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 the women’s game is and how much the men’s side isn’t. It’s still fuelled by homophobic comments, racial comments.
“As much as we know how much sport can be a positive impact on so many people, it’s still so frustrating that social media platforms allow that level of hate to be given to players.
“It’s another reminder of how social media platforms need to be held more accountable for the hate thrown at people as human beings, regardless of their sexuality or race. I think it’s another reminder of how far society has to go.”
When asked about the incident during a news conference on Tuesday, England manager Sarina Wiegman said: “It is very, very disappointing. I’m really happy for them. They look really happy and I hope it all goes well.”
Chelsea Pride, an LGBTQ+ supporters’ 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,” it said.
Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, said it takes “bullying and harassment situations seriously” but it is “a unique challenge and one of the most complex issues to address because context is critical”.
It added: “We’re always creating new resources and tools, and revising policies with expert help to continually tackle the issue.”
