Homophobia and Discrimination on

I.8. Sports
This section addresses the difficulties of practising sports as an open LGBT person <strong>and</strong>
the use of homophobic jargon <strong>and</strong> sl<strong>and</strong>er in professional <strong>and</strong> non-professional sport
settings.
<strong>Homophobia</strong> in sports
The majority of country reports note the paucity of quantitative or qualitative research on
homophobia in sport. The limited information available suggests though that
homophobia is present in a number of sport contexts <strong>and</strong> that there are significant
challenges related to being an openly LGBT person in sports. Existing research <strong>and</strong> data
focus largely on professional football.
Homophobic football slogans chanted by fans in order to ridicule the referee or the
opposing team occur in almost every mainstream football event. 297 In the United
Kingdom, the example of a football player who during a match used homophobic verbal
abuse against the referee is not atypical. 298
In Italy, the NGOs Arcigay <strong>and</strong> Arcilesbica noted during interviews that anti-LGBT
statements are routinely present in football fan culture, with neo-fascist groups
represented in several fan clubs <strong>and</strong> hooligan groups. 299
The country report for the United Kingdom contained no information on any openly gay
professional footballers currently in Britain, but reportedly gay footballers have been
advised to maintain a heterosexual image.
'I think it would be easier <strong>and</strong> better accepted to come out as homosexual in the
political party I'm active in than in sports. In sports, masculinity is still the ideal. When
I played soccer when I was younger, it was important to distinguish yourself from the
'sissies' <strong>and</strong> the 'fags'. (Male, former tennis coach, Sweden) 300
According to The European Gay <strong>and</strong> Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF), founded in
1989 with the aim of fighting discrimination in sport <strong>and</strong> supporting the coming out of gay
<strong>and</strong> lesbian athletes, it is not easy to come out in a non-professional sports group in
Europe. Although the experiences of LGBT persons vary in different Member States,
297 T. Walther (2006). Kick It Out: <strong>Homophobia</strong> in Football. European Gay <strong>and</strong> Lesbian Sport Federation
(ed). Berlin, Amsterdam
298 See http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/sep/28/paulscholes<strong>and</strong>antigayabuse (08.08.2008)
299 Fieldwork meeting with Arcigay <strong>and</strong> Arcilesbica (Italy 5 March 2008)
300 RFSL (2007) All Clear 2.0, Gay, Lesbian, Bi & Hetero at Work, p. 55
Part II - The Social Situation
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