Peter Tatchell posts video message saying he was “arrested and detained” by Qatari police following kerbside protest in Doha, though authorities deny this; 70-year-old was wearing #QatarAntiGay T-shirt and says he was “standing in solidarity with brave Qatari human rights defenders”; Tatchell urges FIFA to “press Qatar much harder to deliver on human rights”
Testimonies from lesbian, gay, bi and trans people experiencing persecution and prejudice within the World Cup host nation are being shared; however, influential football figures are yet to amplify their voices; theme of annual awareness day is ‘make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority’
The Gay Games recently marked its 40th anniversary, just a few months after its co-President Joanie Evans celebrated a milestone birthday of her own. Joanie became an ambassador for Sporting Heritage earlier this year so in support of its annual event – and after a summer in which England finally brought football home – we asked her to reflect on her role in LGBTQ+ sports history…
“To share ideas and ways in which we can help to make football a much more inclusive space” – that’s just one of the reasons why Jahmal joined the LGBTQ+ Professionals in Football Collective. He talks with us to mark Bi Visibility Day on Friday 23 September. It’s an awareness day that’s increasingly important to acknowledge…
Growing up with a love of football, Katy Smith hoped to have a future in the game – but sexism and homophobia saw her drift away from the pitch in her early teens. However, getting into coaching a few years later and the celebratory mood generated by England’s triumph at the Euros have reignited her passion. She explains why everyone should get to benefit from the momentum of women’s football…
Ryan Atkin and Stacey Pearson are among the match officials who are representing their community in the sport on a new industry network group; the LGBTQ+ Professionals in Football Collective was launched on June 16 and is open to all in the game who want to drive inclusion; Atkin hails “great strides” made by PGMOL and The FA in recent years…
LGBTQ+ Professionals in Football Collective starts up – go to lgbtqfootball.com; players, coaches, match officials, and ED&I professionals among founding members; “considerable expertise and experience” already in group, which offers “safe space”
Simon isn’t just super talented at football – he’s also sensational at voguing, but he keeps his dance skills secret. His best friend Les wants him to break free from the conformity of his team – but can Simon really embrace both ballroom and his true self? A new short film will show us, but first the project needs your support on Kickstarter…
Watch a replay of our event and listen via the Football v Homophobia Podcast; our partnership with the FWA continues with panel discussion, supported by FvH; Tim Thornton, Erin Williams, Jay Lemonius and Nancy Frostick discuss one of 2022’s biggest football stories…
Arthur Webber – Twitter’s @BernieTranders – is the author of the latest ‘Queer Gaze’ column, which goes out in the QueerAF newsletter; we love the newsletter and are sharing it with our mailing list this weekend; Arthur’s written about the impact he’s seen online after Blackpool’s Jake Daniels shared the news that he’s gay…