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After a homophobic remark from an actor: The senior international referee came out of the closet
Tom Herald Ragan, who also previously refereed the Israeli national team, confessed following an unusual incident in the game he ran: "It's time to say I'm gay. Homophobia should be eradicated from football."
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Homophobia
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Wednesday, 28 October 2020, 12:03
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Tom Herald Ragan, a Norwegian judge with a rich international past, came out of the closet under exceptional circumstances.
The 44-year-old referee this week conducted a game between Vidar Kjartansson's Valeranga and Christiansund in the Norwegian league, accompanied by an unusual homophobic incident.
During the game, one of the Christiansund players verbally confronted Valeranga's coach and called him "rising", which caused a stir in Norway and ended in a heavy fine.
After the incident, the decision to confess his sexual identity was made in Ragan's heart.
"It's time to say I'm gay. Only positive things can come out of it," he told local media.
"For me, it has always been a natural thing. I have been like this since I can remember, and do not feel the need to apologize for it."
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A brave confession.
Ragan (Photo: GettyImages)
Hagen has received sweeping support from coaches, players and footballers in Norway, but admitted that he feels a special mission to come out of the closet as a relatively well-known international figure in the world of football, where a bond of silence is still maintained around gays.
"In football, all sorts of things are said in the heat of the moment. Sometimes there are emissions here, it can happen to anyone, but it's time to eradicate the homophobic comments from the pitches. The football world is more open to gays than one might think, but there is still a long way to go," he said.
Hagen, one of the top referees in Norwegian football, has managed dozens of international games, including in the Champions League and in the Euros.
In October 2013, he managed the Israeli national team's game against Portugal in the World Cup qualifiers, which ended in a surprising 1: 1 with a dramatic goal by Eden Ben Best.
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