The European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) and the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network in co-operation with the Gay and lesbian Football Fan Club of FC Barcelona Penya Blaugrana de Gais i Lesbianes did hold the first EGLSF Conference Football Against Homophobia in Barcelona.
From February 6 to 8, 2009 the meeting did gather gay and lesbian football fan groups from across the continent to discuss the issues facing gay and lesbian football supporters and how they could be tackled.
The participating organisations from Austria, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain and Switzerland were:
Andersrum rut-wiess, Bayer04-junxx, Dublin Devils FC, English Football Federation (The FA), FairPlay. Viele Farben. Ein Spiel/FARE, Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN), Hertha Junxx, Kick it out/FARE, Meenzelmänner, Paris Foot Gay, Penya Blaugrana de Gais i Lesbianes, Queerpass Bayern, Queerpass St. Pauli, Stuttgarter Junx, UK Pride Sport Summit, Wankdorfjunxx, WildparkJunxx Karlsruhe.
A round of introduction made clear that the problems are the same everywhere: Discrimination happens first and foremost by ignoring homosexuality. In the entire world of football, clubs and associations with few exceptions choose to ignore homophobia and discrimination of gays and lesbians on all levels, for the simple reason that homosexuals supposedly do not exist in sport.
But in order to tap the full potential of football, all forms of discrimination need to be counteracted. While racism is frequently on the agenda, discrimination and abuse based on sexual orientation, homophobia, and sexism are mostly neglected. Only participants from England and Germany could report that the Football Federations of their Countries support their work. The FA is working closely together with the GFSN and has produced a program called "Football for All". The German FA did support different evenings against homophobia and was also present during one of the biggest pride days in Germany in Cologne in 2008.
The Conference will from now on be held on regularly basis, so that the power and influence of football can be mobilised to create public awareness of issues such as homosexuality, gender, homophobia, and sexism.
The first step to achieve these goals will be to create a special website for the conference on the EGLSF website with information on the work of all the groups, news items, reports of incidents, best practice etc.
The European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation conference on football recognised that homophobic discrimination and abuse is preventing men and women of all sexualities from fully participating in the game and agreed to work together and support each other in combating homophobia in football.