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British
Football Joins
Gay
Rights Group To Fight Homophobia
by
365Gay.com from the Web, August 27, 2006
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London -- The British take
their football seriously and they don't suffer bad games or players lightly,
often pelting them with loud barrages of insults, frequently homophobic in
nature. Players aren't much better, regularly berating fellow players or
members of opposing teams with anti-gay slurs.
Earlier this year the football league cautioned players and teams that
homophobia was inappropriate. It was a plea that fell mostly on deaf ears.
But now one team is doing something about homophobia.
Manchester City is teaming up with British LGBT rights group Stonewall to not
only fight homophobia but also attract gay fans and players. The team is
the first sports enterprise in the UK, possibly the world to pay a gay civil
rights group for advice.
The exact figure has not been released but is reported to be in the four figures
range.
The program Manchester City is joining is called Diversity Champions which
already has scored successful results in working with mayor corporations in
Britain.
"Manchester City should be congratulated for putting their head above the
parapet and moving into the 21st century," said Stonewall leader Ben Summerskill.
Summerskill said that in the next few weeks Manchester City will meet with the
Diversity Champions team to set goals for the football club. They include
fan education, recruitment and marketing.
He called it a win win situation for both gays and clubs, pointing out that a
gay-friendly environment would attract more straight fans -- particularly
families put off by the current homophobic taunts that blight games.
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