Branchform, before she was told she had no case to answer. The slurs intensified following news of her marital breakdown.
Predictably – and depressingly so – it moved onto homophobic speculation about her sexuality. Much of this came from deeply poisoned minds. And I'm not having any infantile nonsense about Ms Sturgeon having brought this on herself owing to her advocacy of self-ID. Is it not reasonable to disagree profoundly with the former First Minister's beliefs in this area while also being appalled at the poison attaching to some of the criticism of her?
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Last month, I interviewed newspaper columnist Sarah Vine about her memoir How Not to be a Political Wife. Among the most startling revelations in an excellent book, were about the casual sexism and misogyny she'd had to overcome since childhood. These included a vile joke aimed at her recently by a celebrity columnist on a left-leaning London broadsheet. Ms Vine is also a striking and attractive woman, yet – by her own admission – is plagued by self-doubt about her appearance.
In Scotland right now when groups of women gather to discuss their legitimate concerns about single-sex spaces they know that they must first run a gauntlet of hate and threats of physical violence by young male activists. They also know that Police Scotland will rarely intervene to prevent this.
Skye Stout is just embarking on a promising career as a footballer. That young women like her are now being recognised for their skills and paid for them signposts one of the most important pathways ever to have emerged for women and young girls in this generation.
This has coincided with a period in Scotland's history where some of the most important and compelling voices in politics belong to smart, brave, eloquent women. How tragic that in Scotland male trolls still want to silence them.
Kevin McKenna is a Herald writer and columnist. He is Features Writer of the Year and writes regularly about the working-class people and communities of Scotland.