International Day Against Homophobia

On a personal level, athletes and figures involved in the sports world are no more homophobic than any other people. Yet, the sports environment is weighed down by a heavy silence on anything dealing with sexual diversity.

What's surprising is how an entire sector of society seems to have escaped the progress of the last thirty years, a time when society grew sensitive to sexual diversity and sexual minority issues.

The sports world has always favoured a lifestyle and a certain way of being that focus on physical performance. Both set rules for excluding everything that does not live up to the environment's stereotypes.

Homophobia originates from a stereotypical image of what a man should be and of what a woman should be. In the sports world, masculinity and femininity can only be heterosexual.

However, boys who are gay and girls who are lesbians are also attracted to sports and wish to take part in them or make a career out of it. People entering athletic organisations know what rules to play by: being gay or lesbian needs to be tucked away into the closet and silence becomes master of the game.

The sports world needs to join in society's progress, put an end to the silence on LGBT issues, and get involved in the fight against homophobia.

High-resolution: Hockey | Soccer

Ordering printed posters and pamphlets

On-line material in several languages

Download the 2010 campaign pamphlet (PDF)

The International Day Against Homophobia, on May 17
A day-by-day campaign

Initiated by Fondation Émergence and for the first time in the world, a theme-day dedicated to the fight against homophobia was designed and set up in Québec on June 4, 2003. With the kind help of partners, this theme-day expanded to reach the rest of Canada, and then France and Belgium. In 2005, the IDAHO committee proposed the symbolic date of May 17. This committee and Fondation Émergence continue to extend this event to other countries.

For more details on the International Day Against Homophobia on May 17 see:
FAQ on May 17

HOMOPHOBIA
A Form of Discrimination

Just like racism, xenophobia or anti-semitism, homophobia, too, is a form of discrimination. Homophobia originates in the lack of awareness on sexual minority issues and at times appears unconsciously.

Homophobia

It's all the negative attitudes that can lead to rejection and to direct or indirect discrimination towards gay men, lesbians, and bisexual, transsexual or transgender people or toward anyone whose physical appearance or behaviour does not fit masculine or feminine stereotypes.

Often pervasive and hidden, homophobia surfaces in numerous ways. Depending on the circumstances, displays of homophobia can range from simple jokes to verbal and physical violence.

Masculinity and Femininity

In general, there are no tell-tale signs that make it possible to distinguish gay men and lesbians from other people.

Physical appearance and fields of interest do not indicate one's sexual orientation. Choosing a career as an athlete is not for heterosexual people only.

Some boys have feminine qualities and some girls have masculine ones, regardless of their sexual orientation. On account of their appearance, they are mocked, made the butt of jokes, and brushed off. In short, these are manifestations of homophobia.

LGBT people
An abbreviation more and more common

The abbreviation LGBT, which gradually gained acceptance, stands for Lesbians, Gay men, Bisexual, Transsexual and Transgender people. The letter I can be added to mean intersex people.

CHANGING MINDSETS
The Sports World Must Catch Up

When it comes to LGBT issues, the sports world has not kept pace with changing mindsets.

Team Sports

Sports teams are not reputed for being welcoming to gay men and lesbians. The sports system has grown on the presumption that everyone is heterosexual. By all appearances, this would seem true as only very few gay men and lesbians on professional teams are known. In team sports people act as if being gay or lesbian didn't exist.

Individual Sports

Individual sports afford some leeway for male and female athletes wanting to reveal their homosexual orientation without it affecting their career. Even if the system is less constraining and performance calls the shots, it still takes a lot of courage and determination to come out as gay or lesbian.

Post-Career

Athletes who had a large career have come out as gay or lesbian after they retired from sports. During their career, they witnessed built-in homophobia in the sports world.

A Parallel Sports World

In an attempt to avoid being subjected to homophobia and with the wish to keep on playing their sport, gay men and lesbians have set up teams and organised competitions. Today, we have the international Gay Games and the World Outgames.

Hitting the Locker Room

In the sports world, hitting the locker room is the norm and the first time people become aware of sexuality-related taboos. Gay men and lesbians are often traumatised by such an exposing experience whereas other people learn their first lessons in how to taunt and be homophobic.

COMBATING HOMOPHOBIA
Speaking about Silence

Changing attitudes and behaviour is no small affair. Like society as a whole, the sports world has been built on values from a time when being gay or lesbian was forbidden and condemned. Combating homophobia requires a joint effort from everyone involved in the sports world. Tackling the silence surrounding sexual diversity in the sports world is the responsibility of all those involved.

Educational Institutions

Youth who participate in athletic activities should be able to count on the support of their community where sexual diversity is respected and in which displays of homophobia will not be tolerated.

Media

Sports enjoy wide media coverage. All those who work in the media, especially in sports media, have an enormous responsibility. They must break the silence on sexual diversity.

Sports Federations and Sports Fans

Sports federations from different fields have the duty to set the rules of the game, to see that they are enforced, and to promote respect for human rights. The fight against homophobia must also be among their concerns. Sports fans should not tolerate any discrimination against athletes based on sexual orientation by speaking out against homophobic speech and acts.

Sponsors of Sporting Events

Sponsors and advertisers associated with the sports world are called on to include sexual diversity in their announcements.

Professional Sports Organisations

Professional sports are at the top, attract media attention, stir up fans' excitement, and act as an example to follow. All sports organisations should adopt an anti-homophobia policy and see that it is enforced.

Sexual Minorities

Athletes from sexual minorities should persevere in practicing their sport and not give up their hope of a career in the sports world.

A DISCRIMINATION-FREE ENVIRONMENT
Ethical Treatment and Fairness

The sports world does not stand above the law or rules of ethics and justice that ban discrimination.

Fairness

“Fairness as a principle referring to the concept of equality and being demonstrated through the possibility, for each participant, to surpass oneself, to gain a victory (when there is competition) and to find success. Fairness also reflects the idea of everyone's accessibility to leisure or sports activities, free of any discrimination (sex, race, ability, sexual orientation, socio-economic conditions).”

Notice on ethics in leisure and in sports, Québec (2004).

For Sports Ethics

“Those who participate in sport will receive from their fellow athletes, coaches and officials, and parents/guardians and spectators, fairness and ethical treatment in a safe and welcoming sport environment, free of harassment and abuse.”

Declaration enacted by the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Sport Ministers at their 2001 Conference, London, Ontario.