Press Release

The European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF) today called on UEFA to take action against José Mourinho for comments in which he referred to match officials as “maricones” (“faggots” in English). The comments were made by the Real Madrid coach prior to their Champion’s League tie against CSKA Moscow. The comments were captured on film, which was later shown on the Spanish television channel Quatro. Louise Englefield, Co-president of the EGLSF, an organisation representing over 17,000 lesbian gay bisexual and trans (LGBT) athletes across Europe, said: “Homophobia is unacceptable from anyone in football, much less from one of the [...]

The European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) is today saddened and disappointed to learn that GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) has been forced to close its Sports Media Program. The Sports Media Program, headed up by Ted Rybka, has worked with gay and transgender athletes – both amateur and professional and with sports media outlets from ESPN to Sports Illustrated to elevate the voices, stories and accomplishments of LGBT sports people since 2007. GLAAD has also worked to address the issue of homophobia in locker rooms and in the stands by encouraging media outlets to generate conversations [...]

Today the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation gave its backing to Football v Homophobia, the International Day Against Homophobia in Football. The Day is being launched in the UK, by the Justin Campaign, an antihomophobia football campaign named after the only out gay professional football player in the UK, Justin Fashanu, who tragically ended his own life in 1998. The Justin Campaign intend Football v Homophobia, 19 February will become the one day each year where individuals, community groups, grass roots teams and professional clubs internationally can express their disapproval of homophobia in football by celebrating under the banner [...]

Former Welsh Rugby International Gareth Thomas followed in the footsteps of Irish Hurling star Donal Óg Cusack this weekend by making the public announcement that he was gay. This makes him the only openly gay professional rugby player still in the game. Thomas, who is Wales’ most capped player, still plays at a club level for Cardiff Blues, having retired from International Rugby in 2007. The story was sympathetically revealed in the English newspaper the Daily Mail, a newspaper which had recently caused outrage amongst the UK and Irish LGBT community for publishing an article which speculated about the death of Stephen Gately, a gay man and [...]

The Dutch government aims for a tolerant sport climate, based on respect, equality and sporting together. In this sport environment there should be a place for everybody, also for homosexuals athletes. With the programme “Simply being gay” The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports (VWS) stimulates the emancipation of homosexuals. One of the topics within this programme of VWS is aimed at sport. The programme Sport & Tolerance pays attention to several elements within the social acceptance of homosexual sportsmen and sportswomen and to the social inclusion and exclusion mechanisms experienced by homosexual sportsmen and -women. The NSA is responsible [...]