|
(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.
©365Gay.com 2006
|
Entertainment
