We want you to pass this video to all your friends and contacts. Add it to your blog, make it your next Facebook update, or link to it in your tweets let’s get the message out to the world that Manchester won’t tolerate homophobia in any form!

The LGF would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who took part in the video - ­ every single one of you are our Homo Heroes!

Extra special thanks to Jonathan Robinson of Bellyflop TV (http://bellyflop.tv/) who donated his time and expertise to film and edit this amazing video.

It doesn’t stop here though! There is still so much to do in the battle against homophobia and we need your help to make it happen. 2 in 3 LGB and T young people are bullied in school - leaving them demoralised, confused and sometimes severely depressed with these teens more likely to self-harm than their heterosexual peers.

We’ve made an amazing booklet called Aim High interviewing 20 famous faces from all walks of life who have got to the top in their chosen field, overcoming all odds and fighting homophobia personally and professionally to achieve their goals.

We need £5000 pounds to produce this booklet and get it in to schools around the country and we need your help.

Click here to be a Homo Hero.

Also, can I say an additional ‘Thank You’ to Grahame Robertson and Barry Davies for giving up their free time and ceaselessly pursuing the people of, and around, Manchester Pride for three days straight to sing along and do their bit for ending homophobia and empowering people.

And a final nod to Emma Peate for the sheer amount of effort put in this weekend; “We say hero!” (Online Ed.)

The HOMO HEROES gallery >>>

The Manchester Pride gallery >>>

2^nd September 2009                                                                              

CAFE SET TO TRANSFORM FOOTBALL FOR DISABLED FANS ACROSS EUROPE

UEFA has generously donated the 2009 Monaco Award to extend the excellent work of the UK based National Association of Disabled Supporters (NADS) to establish a new Europe-wide charity called CAFE, Centre For Access To Football In Europe.

CAFE, a newly registered charity in the UK, will seek to ensure that all disabled people can follow football in Europe by achieving equality of access to the game in all UEFA member associations.    

At the award ceremony in Monaco on Thursday 27^th August 2009, UEFA President Michel Platini presented Joyce Cook, Chair of NADS and Managing Director of CAFE, and Danny Wallace, ex Manchester United and Ambassador for NADS and CAFE, with a cheque for the sum of one million Swiss francs.

Joyce Cook, who accepted the cheque on behalf of CAFE, said:

“I want to say a huge thank you to UEFA on behalf of disabled people across Europe. We are delighted by this decision, which highlights UEFA’s recognition of disabled supporters and its commitment to creating an equal experience for all football fans.

Using the special influence of football within Europe, CAFE will raise disability awareness and improve the lives of disabled people.  I believe that through football, CAFE will contribute to strengthening understanding of disability and help disabled people become welcome in communities across Europe and valued, alongside non-disabled supporters, at the heart of the football-going experience.

Thanks to UEFA’s generosity, our vision has been transformed into an achievable plan designed to span all 53 UEFA member associations.”

Senes Erzik, 1st Vice President and Chairman of the UEFA Fair Play and CSR Committee, added:

“The UEFA Executive Board is delighted to be able to support this year’s Monaco Award winner. The CAFE project highlights the importance of social inclusion for all fans including disabled fans. We wish the Centre for Access to Football in Europe every success in its ambition to see equal access to all football stadia across Europe.”

CAFE will provide a welcoming hub, offering support and guidance to all stakeholders as the European football family comes together to improve stadium facilities and services for disabled supporters. The new organisation will also assist and encourage disabled supporters to set up their own groups across Europe to continue this work at a local level and ensure that more disabled people are able to follow live football in legacy.

CAFE is also pleased to announce David Bernstein as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Bernstein is held in high regard across the football world and came to prominence in 1998 when he was appointed Chairman of Manchester City. He is also the non-executive Chairman of Wembley National Stadium and President of NADS.

-2-

David Bernstein said:

 “I am delighted that UEFA has made this award to CAFE. It will enable this new organisation to make a real difference to the lives of many disabled people across Europe. We are looking forward to meeting this exciting challenge.”

Bernstein and Cook will be joined on the Board of Trustees by Lord Richard Rosser of Ickenham who is a NADS Vice President and also Vice President of the Ryman Isthmian Football League; Chris Bird who spent 4 years at Manchester City FC as Chief Operating Officer and Darren Berman who was Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs for Wembley Stadium from 2002-2009.

The Board of Trustees will be supported by Technical Director, James Froggatt, author of the Accessible Stadia Guide in the UK and a full Advisory Board of representatives from across Europe including disabled football fans and disability groups.

Access for disabled people to public facilities and services varies considerably across Europe, as does the cultural and social view of disabled people.  Building regulations and guidance varies in each country and CAFE endeavours to change the way in which some cultures view disability, encouraging social equality and cultural cohesion.

The CAFE website www.cafefootball.eu which launched today, will create a multi-lingual, accessible and inclusive European hub which will grow organically over time. It will provide disabled supporter information on European football stadia alongside disability; access and building regulations guidance with help sheets and support materials. It will also provide an evolving database containing information on disabled supporter groups and associated organisations across football in Europe.

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For further media information please contact Vikki McCrindle at Bird Consultancy on 0161 839 4846 or email vm@birdconsultancy.co.uk

Editor’s notes

CAFE – Centre for Access to Football in Europe - Executive summary

‘Europe’ will be used to describe the 53 member Football Associations of UEFA that extend beyond geographical Europe and include countries further afield such as Israel and Kazakhstan. CAFE will be responsible for this larger geographical area.

500 million people live within the European Union (EU) alone and around 10% are disabled.  It is therefore reasonable to conclude that within the UEFA geographical region there may be more than 100 million disabled people.   At least 500,000 are likely to be football supporters - and they have the right to enjoy football in the same way as everyone else:  the right to equality of access.    This applies to football at all levels.  More and more disabled supporters want to travel to UEFA matches and tournaments; as provisions improve, they will feel they can attend major tournaments like EURO 2012 alongside fellow supporters.

-3-

Building regulations and guidance varies considerably in each country including the provision for accessible public buildings. The European Standards that currently exist do not necessarily provide specific or detailed access guidance for sports stadia.

The standards of accessible facilities and services at existing football stadia at national and club level vary considerably.

Football has proven itself an excellent ambassador for change in other areas of diversity such as racism, with positive outcomes in countries with a previous history of inequality and abuse.                                                                                                            

There is no doubt that football can do the same for disabled people in Europe. Many disabled people currently feel excluded from their communities, rarely leave their homes, are not empowered to contribute to the workforce, have low self esteems and may well feel very isolated.

A European organisation to support this ambition is now required to ensure equal access and inclusion for all existing and new disabled supporters across Europe.

CAFE is being established as a new European charity (registered in the UK) with a purpose to achieve equal access to football across Europe.

CAFE wants all disabled supporters to enjoy a football match as a problem-free experience:  its aims are about inclusivity and equality of experience.  And, because football embraces diversity in all its forms, CAFE believes it can raise disability awareness throughout Europe.

UEFA will be a founding sponsor donating 1 million Swiss Francs to establish CAFE over the next 4 years.

1. 

Aims of CAFE

a)       To enable disabled people to follow football in Europe.

b)       To achieve equal access for all football supporters in Europe.

c)       To increase disability awareness and improve the lives of disabled people using the special influence of football within Europe.

d)       To establish a European network of disabled football supporters.

Stonewall’s “League’s Behind” report calls on football authorities to do more to support LGBT fans and players

UPDATE:

The Premier League football season kicks off this weekend, and today a YouGov poll of 2000 football fans has warned national clubs and the Football Association that they need to do more to tackle homophobic abuse.

The report by the gay rights organisation Stonewall has found that:

* More than half of fans say that the FA need to do more to tackle homophobic abuse
* Seven in ten people who have been to a match in the last five years have heard anti-gay language and abuse
* Three out of four supporters think there are gay players in the Premier League or Championship
* Five in six support last year’s arrests of fans for chanting homophobic and racist abuse at former England defender Sol Campbell

The Kick it Out campaign has been campaigning against racism in football for years, but leading LGBT organisations are calling on football authorities to do more to challenge homophobia.

Stonewall are calling on stewards to be trained to deal with homophobic abuse and the introduction of support services for players who come out as gay.

Government statistics suggest that six per cent of the population is gay, which would mean that there could be up to 60 gay players in Premier League and Championship squads.

To this day Justin Fashanu remains the first and only footballer to come out. He committed suicide in 1998, the Justin Campaign was set up in his memory to campaign against homophobia in football.

The Gay Football Supporters’ Network have welcomed Stonewall’s “League’s Behind” report on the level of homophobic abuse in football and the need for the footballing authorities to respond to the challenge this poses.

Chris Basiurski, chair of the GFSN said: “We are not surprised by these findings and welcome the clear message that the report sends, that homophobia is a problem in football and more needs to be done to tackle it.

“Our own experiences show that many in the football world are in denial over the problem and have been unwilling to help us in our campaigns. We note that a number of clubs have been extremely co-operative in trying to help but that in general clubs have not been willing to act.

“When we have approached the clubs, many have commented that homophobia is not a problem in their club. Hopefully the findings in this report will make them think again.”

GFSN added that they hoped the report will give a new momentum to the campaign and give fresh impetus to existing ideas and initiatives which have not yet achieved their full potential, including the FA’s film on anti-homophobia in football and the Tackling Homophobia in Football Working Group.

07/08/09: LEADING CLUBS JOIN FIGHT TO TACKLE HOMOPHOBIA IN FOOTBALL

In the week that Max Clifford talks about advising gay footballers to stay in the closet, Oldham Athletic and Manchester City lead the way in supporting anti homophobia campaigns in football

As one of the UK’s leading charities for lesbian, gay and bisexual people, the Lesbian & Gay Foundation are receiving an ever increasing number of enquiries on the issue of homophobia in sport, and people are regularly asking what professional sporting clubs are doing about this issue.

The Football Association has shown some interest in tackling this issue; earlier this year LGF online reported on an anti homophobia DVD that was being backed by the FA, but the fact remains that there is still much to do around homophobia.

LGF are currently contacting football clubs throughout the North West of England which will hopefully lead to a working relationship with them, and encourage the clubs to give a statement against homophobia.

Football is our national sport and an official statement from each club will carry much weight to show their intent to help eradicate homophobia in the community, as previously has been done with racism.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC

The first to give us such a statement is Oldham Athletic:                                                           

“We at Oldham Athletic are committed to kicking homophobia out of football. We have worked for many years to eradicate racism from the game and now we will be attaching the same efforts to achieve the same impact in this area.

“Oldham Athletic are dedicated to ensuring that all sections of the community can participate in club activities and watch the team in an environment that is safe and free from fear of prejudice or abuse.”

Alan Hardy, Chief Executive, Oldham Athletic AFC

MANCHESTER CITY
 
Back in 2006 Manchester City decided to challenge football’s taboo by becoming the first Premiership side to join a list of employers which are officially recognised as ‘gay-friendly’ by Stonewall, the gay rights organisation.

At the time Manchester City already supported Manchester’s main gay team Village Manchester FC as well as supporting the Lesbian and Gay Foundation and HIV fundraising initiatives.

The Citizens also trained their full-time and part-time staff to be sensitive towards gay people as part of a diversity training programme on race, religion, disability and sexual orientation, and banned the use of “inappropriate” language that their staff might find offensive.

The issue of homophobia in football is one that needs urgent attention. Rumours about the sexuality of certain players circulate regularly, insults and prejudice are still commonplace; demonstrated by homophobic comments aimed at former England defender Sol Campbell in 2008.

Although some players are happy to be gay icons, homosexuality has always been one of the biggest taboos in football. The fact remains that, with the exception of the late Justin Fashanu, no professional footballer has come out in this country, and comments made by the PR guru Max Clifford this week highlights how far away we are from a footballer coming out - despite Clifford’s admission that he has a bisexual footballer on his books.

The Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) work to challenge homophobia in football. Lindsay England GFSN’s Communication and Diversity Officer commented: “It will take a very strong person to come out in football, it will be very difficult for one person to come out on their own. Maybe it will happen if a younger player gets the right support from his club and the FA. Or maybe an older player will come out close to retirement.”

England added that the mainstream press and people like Clifford needed to do more to support gay sports people, rather than focus on the negative.

Well done to Oldham Athletic and Manchester City for taking positive action and helping to lead the way. It is also encouraging that every club in the North West has assured us that they are all committed to eradicating homophobia not only from the terraces, but from the wider community.

We will be updating this story with new statements, and information from GFSN as we receive them.

Have you experienced or witnessed homophobia while watching or playing football? Does your club need to do more to challenge homophobia, or are they leading the way? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Further info:                                                                                                                 

FA begin research into homophobia in sport                                                                              

Justin Campaign: Campaigning against homophobia in Football

International Gay and Lesbian Football Association

North West LGB teams:

Village Manchester Football Club

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Not one of the biggest or best gay scenes in Spain but Seville with its hot, hot climate of summer sunshine, long pleasant springs and autumns, short mild winters still attracts a number of the LGBT community all year round.

Indeed there are two reasons to NOT visit this town in July or August when the highest record temperatures in Europe of 52*C are found amongst the regular 35-45*C. Firstly travelling about and sight seeing in this heat for Englishmen and their mad dogs is plain daft and the locals will have a good laugh at you. Then you have to take into account that most of the Spanish gay boys and girls get out of town in the summer as they take holidays in cooler climbs and so the night life can be very quiet.

Seville has a long Spanish history and there are many old grand buildings and monuments scattered about around the huge open spaces and parks, in contrast to this many of the bars tapas restaurants and shops are found in narrow streets often no wider than several feet.

The Giralda tower was once for a number of years the tallest building in the world, now it’s just the tallest in the city.
The processions during Easter time are just one example of how there is very much and open air culture about Seville in it’s long warm months and much of what goes on day and night takes place in front of it’s bars and clubs.

The local people of Seville are proud, confident and very down to earth. Very few of these speak much if any English though and it may be wise to learn on or two phrases for your visit.

The park areas and surrounding streets of Alameda de Hercules are where many people chill and chat with friends [and open minded strangers] while having a beer. There are a number of bars in this area which really gay friendly bars and the odd gay bar here and there which are straight friendly. The crowds tend to be very easy going and mixed.

If the gay scene after dark suits you more there are many clubs and cruising bars nearby in the streets of Amor de Dios and Tranjanos. There are also a number of saunas, restaurants, bars etc a few minutes walk away in the streets and avenues of, Trastamara, Torneo , Galle Arjona, Cristobal Colon and Plaza de la Alfalfa.

Hostels and hotels and apartments [prices to accommodate all ranges] can be found in the centre of town close too the gay areas and are practically all gay friendly.

Casa Cretip is a hostel on Pascueal de Gayangos. 
Apartments Murillo are on Reinoso 6 near the cathedral and Alcazar, 
Eurostars Regina is a hotel on San Vicente 97
Hotel Alcantara on Ximenez de Encisco is again close to the Cathedral. 
Nuevo Suizo Hostal on Calle Azofaifo 7 offer back packers cheap rates close to the gay areas.
Petit palace Santa Cruz on Mounoz Pabon 18 is actually an old mansion dating from the XVII century with a high- tech  interior in the San Bartolome Area, part of the Jewish quarter.
Vincci La Rabida 0n Castelar 24 is known as a Boutque hotel in an 18th centry Palace in the town centre.

Clubbing in Seville is mainly in one of 4 venues for gay and lesbians. Isbiliyya opens 7 days till late night on Paseo Cristobal Colon 2. It’s a mainstream gay bar, mixed with dance music and twice weekly drag shows. Itaca on Amor de Dios 31 is a gay disco which is dark and cruisy. Men to Men on Trajano 38 sees more the male, mature, bear boys about town which is often that packed there is not much room for dancing.  A separate floor shows porn videos and has dark rooms and lockable cabins. Sasha at Avenida Torneo 6 caters for a younger mix with Latin, Spanish pop and house music. For the girls in Seville the place to be is Noveccento on Julio Cesar 10. During the winter months it opens 5pm-2am and in summer from 8pm -4am.

Bars in Seville centre and gay districts.
Alfafa 10
Café Latte
El 27
El Baron Rampante
El Bosque Animado
El Hombre y el Oso
El Mundo
El Paseo
Hercules Mitico
Monasterio.
Neo 27
Why Not