In a joint association op-ed, Rouge Direct, Inter-LGBT, the LGBT+ Sports Federation, the PanamPride Football Club, FC-Paris Arc En Ciel, STOP homophobia and SOS homophobia call on clubs, the LFP and the French government to fight more seriously against systemic homophobia in football.
The Collectif Ultras Paris once again publicly manifested its blatant homophobia at the Parc des Princes, on Sunday, February 8, during the PSG-OM match, through a distressing banner that played on the name of the delivery company “DPD” to insult the OM players. This unabashed homophobia is, as so often, accompanied by racism—the presence of the rat on the banner echoing the ratonades and the racist chant “Les rats,” forbidden, directed against the Olympique players. Homophobic insults also caused the match to be halted in the 70th minute. The Ligue de football professionnel (LFP), the clubs, and institutional actors must fight all discrimination with the same vigor and uncompromising resolve.
The decision by PSG to select Booba, a supporter of the violently homophobic positions of Éric Zemmour, for the opening performance of the match, ultimately sits in perfect coherence with the ambient homophobia at the Parc des Princes.
This demonstration is, moreover, not isolated, and sports events tainted by homophobic actions by groups are numerous, whether in stadiums or in public spaces: OM-Rennes (73rd minute) and Nice-Montpellier in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France; in the French championship: FC Metz-Lille (33rd minute), Nice-Brest, and this list is far from exhaustive.
Years pass without any real action plan against manifestations of homophobia in French football being put in place.
Hypocrisy remains total; the laws and regulations punishing homophobic acts in France are not applied as they should be, while the assault on the German referee Paul Kaiser reveals the reality of the violence of homophobia in the football world. We extend our full support to him on this occasion and hope that the necessary protective measures will be taken. This assault comes a month after the harassment of commentator Sylvain Charley, who condemned the chants during the Lille-Rennes Ligue 1 match, and it violently illustrates the concrete and real consequences of homophobia in sport, which makes utterly untenable the discourses that distinguish these acts as “folklore” or as a supposed homophobia by their authors. We must remind that homophobia cannot be considered, whatever the context, a normal or acceptable tradition.
It is urgent that the LFP disciplinary committee impose firm and exemplary sanctions against PSG and the other clubs involved, PSG being responsible for the recurrent homophobic acts by its supporters. Fines and partial stadium closures are useless. We, associations and collectives, demand the systematic deduction of points and, where applicable, a match loss on forfeit as provided by the regulations.
It is urgent that the law establishing a results-based obligation for clubs regarding the homophobic manifestations of their supporters be carried by the Minister of Sports and quickly adopted.
Rouge Direct
Inter-LGBT
LGBT+ Sports Federation
PanamPride Football Club
FC-Paris Arc En Ciel
STOP homophobia
SOS homophobia
