Football v Homophobia Month of Action 2021 - Fare network
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Football v Homophobia Month of Action 2021
CONTENTS
1. FARE AND FOOTBALL V HOMOPHOBIA 3
2. FOOTBALL V HOMOPHOBIA MONTH OF ACTION 2021 4
3. FOOTBALL V HOMOPHOBIA 9
WHAT’S NEXT FOR LGBTIQ+ RIGHTS AND FOOTBALL?
4. FOOTBALL V HOMOPHOBIA MONTH OF ACTION DATA 11
2 Football v Homophobia Month of Action 2021
1. FARE AND FOOTBALL V HOMOPHOBIA
Each February, the Fare network teams up with Football v Homophobia to run an
international campaign tackling LGBTIQ+ exclusion within sport and wider society.
Established in 2010, Football v Homophobia (FvH) challenges discrimination based on
gender identity and sexual orientation, providing support, education and training to
promote an inclusive environment in football.
Since 2011, Fare and FvH have been joining forces to work across different levels of
football and help bring about positive change for LGBTIQ+ communities.
Each year in February, groups across Europe and beyond are supported by Fare and
FvH by receiving grants to run football-related activities to promote LGTBIQ+ rights
during the Football v Homophobia Month of Action. Activities range from educational
workshops, roundtables, conferences and football tournaments.
3 Football v Homophobia Month of Action 2021
2. FOOTBALL V HOMOPHOBIA MONTH OF ACTION 2021
I In 2020 Fare awarded 26
n February 2021, Fare provided grants to 13 groups across the globe, with Episode one looks at LGBTIQ+ fans and homophobia in stadiums, with Onã
a focus on creative and impactful action to promote inclusion, through Rudá from LGBTricolor in Bahia talking about the experiences and challenges
international cooperation, education, or lobbying. facing queer fans in the virtual and physical stands. They ask whether in the
In 2020 Fare awarded 26 organisations in Europe grants of up to €500; in
country that kills the most LGBTIQ+ people in the world, these fan groups
can act as a form of resistance? Listen here.
organisations in Europe grants
2021, 13 organisations were awarded grants of up to €1000. For the first time,
Fare extended the programme of grants beyond Europe, with groups in Latin
America and Africa joining the FvH month of action with funds of 1000 USD
The second podcast addresses the topic of ‘Women in football and the
counter-attack to machismo, misogyny and lesbophobia’. This episode
of up to €500; in 2021 13
for groups available. Projects in Mexico, Brazil and Uganda, as well as across
Europe, highlighted an exciting global growth in the Football v Homophobia
features Joane Ribeiro, a Black lesbian football and futsal player, who
discusses her struggle against racism and lesbophobia throughout her organisations were awarded
month of action. career and the financial barriers to pursuing a career abroad. Listen here.
With continuing global restrictions on playing and watching sport due to The third episode entitled: ‘Trans people in football: what’s at stake?’ focuses grants of up to €1000
Covid19 and in response to growing political movements that seek to limit on the experiences and stories Bernardo Gonzales, a transmasculine
the rights of LGBTIQ+ people, this season Fare put a priority on exceptional teacher and amateur football player. Bernardo talks of the gender issues
activities that offset some of the pandemic’s adverse effects and supported impacting football and his reconnection with the sport, despite it still being a
positive rights in the face of repressive ideas. hostile environment for trans people. Listen here.
In Brazil two renowned organisations, Ludopedio and Revista Gambiarra - In the final podcast, ‘Against homophobia: the case of gay players in
Jornalismo, Cultura e Ativismo, joined forces to produce a series of podcasts. amateur football’, Alexandre Antoniazzi Franco de Souza is interviewed.
Alexandre is a gay man, Italian teacher and an enthusiastic amateur football
“It is really important to use our voices in such a conservative country as player with NATUS FC, based in São Paulo. He speaks about his passion for
Brazil. It is important to raise awareness on the issues of LGBTIQ+ people in and connection with football played by people who defy machismo and
football. As a LGBTIQ+ woman myself, I was really happy to be able to lift our homophobic standards. Listen here.
community and reach out to those who are often forgotten in the sporting
world.” – Julia Belas, podcast presenter
4 Football v Homophobia Month of Action 2021
In Mexico we also had two organisations joining the Football v Homophobia
month of action: DIDESEX and the NGO Versus founded by renowned sports
journalist Marion Reimers.
Versus focused on producing a concise and practical guide for sports journalists
and reporters on how to approach subjects related to the LGBTIQ+ community.
After research and collaboration with LGBTIQ+ activists, Versus officially
launched their media guide for journalists during the FvH month. The guide (in
Spanish) is to be used by journalists, so that they can approach and write about
issues related to the LGBTIQ+ community without perpetuating homophobic
attitudes or gendered stereotypes. The guide can be found here: http://versus.
mx/guia.pdf
In the build-up to the guide’s launch, Versus teamed up with several players from
the Mexican League to tell and share their story through videos and a social
media campaign. In one video, Janelly Farias, Mariana Cadena, Fabiola Ibarra and
Stephany Mayor discussed being LGBTIQ+ in sports. A second campaign video
featuring Bianca Sierra and Bárbara Sandoval centred around the need for more
and better representation of the LGBTIQ+ community in sports media, while the
final video featuring Ana Gaby Lozada was a direct invitation to reporters to
download, use, and share the guide.
“We can help to reduce homophobic violence if we dare to tell new stories.”
– Ana Gaby Lozada (professional player in Mexico)
Meanwhile, DIDESEX focused on reporting homophobia in football. Homophobic
abuse in Mexican football is widespread and persistent through the use of the
“puto” chant. DIDESEX used the FvH action month as an opportunity to develop a
functioning reporting mechanism. As a start, DIDESEX trained volunteers in how
to take on a reporting role at matches and they also built a website tailor-made
for reporting homophobia in football. A webinar was organised to launch the
website and discuss homophobia in football, DIDESEX are committed to continue
promote the website and follow up on reported incidents. The website is here.
5 Football v Homophobia Month of Action 2021
In Uganda the ground-breaking Tomorrow Women in Sports organised a
campaign to address homophobia, specifically homophobic chants and abuse in
football. As well as creating an online campaign, the group organised workshops
to address the topic.
The Football v Homophobia month of action also saw important work in Europe.
In Ukraine, the Klitschko Foundation’s “Football for Everyone” campaign seeks
to combat homophobia, transphobia and discrimination by working with physical
education teachers in sport and football.
The group ran both practical and virtual sessions led by experts in the LGBTIQ+
community, including women football coaches from the Amateur Women’s
Football Club NRG, a practicing psychologist from Kyiv Pride NGO, and a sports
journalist from the magazine ‘Gender in detail’.
The sessions looked at discrimination against the LGBTIQ+ community in football
from different perspectives. The participating coaches were tasked with
Tomorrow Women in Sports, Uganda. Klitschko Foundation, Ukraine.
organising similar sessions for their pupils. Over 400 pupils in different regions
of Ukraine have benefited from the tools their teachers received during these
training sessions. More information on the campaign and the key outcomes from
their sessions here.
Over 400 pupils in different
Mykola Niga (participant): “I was lucky to become a participant in the Football
for Everyone project. In the project, thanks to lectures and practical classes,
regions of Ukraine have
I changed my view of people of different genders and sexual orientations: I
learned to understand people, despite their differences, whereas I previously had benefited from the tools their
a different opinion. For myself, I drew the following conclusion from the project:
we do not have the right to judge people for how nature created them, but we
must all live in harmony and fight against discrimination in society. I want to
teachers received during these
discuss this topic with my students. I believe that my local project of “Football for
everyone” will be the starting point for this.” training sessions.
Klitschko Foundation, Ukraine.
6 Football v Homophobia Month of Action 2021
In Poland, a newly created grassroots women’s walking football club joined the FvH
month for the first time. Poland has seen growing levels of discrimination against
the LGBTIQ+ community in recent years, with some cities introducing LGBTIQ+ free
zones. The players of Stars Lodz used their walking football club to make the sport
accessible to all and provide a safe place to play. During the FvH month of action
they organised open training sessions and actively promoted their club. They
reached almost 100 participants with their open sessions.
2021 marks exactly 100 years since the FA banned women’s football in England. To
mark this centenary Goal Diggers FC, a London-based grassroots club, created a
protest kit to mark this event and celebrate the intersectional stories of the women
and non-binary people who pioneered the women’s game. The group hosted an
online virtual session ‘For the Love of the Game’ to reveal their kit and a panel
discussion with players and campaigners (including goalkeeper Chloe Morgan and
Sammy Walker of Soho FC).
“The significance of FvH month of action is twofold: Representation and celebration.
I think FvH is fabulous for representation on the bigger scale of women’s and men’s
football. For example, seeing the pride flag and captains’ pride armbands at the
Lionesses match against Northern Ireland carried a strong message that the game
is for everyone. Secondly, I would say FvH creates opportunities within our own club
to celebrate. For example, during the month of action, we would normally hold events
such as a training session that specifically celebrates all our queer members and
everyone around that.”
– Gaia Laidler - GDFC membership secretary & host of ‘For the love of the game: 100
defiant years of womxn’s football’
The Goal Diggers FC 2021 protest kit is available to view and order on their website.
7 Football v Homophobia Month of Action 2021
Fare network members Out in Slovenija – who have been active in raising “The Football v Homophobia month of action is a powerful reminder of how
awareness of issues relating to the equality and inclusion of people with widely spread homophobia is in sport in general and in football in particular.
non-traditional sexual orientation and gender identity in the region - used an The month is a great opportunity for people from different walks of life to
FvH grant to organise a virtual conference on ‘The Human Rights of Invisible come together to reflect on the current situation and try to improve it so as
Minorities in Sport’. to make sport a safe place and an enjoyable one for everybody.” – Delizia
Flaccavento, Sicilya Demir Spor co-founder and event organiser.
The online international roundtable and workshop is available to watch again in
full on Out in Slovenija’s Facebook page. The event examined the human rights In Georgia where the former captain of the national mens team, Guram
situation generally and in sport specifically for LGBTIQ+ people in Central and Kashia, has received recognition from UEFA and the Presidential Order of
Eastern Europe and particularly in light of Covid-19 regulations. Excellence from the country’s president for his stance on LGBTIQ+ rights -
the NGO Compass held a number of activities including a graffiti workshop
There were also events and activities organised in Italy, Georgia and Turkey. In and movie screening with group discussions and debates.
Italy, Lupi Roma Outsport shot a video about homophobia and discrimination
including a double interview with a refugee player and a LGBTIQ+ player. They Two grant recipients are due to finalise their activities in April and May
partnered up with Fare members Liberi Nantes - the video was a central part of due to Covid-19 delays. Activ’Elles04 in France will form an alliance with
their FvH2021 social media campaign. Watch the video here. youth work partner SEGPA, who work with disadvantaged kids at local
schools and organise lessons around different forms of discrimination
“It was my first time in front of a camera, I’m proud to have been able to speak (sexism, homophobia, racism and ableism). After the lessons, the
about myself and my passion for football.” – Terence, Lupi Roma Outsport player students will help in the creation of a board game that tackles
in the video. discrimination and challenges stereotypes.
The LGBTIQ+ community in Turkey has faced growing vitriol and persecution In Portugal the Associação para o Planeamento da Família (APF) will
from the government and we were proud to support Sicilya Demir Spor organise a three-hour workshop in schools to educate young people on
who organised an online conference called “Building Bridges: An Inclusive sexual orientation and gender identity. The children will then create a
Gathering”. It was a virtual gathering via Zoom to promote dialogue and long-term graffiti installation celebrating diversity. The workshops will
acceptances among different segments of society that often do not focus on discrimination and sexual orientation, with the main goal of
communicate with one another. clarifying and deconstructing myths associated with homophobia and
fighting against the use of derogatory terms and homophobic chants in
Among the participants, were members of Sicilya Demir Spor, Sportif Lezbon the world of football and football stadiums.
(one of the first LGBTIQ+ football teams in Turkey), Muamma (the first Turkish
LGBTIQ+ football team outside of Istanbul and Ankara), the Turkish Federation
of Schizophrenic Associations, the Hrant Dink Foundation, academics and
students from Istanbul Bilgi University, Adana Çukurova University and Ankara
Hacettepe University, as well as activists and individuals.
8 Football v Homophobia Month of Action 2021
3. FOOTBALL V HOMOPHOBIA:
WHAT’S NEXT FOR LGBTIQ+ RIGHTS AND FOOTBALL?
T
he online conference What’s next for LGBTIQ+ Rights and Football? was Pernille Harder, Chelsea FC player and Denmark captain, highlighted the positive
the first ever Fare v Homophobia conference. It featured 37 speakers impact of people who aren’t Black, women, or gay actively talking about racism,
from 18 countries participate across the globe celebrating the role of sexism, and homophobia. Ryan Russell, an NFL free agent – and the only openly
LGBTIQ+ people in sport and looking at what more football can and should be queer man involved in the USA’s top four men’s leagues – focused on the huge
doing to fight discrimination. need for representation in the stands, in marketing, in the offices and on the
pitch and stressed how much more needs to be done to support this. Aston
Across two afternoons, over 1000 individuals were able to join the event for Villa defender Anita Asante called for social media platforms to not only protect
discussions that ranged from exploring the position of the EU in regard to athletes but more generally marginalised groups online. She joined the call for
LGBTIQ+ rights; how mega events can affect long-lasting change; how queer platforms to start taking more responsibility.
leadership can bring about greater representation on and off the pitch; as well
as sport’s policing of women’s bodies; fan pride movements and more. Day Two of the conference saw Malin Björk MEP, a member of the LGBTI
Intergroup of the European Parliament suggesting that the first ever European
On Day 1 Helena Dalli, the EU Commissioner for Equality, had a focus on the new LGBTI strategy was formulating weekly around sport, but recognised that this
policy frameworks the EU has in place and the importance of civil society in could be used as an opportunity. She called for there to be major activity in
challenging EU states that deny LGBTIQ+ rights. place around the Women’s UEFA European Championships in 2022 to promote
LGBTIQ+ inclusion.
Joyce Cook (Chief of Social Responsibility at FIFA) joined a discussion with Jon Holmes, of Sky Sports and founder of Sports Media LGBT+ joined former
Kelly Simmons (English FA) and Klara Bjartmarz (Iceland FA) about their England international Lianne Sanderson, and Managing Editor of Outsports,
experiences working in the game as LGBTIQ+ leaders. In a conversation Dawn Ennis in a session on ‘Representation in Reporting: Examining the Media
moderated by the journalist Meg Linehan, Joyce called for federations and and LGBTIQ+ Issues’.
sponsors to do more to take responsibility away from individuals, while Klara
highlighted the value of dealing with women and men’s football under one Holmes said that news media need to follow sports media’s example, which is
umbrella in order to achieve uniform levels of inclusion. beginning to provide much more varied and nuanced coverage of queer athletes
and their stories. The group, moderated by Alex Kay-Jelski of The Athletic,
The first day of the conference then saw trans activist Natalie Washington considered to what extent they are defined by their queer identity, asking: are
making the point that winning the ‘trans battle’ in sport is key to winning over they gay journalists or are they journalists who are gay?
wider societal support. She asked the pertinent question that if trans women
are not considered women in sport, who are they in the rest of society? In The final session of Day One saw an unmissable line up of athletes – Pernille
the same session exploring grassroots movements, Suzi Andreis (Poland) Harder, Ryan Russell and Anita Asante moderated by Marion Reimers – discuss
discussed the challenges facing LGBTIQ+ football clubs being on the fringes of the topic: ‘Breaking Barriers: Athlete Activism for LGBTIQ+ inclusion’.
both football and queer activism.
9 Football v Homophobia Month of Action 2021
The ‘Policing Women’s Bodies in Sport’ discussion drew attention to the fact that The conference finished with a session on ‘Moving Beyond the Rainbow: Meaningful
science refutes the claims commonly used to support the exclusion of trans,
intersex and non-binary individuals. The panel of academics and international
Inclusion through sporting mega events’, during which Johanna Wood, President of
New Zealand Football and a co-leader of the organising committee for the Women’s
While dominant athletes in
and Olympic athletes discussed how the policing of women’s bodies is a World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, confirmed the tournament will have
symptom of society’s unwillingness to celebrate exceptional women. While
dominant athletes in men’s sports are celebrated, in women’s sports they are
gender inclusive facilities which will have a knock-on effect on other sports events
and help break down a historically “macho rugby culture”. Wood said they are looking
men’s sports are celebrated,
treated with suspicion. Raphael Martins, founder of Brazil’s first team for trans
men, emphasised that trans players often feel excluded from both ‘mainstream’
for what will be the ‘wow factor’ to make their tournament the most inclusive yet,
while Pride House International emphasised the importance of working with local in women’s sports they are
and LGBTIQ+ clubs. queer populations to ensure tournaments have a long-lasting legacy.
The Supporters Pride session centred around the need for allies to speak out The conference is available to watch online
treated with suspicion.
in support of LGBTIQ+ rights as they have a protection that queer people lack Watch Day 1 here
when speaking out on the topic. A key insight from Rishi Madlani of Foxes Pride Watch Day 2 here
emphasised the continued lack of representation of ethnic minority fans in
LGBTIQ+ fan groups.
10 Football v Homophobia Month of Action 20214. FOOTBALL V HOMOPHOBIA MONTH OF ACTION DATA
Last updated 26 March 2021
14 GRANTS AWARDED
GEORGIA BRAZIL (2) MEXICO (2) FRANCE ENGLAND ITALY
POLAND UKRAINE TURKEY SLOVENIA UGANDA PORTUGAL
11 Football v Homophobia Month of Action 20212021 GRANT RECIPIENTS
BRAZIL ENGLAND FRANCE GEORGIA ITALY
MEXICO MEXICO POLAND PORTUGAL SLOVENIA
TURKEY UGANDA UKRAINE
12 Football v Homophobia Month of Action 202131 1 4 4 2 4
ONLINE PLAYING FOOTBALL
WORKSHOP WEBINARS/ ACTIVITIES TOURNAMENTS PODCASTS
CONFERENCES
2 FILM
SCREENINGS
1 SOCIAL
MEDIA
9 EDUCATIONAL
& LEARNING
2 EDUCATIONAL
MATERIALS
2
Q&A EVENTS/ PANEL
DISCUSSIONS/ PRESENTATIONS
/LAUNCH EVENTS
TOTAL
CAMPAIGN SESSIONS PRODUCED
ACTIVITIES ISSUED ADDRESSED:
ORGANISED HOMOPHOBIA – TRANSPHOBIA – BIPHOBIA – LGBTIQ+ RIGHTS AND PARTICIPATION/REPRESENTATION IN FOOTBALL
WOMEN’S RIGHTS – REFUGEE RIGHTS
13 Football v Homophobia Month of Action 202114
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