Cases of LGBTphobia in football grow 76% – 05/17/2023 – Sport

A report prepared by the Coletivo de Torcidas Canarinos LGBTQ+ points to a 76% increase in cases of LGBTphobia in Brazilian football in 2022. The document was prepared with the support of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation).

There were 74 episodes recorded in the Yearbook of the Collective Observatory last year, on or off the field, but linked to matches played in the country. In 2021, there had been 42.

Last Sunday (14), the derby between Corinthians and São Paulo, for the Brazilian Championship, was interrupted by arbitration because of homophobic screams from Corinthians fans at the Neo Química Arena. For Onã Rudá, founder of the collective responsible for the document, this is a case that shows how clubs need to get involved in the issue.

“You can’t expect the CBF to come down from Mount Olympus to solve all the problems. The clubs have a fundamental role due to the reach they have and the way they influence their fans”, he says.

Creator of the first LGBTQ+ organization in Bahia, Rudá recalls that, with the support of the association, he took the discussion to his fans, also stimulating the debate among the traditional fans. This made it easier for the team’s fans to embrace the cause.

Although he points out that just punishing is not enough, the founder of the collective complains about the omission of the STJD (Superior Court of Sports Justice), which does nothing, according to him, with the accusations of homophobia received in football.

The work of surveying cases of homophobia includes following games and collecting information published by the press and appearing on social networks.

“It’s a job that needs to involve everyone. LGBTphobia is a social evil that spreads in all environments, especially in football. This intolerance motivated by hatred and discrimination is profoundly violent and leaves deep marks. We have a 2018 survey that indicates that 62.5% of LGBTQ+ Brazilians have thought about suicide”, completes Rudá.

The increase has been continuous since 2020, when 20 cases of homophobia were recorded. But it is necessary to take into account that it was an atypical season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, when the tournaments were paralyzed and, when they returned, it was without the presence of fans.

“The work of the Canarinhos shows a sad reality, that we are fighting to end up in football. The CBF will always fight prejudice and work for football to be a place of inclusion”, says Ednaldo Rodrigues, president of the CBF.

The report calls for the development of a protocol to guide arbitrators on actions to be taken in cases of discrimination. Like referees who stop games because of homophobic chants, but don’t record them on the score sheet.

That’s what happened in the Amapaense Championship. The honorary president of Santos, Luciano Marba, was the target of discriminatory shouts from the Independente fans. The fact was not reported in the summary, and the club sent an official letter to the TJD-AM (Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva do Amapá) denouncing the case and defending its manager. The arbitration quartet was suspended for 30 days for the omission.

In the 2023 General Competition Regulations, a document drawn up by the CBF to manage national tournaments, the possibility of sportingly punishing a club in cases of homophobia was included.