There is a common misconception that women who resemble Gabriella Howell are incapable of excelling in sports. However, the soccer star from Sutton United is determined to silence her critics and prove them wrong.
Gabby recently addressed the cyberbullies who have been targeting her because of her looks and her passion for playing soccer. She believes that she is singled out due to her love for sports as well as her interest in fashion and fun.
“You can do both – you can play soccer and enjoy dressing up,” Howell expressed to The Mirror.
Gabby exposed some of the sexist and demeaning messages she has received from men on her social media platforms – TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter – where her followers exceed 300,000.
In response to one of her videos, a comment read: “Gabby, why aren’t you in the kitchen?”
Another comment stated: “Always mediocre! It’s a woman attempting a man’s game.”
Yet another comment criticized: “The issue with women’s soccer is that players are chosen based on appearance rather than skill.”
Gabby encounters remarks from men claiming that women are unable to compete with men.
Apart from the sexist remarks, she also receives disrespectful messages from men on Instagram who don’t take her seriously.
“Men will make inappropriate comments under my football photos – and if I tag my club, it’s embarrassing,” she shared.
Howell admitted that while the negativity did affect her once, she has since refrained from letting it get to her. She opts to keep the hateful comments visible on her posts instead of deleting them, believing it can serve as a lesson for young individuals about the realities of being a social media influencer.
“Young girls aspire to be influencers without understanding the drawbacks. I want to shed light on this,” Gabby mentioned to The Mirror. This is an important message for today’s youth to grasp.
