Anything which stops people participating and enjoying the game of football has to be tackled and eradicated. One of the areas to be constantly fought is discrimination in whatever form against any group of people or section of our multi-faceted society. Much work has been done in the area of anti-racism, attitudes have been changed and it is now accepted that any form of racism is simply wrong. More than that, it is illegal.
Now, the issue of homophobia and transphobia in football needs to be tackled. The game we all love is for everyone – regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. On Sunday May 17, the footballers and the coach of the Blagoevgrad football team "Sportika" put on T-shirts with a message against homophobia during their match against the team of the National Sports Academic. T-shirts with the inscription "Football against homophobia" are part of a campaign against homophobia in football of the FARE Network (Football Against Racism in Europe) - an international non-governmental organization fighting for inequality in football and the use of sport as a tool for positive social change.
The campaign in Bulgaria was initiated by fans and footballers of FC "Akedmik" Geo Milev and supported by Christiana Daneva, a board member of EGLSF, the European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation. "The theme of tolerance in sport is essential, and football, as one of the most popular sports in the country, is a powerful tool to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. European gay-lesbian sports federation fully supports the initiative” - Christiana Daneva.
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