The Ultimate Equal Ground.

The day before yesterday, Vlatko Markovic, president of the Croatian Football Federation, declared “[w]hile I’m a president of the Croatian Football Federation, there will be no homosexuals playing in the national team.” According to the Croatian Times, Markovic rounded out the insult with this spit-take of a comment: ”Luckily, only normal people play football.”

I’m pretty sure that like me, you’ve all been cozied up in the comfortable loving embrace of the “It Gets Better” campaign videos. They’re enormously sensitive, thoughtful and effective – and seemingly endless. LGBT people and allies have had a lot to be proud of in these past weeks, and we’ve got thousands of kilometres of tape to prove it.

But people like Markovic aren’t getting the memo, or video, so it’s up to us remind them that our place is every place, especially the football pitch. Football is the people’s game; the pitch is the people’s place. Even at the national team level, where players enjoy the status of demi-gods and investors throw endless pots of gold at “their” teams, the game still belongs to the people, and the people will play.

Markovic is a rich and powerful bully, but he doesn’t get to say who kicks about and who doesn’t, who’s normal and who isn’t. Because when it comes right down to it, we’re all mad – absolutely crazy – for this game.

Last year Brighton-based anti-homophobia organization The Justin Campaign launched the inaugural Football v Homophobia Initiative and the response was overwhelming. Using mostly word-of-mouth marketing and volunteer labour, the Initiative gained enough traction to have events take place in eight countries.

As an out and proud footballer, I see the Initiative as our very own “It Gets Better” campaign. I believe in the unifying power of sport, and that making sure that the pitches of the world – at recreational, competitive, and yes, even national levels – are safe and welcoming places for allplayers is a way of making it better right here, right now.

So this coming February strap on your cleats, peeps. Not a player? Then organize your event, have your fund raiser, or wear your pink and black scarves or shirts to support the Football v Homophobia Initiative. Just make sure you come out and help us prove that the pitch is the ultimate equal ground.

“This year’s event will be bigger, better, louder and prouder,” promises Darren Ollerton, director of the Justin Campaign. For more information on how to get your Initiative observance off the ground, and to request promotional posters, flyers, banners and stickers, contact organizers at info@thejustincampaign.com.

Keph Senett is a Canadian writer living in Mexico who’s proudly played soccer on four continents. She’s the Communications Officer for The Justin Campaign.

Article originally posted on Red Card Homophobia.

This man must resign

Every now and then you read something that makes you feel ill.

In an interview in his home country, Vlatko Markovic, the president of the Croatian Football Association stated there was no place for homosexuals in the national side.

His exact comments were: "While I'm president...there will be no homosexuals playing in the national team.

"Luckily only normal people play football."

How such a vile bigot could reach such a prominent position is beyond the Justin Campaign.

This is such a massive step backwards for the whole movement to rid the beautiful game of homophobia.

The authorities in this country must sit up and take notice and put sanctions on the Croatian FA.

Any authority exhibiting such a prejudiced stance to any group should be seriously reprimanded. Further sporting tours of Croatia should be put under review until a full and comprehensive apology (or indeed, resignation) is secured from Vlatko Markovic.

The Justin Campaign will shortly present a petition requesting Markovic issue such an apology. Stay tuned for further details.

Rossi admits he's a bit of a Twit

Footballers are well versed in the art of social media and regularly turn to Twitter to register their post match thoughts.

But former Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi took his post-match rant a little far when he called a football fan "a homo" on the internet.

The American born Italian striker was writing after his current side Villarreal thrashed Athletic Bilbao 4-1 this weekend.

After being provoked by an American fan, Rossi replied by writing: "I know for a fact this homo (@twitter user) would never say these things in my face."

The twitter user retorted: "Betrays your country + responds to taunts + homosexual slurs = #notreallyatrue professional."

The next few hours saw dozens of people write to Rossi on the social media site complaining of his language.

Rossi later apologised for his behaviour writing: "I realised how unprofessional and ignorant my comment was by using the word homo...sorry if I offended anyone...I truly apologise."

It is clear from his reply that Rossi was clearly responding in anger and his comments were a made on the spur of the moment.

However, this does not excuse him from making homophobic remarks.

At the touch of a button they were widely spread and broadcast to more than 50,000 people in the Twittersphere.

Rossi knew what he was saying but did not think of the meaning of the word - it was meant as a purely derogatory retort to somebody who did he agree with.

It is a clear example that homophobic language is rife in the game. Footballers need to set an example.

To display homophobic hate in a vile mud slinging contest is simply unacceptable.

Football v Homophobia 2011 is upon us!

Last year, the initiative was observed in eight countries!! Football matches and tournaments sprang up all over the globe with fans and communities everywhere uniting under the banner of “Football v Homophobia” for the first ever;

International day opposing homophobia in football.

This year it’s going to get bigger, better, louder and prouder than before.

This post outlines some of the ways that you, your club, team or organisation can celebrate "Football v Homophobia".

Don’t forget to get in touch with The Justin Campaign to request promotional materials, such as posters, flyers, banners and stickers to promote your event effectively.

Our brand new spanking "Football v Homophobia" website is due to be launched in the next few weeks, contact us before January 19^th 2011 to get your event listed and then send us your stories and images afterwards for everyone to see!

See below, keep us informed and have a great day!

The Justin Campaign team.

Football v Homophobia 2011.

Football v Homophobia is as much about having fun as it is about demonstration and protest. We want the world to know that the global LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans) community is as much a part of the beautiful game as anyone else (and if they don't believe us.... we can give them a good game to prove it!)

Organise a match or even a tournament in your local area! Contact your local newspapers/radio stations/football clubs/football authorities and get them involved!

Get everyone involved!!

Circulate news of "Football v Homophobia" to other football teams/community groups/colleges/universities/local government/politicians in the area.

Blog us, Tweet us, Facebook us, Use our pre-designed email signature to include in your email communications (downloadable from our website)

Tell your friends, your relatives, your colleagues, your boss and anyone that will listen!

Our Media & Communications Team are on call to give you advice & guidance on what to say and who to say it to!

Two left feet?

If you aren't the playing type but are a dedicated fan then assert your right to enjoy a football match without being intimidated by torrents of homophobic abuse from others and vocalise your support for your teams players that are subjected to such abuse on a weekly basis.

If you're not into Football, so what? Homophobia is an issue for everyone and therefore, tackling homophobia in football will have a positive impact on wider society!

Download our pre-written letter and send it to your local politician demanding more pressure be put on football authorities to end homophobia in football.

Organise a raffle, a quiz, a sponsored bike ride, a sponsored swim, a sponsored walk even! All donations will be put directly back into the development of "Football v Homophobia."

Make it interesting! Make it Diverse!

Football v Homophobia is about uniting all communities, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, race, disability and background in opposing homophobia in the game, so contact other community football teams, such as teams from different ethnic backgrounds, teams that may have disabilities or other teams from leagues in your area and involve them in your plans.

Tell us about you! Tell us about what your doing!

Send in your plans, your stories, your details and your pictures by January 19^th 2011 and we will showcase everyone’s hard work on the "Football v Homophobia" website.

Find out more about Football v Homophobia 2010.

For general information contact us at info@thejustincampaign.com

To contact our media team for advice and guidance on promoting your observance contact:

tim@thejustincampaign.com

For Corporate sponsor details or official endorsement enquiries contact:

darren@thejustincampaign.com

Education is key

In contrast to the last post, a London school claims to have eradicated homophobic bullying.

How? By informing youngsters of the truth and offering classes on diversity.

Kids are not stupid but they are products of their upbringing.

One of the reasons behind homophobic bullying in schools - two thirds of LGBT students claim to have been afffected - is because of a lack of education.

Until people learn about equality and celebrate important historical figures such as Alan Turing and Oscar Wilde, this will remain a serious issue.

This is why the Justin Campaign puts education as one of its major projects in the coming months.

A DVD about homophobic bullying will be available in February for use in schools.

We believe that football is a great tool to reach a wide variety of students on issues like homophobia.

Perhaps combined with the work displayed in Stoke Newington, huge steps could be taken to eradicating homophobia from all aspects our education system.

Is this really the message we want to be putting across to children?

Don't ask me how but our attention has been drawn to the children's TV programme Peppa Pig.

Apparently this is one of the most popular shows for pre-school children (and their stay-at-home parents) and now shown in 180 countries.

This episode, posted below in full, took on the challenge of washing a dirty white football shirt.



When a red dress ends up in the machine, it turns the rest of the clothes pink.

The dialogue is a clear indication of the simple attitudes towards football.

"Pink is not a very good colour for a football shirt", says Mummy Pig.

Why not? - take a quick look at the kit of the Justin Fashanu Allstars and tell me that does not belong on the football field.

I'm sure fans of Everton and Palermo agree with us.

But it gets worse.

When the father returns home he is handed the shirt and says: "That's not mine, that is one of mummy's dresses."

Sure this is a children's TV show aimed at the mass market and trying to get across simple messages about how the world works.

But have we not outgrown these traditional outdated dividing lines between the sexes which is more akin to the 1950s?

If the above messages are put in front of children at a young age, they very quickly become embedded as fact.

This makes change all the more difficult in the long run.

Finally some honesty

Waking up this morning to a phone filled with unanswered texts and emails it was clear something had happened.

The reason: a frank and brutally honest interview by Chelsea's French winger Florent Malouda.

For those of you who have not seen the comments, they have been reproduced in full below.

When asked about homophobia in football he said:

"Before people couldn't even speak about that like they were rejecting it and saying it is not existing.

"People who do it are wrong, hiding behind religion to explain their behaviour against gays, but you have to accept people as they are and once you understand that, you understand our differences are our strength."

To reiterate, this is THE Florent Malouda, one of the best players in the world.

The significance of a top player admitting the denigration of people because of their sexuality cannot be understated.

Credit must also be given to the press team at Chelsea who did not think "oh no we cannot possibly publish this" but actually allowed a player to speak his mind.

Could it be that football club's attitudes are becoming more aligned to the rest of society?

In the interview, which focused on Kick It Out's One Game, One Community week of action, the eloquent Malouda was also very frank about fighting racism on the terraces.

He stated: "You have to prove to others they are wrong and don't accept it. You have to face these people and even if it is a battle, if you have to struggle, you have to prove that there is only one race and that they are wrong to doubt you.

"You have to speak about it. You cannot act like it does not exist."

These are statements about equality which have not been heard before from such a high profile player.

Quite why Malouda felt the need to issue such strong statements is not known.

The recent protesting in France shows that our Gallic cousins do things a little differently when it comes to disagreements with the authorities.

Perhaps it was Malouda, who was brought up in South America, feels he wants to give something back to the beautiful game to which he owes so much.

Or maybe the winger has witnessed homophobic abuse first hand.

It might just be that he sees now - he's 30, in the best form of his life and captain of his adopted country - as the right time to speak his mind.

Whatever the reason perhaps the tide, at last, is turning.