#DiversityWins Week: LGBTQ+ Campaigns in European Football
We would like you to join us for our #DiversityWins week from October 18th till 21st and help to create the largest campaign for equality and diversity in global football. EFDN encourages its partners and members to become active promoters of equality and diversity in European football and therefore we are inviting our members to participate in this campaign by sharing own content on social media during the #FootballPeople Action weeks and in particular during the #DiversityWins week from October 18-21st. You can use the hashtags #FootballPeople, #DiversityWins and #MorethanFootball. To inspire you for these days and learn about what is possible and necessary to do and learn in European football, we have collected a few campaigns that highlight the support of and wish for a diverse football world.
OUT!
OUT! is a unique 18-month collaborative partnership that brings together supporters, fan organisations, football associations, football leagues, and stakeholders to work on the fight against homophobia and the empowerment of LGBT+ stakeholders in football. OUT! is co-funded by UEFA and the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme. Football is known for its integrative effect on society. However, LGBT+ people are still underrepresented in the football world – be it in the crowd, on the pitch, or in the leading bodies of football leagues, associations, and clubs. There is still widespread homophobic abuse on the terraces and on the pitch, more often than not without any discussion afterwards, let alone consequences.
OUT! want to put the fight against homophobia on the agenda of European football in order to establish a coherent and effective approach to the problems outlined above. OUT! therefore aims to bring together stakeholders from all over Europe. Football Supporters Europe, Pride in Football, Fußballfans gegen Homophobie and the Belgian Football Association have already been active nationally, but they want to widen their impact . With access to UEFA and ERASMUS+ funding, they are able to underline the European approach and expand all partners’ messaging and networking efforts. The project coordinator and partners will clarify the current situation through research and the involved practitioners’ assessment. In the following step of the project, partners and external stakeholders, such as delegates of football associations, fan organisations, clubs, and representatives of football players will attend transnational meetings to spread awareness among football entities, learn about effective approaches to the topic and disseminate information. This should give fans, players, clubs, leagues and football associations useful guidelines to tackle homophobia within their respective environment.
#One Love
Last weekend, Dutch football clubs were promoting the idea that everyone is welcome and should be able to be themselves. Among other things, with a captain’s armband. Gender, sexual preference, colour, origin and religion, it makes no difference. Our football belongs to everyone and the campaign emphasized that, together with the acceptance of LGBTQI+ people. Some of our members participated as well:
Almere City FC
Sparta Rotterdam
RKC Waalwijk
#DiversityWins
The first EFDN members have already started joining the campaign. To join, simply share your own content on social media during the #FootballPeople Action weeks and in particular during the #DiversityWins week from October 18-21st. You can use the hashtags #FootballPeople, #DiversityWins and #MorethanFootball.
