The following is a blogpost from Lindsay Eanet, a Justin Campaign officer based in Liverpool and massive fan of both men's and women's football.
Hey you! Yes, you! Did you know there’s a whole other World Cup that starts a week from Sunday?
Yes, the FIFA Women’s World Cup starts on June 26!
It’s a thing that is happening, and you should watch it because, like its male counterpart, it will be full of highly skilled, impassioned play that reminds you all about what ‘The Beautiful Game’ should be about.
Maybe it’s just in the US and the UK, but the lack of international media and fan attention that seems to be surrounding the Women’s World Cup (minus the Playboy spread in which members of the German national team participated) is disappointing, although thoroughly unsurprising.
Maybe it’s just bad timing, with men’s league play just ending, Euro qualifiers on the horizon and Olympic hype overwhelming all sports coverage whether we like it or not.
Or maybe it’s the systemic inequity of women’s sports, the fact that fewer resources and advertising revenue will inevitably go to the competition than the male counterpart.
Usually, when women’s football makes the headlines at all, the focus, sadly, is more on scandal and salaciousness than success and statistics.
My fellow American football fans probably remember Brandi Chastain triumphantly ripping her shirt off after her winning goal in the 1999 Women’s World Cup more than the goal or the victory themselves.
As women’s football came to the forefront during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, all eyes were on German stars Inka Grings and Linda Bresonik for their love triangle with male coach Holger Fachs as opposed to their skills on the field.
But three years have passed and progress, although small, has been made —
on the FIFA Women’s World Cup official website, Grings is being touted as one of the stars of this year’s competition and the driving force behind the home country’s squad.
And she has the stats to back it up: Grings has won the Golden Boot in the Bundesliga six times and has been named German Female Footballer of the Year three times.
Much like Mia Hamm, Sissi and Hanna Ljungberg did briefly in the years following the tournament’s inception, hopefully Grings and her contemporaries, like Brazil’s Marta and England’s Kelly Smith, can turn the focus away from the ugliness of scandal and hypersexualization and towards the beauty and magic of the game we know and love itself.
England’s first match takes place on June 27 against Mexico at 6pm CET in Wolfsburg.
For those of us who lack the luxury of digital cable, BBC Sport Online will be streaming the matches. Or, host a watch party!
Watch parties are fun, and so is supporting England’s awesome female athletes.
Showing posts with label world cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world cup. Show all posts
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Football for all?
Fifa president Sepp Blatter's philosophy is clearly emblazoned across the footballing authority's website.
"Football for all; all for football".
Strange then that such a media-savvy head of a multimillion pound industry should make a mockery of the gay rights issue to a room full of reporters.
Blatter joked that gay people should simply "refrain from any sexual activities" during the Qatar 2022 World Cup so as to avoid draconian punishments.
His comments have since been widely reported and Blatter has rightly spent the last few days defending his misguided and downright offensive comments to the world's media.
It is yet further evidence that leadership on the subject is not going to come from world football's governing body.
Fifa has long come under fire as being an authority with more security guards than common sense.
It makes most of its decisions behind closed doors in the glamorous surroundings of Geneva and, as the BBC Panorama documentary proved recently, any challenge to its hierarchy is regarded as blasphemous.
It is a strange situation for Blatter to be in, given that he is more used to blowing his own trumpet.
The reason the much-more impressive and practical bids from England and Australia were overlooked for 2018 and 2022 respectively was due to his vision of a "global game".
Surely it would be more fitting for a global game to promote equality rather than alienating tens of thousands of fans and players who may feel they are being driven away from the sport they love.
We have already said that a boycott of Qatar 2022 is not the answer.
But, would you feel comfortable travelling to a country where your sexuality could see be publicly beaten or thrown in prison?
Now is the time for us to highlight these issues - write a letter, contact your local decision makers, get involved with the Justin Campaign - all these things can help make a difference and hopefully reclaim football from the authorities who quite clearly do not promote the ethos "football for all".
"Football for all; all for football".
Strange then that such a media-savvy head of a multimillion pound industry should make a mockery of the gay rights issue to a room full of reporters.
Blatter joked that gay people should simply "refrain from any sexual activities" during the Qatar 2022 World Cup so as to avoid draconian punishments.
His comments have since been widely reported and Blatter has rightly spent the last few days defending his misguided and downright offensive comments to the world's media.
It is yet further evidence that leadership on the subject is not going to come from world football's governing body.
Fifa has long come under fire as being an authority with more security guards than common sense.
It makes most of its decisions behind closed doors in the glamorous surroundings of Geneva and, as the BBC Panorama documentary proved recently, any challenge to its hierarchy is regarded as blasphemous.
It is a strange situation for Blatter to be in, given that he is more used to blowing his own trumpet.
The reason the much-more impressive and practical bids from England and Australia were overlooked for 2018 and 2022 respectively was due to his vision of a "global game".
Surely it would be more fitting for a global game to promote equality rather than alienating tens of thousands of fans and players who may feel they are being driven away from the sport they love.
We have already said that a boycott of Qatar 2022 is not the answer.
But, would you feel comfortable travelling to a country where your sexuality could see be publicly beaten or thrown in prison?
Now is the time for us to highlight these issues - write a letter, contact your local decision makers, get involved with the Justin Campaign - all these things can help make a difference and hopefully reclaim football from the authorities who quite clearly do not promote the ethos "football for all".
Boycotting Qatar is not the answer
A version of this article first appeared on the Morning Star's website - www.morningstaronline.co.uk
Boycotting the World Cup in 2022 is not the answer for LGBT supporters angry at Fifa for awarding the event to Qatar.
That was the message today from Jason Hall - founding director of The Justin Campaign, which aims to rid football of homophobia.
"We should encourage LGBT people to go over to Qatar and rub salt in the wounds," said Hall. "There's no point shunning it (the World Cup) and pretending it doesn't exist."
The Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) last week called for an LGBT boycott of "all activities associated with World Cup 2022."
However, Hall believes that the issue of gay rights in Qatar would simply be swept under the carpet if LGBT fans chose not to attend.
"There's a lot less to talk about if we (LGBT people) aren't there," Hall said. "But if thousands of us head over, it would make a lot more impact than simply saying: 'Well, we're not going.'
"It wouldn't register with the wider community if we didn't go. And at least people in Qatar will experience gay people in their country and it would give hope to LGBT people living there. I would love something like the Gay Games or another gay sporting event to be held in Qatar at the same time as the World Cup."
He added: "If taking some lashings and getting six months in prison is the price I have to pay, then so be it."
"The World Cup didn't go to South Africa during the apartheid years and it shouldn't go to Russia or Qatar now.
"There is a sexual apartheid taking place in Qatar right now, and Russia's not much better - they have a terrible record there with regards to LGBT rights. To give World Cups to countries where apartheid is still happening is unacceptable."
Boycotting the World Cup in 2022 is not the answer for LGBT supporters angry at Fifa for awarding the event to Qatar.
That was the message today from Jason Hall - founding director of The Justin Campaign, which aims to rid football of homophobia.
"We should encourage LGBT people to go over to Qatar and rub salt in the wounds," said Hall. "There's no point shunning it (the World Cup) and pretending it doesn't exist."
The Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) last week called for an LGBT boycott of "all activities associated with World Cup 2022."
However, Hall believes that the issue of gay rights in Qatar would simply be swept under the carpet if LGBT fans chose not to attend.
"There's a lot less to talk about if we (LGBT people) aren't there," Hall said. "But if thousands of us head over, it would make a lot more impact than simply saying: 'Well, we're not going.'
"It wouldn't register with the wider community if we didn't go. And at least people in Qatar will experience gay people in their country and it would give hope to LGBT people living there. I would love something like the Gay Games or another gay sporting event to be held in Qatar at the same time as the World Cup."
He added: "If taking some lashings and getting six months in prison is the price I have to pay, then so be it."
"The World Cup didn't go to South Africa during the apartheid years and it shouldn't go to Russia or Qatar now.
"There is a sexual apartheid taking place in Qatar right now, and Russia's not much better - they have a terrible record there with regards to LGBT rights. To give World Cups to countries where apartheid is still happening is unacceptable."
Monday, 6 December 2010
Third Justin Fashanu Cup deemed great success
Dozens of footballers united in a tournament which was truly representative of all aspects of the beautiful game.
Twelve teams from across the south of England took part in the the third annual Justin Fashanu Cup.
The invitational tournament, which was organised by the Justin Campaign, saw both men and women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community all participating.
The event was also a protest against the decision of Fifa to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively - countries which have appalling records on homophobia.
The highlight of the weekend event in Hove was a six-a-side tournament.
Despite the wintry weather, which forced a number of teams to pull out, nine men's teams and three women's teams took part in the indoor competition.
BN Elite won the men's tournament and The Tigers won the female competition.
On the Saturday evening, all the teams gathered to take part in a table football competition and enjoyed an evening of live music.
Jason Hall, founder of the Justin Campaign said: "It was a terrific event. One which was truly representative of all people who love football.
"It was brilliant to see so many people enjoy themselves while promoting such an important issue.
"With the Fifa announcement it was also right that we brought to attention the awful human rights records of both Russia and Qatar and the effect it would have on members of the LGBT community who may want to travel to be spectators at this event."
The tournament will now become a travelling competition with the next event likely to be held in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
For more pictures stay tuned to the blog or see our Flickr page.
BN Elite won the men's tournament and The Tigers won the female competition.
On the Saturday evening, all the teams gathered to take part in a table football competition and enjoyed an evening of live music.
Jason Hall, founder of the Justin Campaign said: "It was a terrific event. One which was truly representative of all people who love football.
"It was brilliant to see so many people enjoy themselves while promoting such an important issue.
"With the Fifa announcement it was also right that we brought to attention the awful human rights records of both Russia and Qatar and the effect it would have on members of the LGBT community who may want to travel to be spectators at this event."
The tournament will now become a travelling competition with the next event likely to be held in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
For more pictures stay tuned to the blog or see our Flickr page.
Saturday, 27 November 2010
It's not just for men
Homophobia in sport is something which affects the whole of the LGBT community.
One of the most frequently asked questions to the Justin Campaign is if we represent the lesbian, bisexual and trans community.
Our view is simple: This is not just about campaigning for one group in society, it is about making football more accessible to everyone.
This is because bigotry and discrimination is apparent at all levels and across the world.
Just take a look at this example.
Augustine Makalakalane, the coach of the South African women's football team, is the subject of claims that he sexually assaulted two of his players.
Several members of the team, which clearly does not respect the man leading them, also claim the 46-year-old said he only wanted “straight ladies in his team”.
The reasons behind these allegations will no doubt come out in due course as the officials investigate.
Following the comments of Croatian FA boss Markovic, once again we are seeing a nation which has relied on sport to give it a sense of independence fail itself on equality grounds.
In a country still recovering from the apartheid regime, football in South Africa has been a uniting movement culminating successfully in this summer's World Cup.
Many of the officials heading the game have witnessed discrimination first hand, which is why it is so shocking to hear such claims coming from members of the women's national team.
If it turns out that these allegations are true then we hope the South African FA take the right steps and remove Makalakalane from his post and, if the crimes are bad enough, ban him from the game.
One of the most frequently asked questions to the Justin Campaign is if we represent the lesbian, bisexual and trans community.
Our view is simple: This is not just about campaigning for one group in society, it is about making football more accessible to everyone.
This is because bigotry and discrimination is apparent at all levels and across the world.
Just take a look at this example.
Augustine Makalakalane, the coach of the South African women's football team, is the subject of claims that he sexually assaulted two of his players.
Several members of the team, which clearly does not respect the man leading them, also claim the 46-year-old said he only wanted “straight ladies in his team”.
The reasons behind these allegations will no doubt come out in due course as the officials investigate.
Following the comments of Croatian FA boss Markovic, once again we are seeing a nation which has relied on sport to give it a sense of independence fail itself on equality grounds.
In a country still recovering from the apartheid regime, football in South Africa has been a uniting movement culminating successfully in this summer's World Cup.
Many of the officials heading the game have witnessed discrimination first hand, which is why it is so shocking to hear such claims coming from members of the women's national team.
If it turns out that these allegations are true then we hope the South African FA take the right steps and remove Makalakalane from his post and, if the crimes are bad enough, ban him from the game.
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