Football v Homophobia

How many talented players give up on football at a young age because of homophobia? Ouissem Belgacem was one of those players, a highly-rated defender in Toulouse’s academy and a Tunisia youth international. But he quit football, aged just 20, pushed out by the sport he still loves.Belgacem is now one of the most influential LGBTQ voices in France. He’s an author, public speaker and now a documentary film-maker, and he’s just been named on the Outsports Soccer Power 26 list of impactful LGBTQ people in the men’s game, from around the world.In 2021, he gave FvH Podcast host Jon Holmes an exclusive feature interview for Sky Sports. Five years later, Jon and Ouissem reunite for a conversation about his inspirational work, his disappointment in the French league and FIFA, his thoughts on the World Cup and the ‘Pride Match’ between Egypt and Iran in Seattle, and why his current role-model athletes come from tennis and basketball, not football.Tune in to hear from one a former footballer who didn’t just come out publicly as gay but has now dedicated his life to making the game better for the next generation.“I'm not sure I feel proud of being gay or being Arab. I think what I'm proud of is the journey I took to be OK with who I am and to celebrate my identities."Please support the FvH Podcast by leaving a rating and a review. Hit subscribe so you never miss an episode, and share far and wide to help us build our audience.Follow us on social media - we're active on Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook and other platforms.LinksFootball v Homophobia - https://www.footballvhomophobia.com/ Ouissem on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ouissembelgacemMe & You by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unportedhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US

A project in Germany called “Sports Free” has suggested gay and bi professional footballers in the men’s game should consider coming out as a group. The date of May 17 - which is IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia - has been put forward as a window of opportunity for this. But what would go through the mind of a gay player who is considering taking this step? Does nothing but happiness and freedom lie on the other side - or is it a different kind of pressure? Zander Murray took that step himself, individually, back in September 2002, making history in Scottish football. He now delivers workshops that provide guidance to young people on how to create inclusive spaces in the game. These sessions with TIE Scotland are having a big impact in Scotland and Zander hopes to take this work to more clubs, academies and schools. On a special episode of the FvH Podcast, he talks about the challenges he overcame when coming out, and gives his take on the interest around possible comings out on May 17, including by the British media. He also explains why he’s so passionate about education and describes his “dream” for a future in which footballers everywhere get the info they need to empathise with any teammates who might be gay or bi, or to be their authentic selves if they are LGBTQ+ themselves. This episode is hosted by FvH media and comms lead Jon Holmes, produced by Sports Media LGBT+. Activate FvH in your football space - just head to footballvhomophobia.com/fvt for info, or contact us! We value your support. Links Follow Zander on social media - https://linktr.ee/zandermurray About the TIE workshops - https://tie.scot/news/ties-anti-homophobia-football-project-to-feature-in-rylan-clark-documentary/ About the football media interest around May 17 - https://www.outsports.com/2024/5/13/24093764/gay-footballers-coming-out-group-may-17-sports-free-bundesliga-media-hype/ Thanks for listening - please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials using the hashtag #FvH2024 and #IDAHOBIT2024. We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram; and you can like us on Facebook too. Me & You by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US

'Rylan: Football, Homophobia and Me' is the latest TV documentary to explore the experience of being LGBTQ+ in the game. Produced by Buzz 16 for TNT Sports, it has a different feel to similar films, given a very personal touch by its hugely likeable presenter - a big West Ham supporter and football fan in general - while focusing on people within the game who are out as gay and bi and who have shared their stories. On this episode of the FvH Podcast, Jon Holmes is joined by two of those people - Thetford Town player-manager Matt Morton, and Sevenoaks Town centre-back Jahmal Howlett-Mundle. Matt is no stranger to appearing on screen since first publicly sharing his story back in the summer of 2020. As a self-described 'alpha male' who bucks all the stereotypes, he's also given great thought to the many factors that make visibility like his so rare in men's football. Jahmal shared the news that he is bisexual a year after Matt, in July 2021, and he has also been in demand from all parts of the media - he's thought to be the only player to have progressed through a Premier League club's Academy system to then later come out publicly. In a chat held in the annual Football v Homophobia Month of Action and what is also LGBT+ History Month, Matt and Jahmal (aka Jam) talk about what it was like to be part of the Rylan documentary, give their reviews of the finished film, and discuss a lot of connected issues such as LGBTQ+ men's mental health, education, and experiences of both discrimination and inclusion at grassroots level. Matt also talks about another doc that's just been released in Germany called 'The Last Taboo' which will hopefully hit UK streaming platforms later in the year. Links Football v Homophobia - ⁠https://www.footballvhomophobia.com/⁠ Sports Media LGBT+ - ⁠https://sportsmedialgbt.com/⁠ Matt and Jahmal's profiles on the LGBTQ+ Professionals in Football Collective (see links to their socials) - ⁠https://lgbtqfootball.com/who-are-we/⁠ Watch 'Rylan: Football, Homophobia and Me' on Discovery+ (UK) - https://www.discoveryplus.com/gb/video/rylan-football-homophobia-me/rylan-football-homophobia-me Jon's blog about the doc for Out and Out Football - https://www.outandout.football/p/rylans-new-documentary-will-fire-you-up-for-football-v-homophobias-month-of-action/ Trailer on Buzz 16's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/buzz16_buzz16-documentary-lgbtq-activity-7163139078765408259-334W Thank you for listening to the FvH Podcast - if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials. We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter / X; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram and Threads; and you can like us on Facebook too. Me & You by MusicbyAden | ⁠https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden⁠ Music promoted by ⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported ⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US

In Manchester on Pride weekend, the Football v Homophobia campaign revived a big get-together for the LGBTQ+ community in the game - an event that had previously been held online during the pandemic summer of 2020. This time, however, it was in person and fully fabulous! At a symposium at Man Met University, queer football culture was celebrated, from the inclusive vibes of the Women’s World Cup to encouraging signs in the men’s game, from the ‘monster’ TRUK United FC story to a decade of LGBTQ+ fan groups. We also put on a screening of short film ‘Realness With A Twist’ which tells the tale of a voguing-mad player who’s torn between the dressing room and the dancefloor; and we explored why Manchester is a magical place to make family through football. There was also a Pride party at the uber-cool Motley bar and we marched with a Football Pride banner in the parade on the Saturday before enjoying the rest of the weekend on Canal Street. The event was one of the highlights of the FvH calendar, and joining Sports Media LGBT+’s Jon Holmes to recap all the news and share their own stories are guests Sabah Ahmad and Adam Haworth. Sabah spoke on the closing panel about setting up Lez Be United FC, a club for women and non-binary people that plays in Manchester’s inclusive AF League. On the pod, she explains how growing up, she could never have dreamed of the kind of connection she has with football now; why local drag bar Cruz 101 is the perfect sponsor; and what she took away from Football Pride. At the start of 2023, Adam created Out and Out Football, a digital platform to share queer perspectives on the game. He talks about what he enjoyed as an attendee, and his outlook on LGBTQ inclusion as a Burnley fan. He also offers some suggestions about what might be good to introduce if/when (!) Football Pride comes back in 2024… Thank you to everyone who took part - our speakers, attendees, sponsors, organisers and anyone who amplified the message. Some links… Lez Be United FC on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lezbeunited_fc/ Watch Cruz 101’s Barb Just Barb try out for the team in a special Pride video! - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs9BEbHoXiJ/ Out & Out Football - https://www.outandout.football/ Adam on Twitter - https://twitter.com/aahaworth Thank you for listening to the Football v Homophobia Podcast - if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials. We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram; and you can like us on Facebook too. Our website is https://www.footballvhomophobia.com Me & You by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US

Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are on Twitter and within that, there's 'Football Twitter' - the sizeable cohort of users who support their clubs fiercely, who comment on the latest news and gossip constantly, and who interact with just about anything to do with the game. 'Football Twitter' (or 'FT') has also become notorious for anti-LGBTQ+ abuse and discrimination. As the platform continues to grow in toxicity and reach, it appears to be an increasingly unpleasant place to hang out for anyone who loves football but doesn't fit the 'FT mould'. On this episode of the FvH Podcast, we're joined by broadcaster and Arsenal YouTuber Sophie Nicolaou - aka @soccerdiva - and journalist and researcher Finbarr Toesland. Sophie tells us about her own experiences of harassment and abuse from a noisy 'FT' minority - but she also explains how she's still able to find her tribe on Twitter. Finbarr discusses the new report he's authored exploring how LGBTQ+ journalists - including football content creators - are being targeted on social media, and his recommendations to media organisations and brands. He feels they need to understand how and why abuse happens and the effect it has on individuals. This episode, hosted and produced by Sports Media LGBT+'s Jon Holmes, is being released to coincide with the global awareness day IDAHOBIT (the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia) on May 17, and Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK. Show your support for FvH! Activate the campaign in your football space - just head to footballvhomophobia.com for info, downloads and resources, and how to contact the FvH team. Links Sophie Nicolaou on Twitter - https://twitter.com/soccerdiva Finbarr Toesland on Twitter - https://twitter.com/FinbarrToesland Read Finn's report: 'Are media organisations adequately protecting LGBTQ journalists from harassment and abuse?' - https://www.bcu.ac.uk/media/research/sir-lenny-henry-centre-for-media-diversity/research IDAHOBIT - https://may17.org Mental Health Awareness Week - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week Thank you for listening - please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials. We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram; and you can like us on Facebook too. Music Me & You by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US

We're back with a new episode to mark the annual Week of Action for the Football v Transphobia campaign, and helping to sprinkle some stardust on proceedings is one of TV's favourite soap actors! Ash Palmisciano is a familiar face on the small screen having played the part of Matty Barton in Emmerdale since 2018 - it's a groundbreaking role as Matty is the first trans character in the ITV soap's history. What you might not know, however, is that Ash is a big football fan and he's getting his boots back on for another TRUK United FC matchnight at Dulwich Hamlet FC in London on Friday 31 March, which is Trans Day of Visibility. Last year, history was made when TRUK United fielded the first 11-a-side team of all trans women in a match in the UK; and Ash is going to be part of history too, as he'll be playing in what's thought to be Europe's first team of all trans men. To look ahead to the game, and to discuss his passion for international football and why FvT resonates with him, Ash is a guest alongside campaign lead Natalie Washington, in conversation with podcast host Jon Holmes of Sports Media LGBT+. Show your support! Please activate the campaign in your football space and share on social media with hashtags #FvH2023, #NoFootballWithoutTheT and #TransFootyAlly. Links Follow Ash on Instagram at @ash.p.x Watch Ash's TedX talk What happened at the FvT Week of Action launch event (Sports Media LGBT+) TRUK United FC at Dulwich Hamlet FC, Friday 31 March 2023, from 6pm - info and tickets link Follow Natalie on Twitter at @Transsomething Thanks for listening - please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials. We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram; and you can like us on Facebook too. Me & You by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US

At Chelsea's first three games of 2023 - and in the Manchester United vs Everton tie in the FA Cup - some fans have been heard singing a chant that's depressingly familiar - "Chelsea rent boys". The Football v Homophobia campaign is determined to help dismantle this discriminatory chant. Helping host Jon Holmes of Sports Media LGBT+ to kick it into touch on this episode of the podcast are: Jake Williamson, who has previously shared his experiences of being a Chelsea fan, wanting to be a professional footballer, and coming out as gay Jim Dolan, the founder and former co-chair of West Ham’s LGBTQ+ and allies fan group, Pride of Irons and Delwyn ‘Sheep’ Derrick, the founder of FC Bellevue in Wrexham whose outstanding allyship in Welsh football has been widely recognised Jake, Jim and Sheep discuss how this chant and other instances of homophobic language have affected them and their friends in football down the years, and offer their thoughts on how to tackle the problem. There's advice for the authorities and for fans - whether LGBTQ+ or allies - who want to play their part in making the atmosphere at our stadiums more inclusive. The first section of this episode does contain some homophobic words and phrases used in context as examples of discriminatory language.  Additional notes - Episode 20 of the FvH Podcast from August 2021 with Tracy Brown (Chelsea Pride) and Paul Amann (Kop Outs!); 'What is the 'Chelsea rent boy’ chant and why is it homophobic?' by Will Stroude for PinkNews (Jan 2023); and 'Chelsea rent boys' chant has no place in modern football - homophobia must be treated like racism' by Emma Smith for Goal.com (Feb 2022) We need YOU! The nominations window for the fourth annual FvH Awards is open until 20 January 2023, with 11 categories in which to show your appreciation for the clubs, fan groups, county FAs and 'heroes' helping to make the game more LGBTQ+ friendly. Jake, Jim and 'Sheep' discuss why it's so important to recognise and celebrate our communities - including, of course, our allies - and they select some of their own personal standouts from 2022. Don't forget to nominate! Awards Night will be at the National Football Museum in Manchester on February 24, 2023. February is also the Month of Action! Get involved! Thanks for listening - please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials. We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram; and you can like us on Facebook too. Me & You by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US