UK Football Association Join Anti Homophobia Campaign
Pink Press - 05 October 2004
In an unprecedented move the Football Association is supporting a new play tackling homophobia in football.

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In an unprecedented move the Football Association is supporting a new play tackling homophobia in football. The comedy called Gaffer, which opens at London’s Southwark Playhouse on 13 October, examines the scandal when two professional footballers kiss. The backing is part of the FA’s Football for All campaign, which is dedicated to eradicating racism and homophobia in the sport. Timothy Hughes, spokesman for the play, said: “The FA has been campaigning against issues such as racism in football for a number of years, it’s the first time they’ve dealt with sexuality - and in fact the FA is the only European football association tackling this issue.” The FA is stepping up its campaign to stamp out prejudice in the sport. The organisation already delivered a speech at the European Conference on Homosexuality and Disability in Sports held in Munich in July. Lucy Faulkner, the FA’s head of ethics and sports equity said: “We believe that football must be open to everyone in society, because we believe that football truly is the national game. “Abuse of any kind is unacceptable. We have made clear our opposition to homophobia in football. Attitudes are changing and this play will further help raise awareness of the issues.” Its stance has been praised by Labour MP Tony Banks who commended the organisation for approaching homophobia in “an adult and sophisticated way.” Banks said: “What we need is to create a climate in which it is clear that homophobic abuse is offensive and unacceptable.” As the FA trail blazes in the fight against homophobia in sport, sources have told the Pink Paper that other European football associations including the UEFA, the Dutch Ministry for Sport and the Spanish Football Association have all approached it for guidance.
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