Words by Adam Haworth from Out and Out Football. Original article HERE.
Football – men’s football in particular – has a problem with LGBTQ+ people. It’s why I started Out and Out Football.
Despite the challenges we face, across football, there is amazing, dedicated, tireless work going on to change things for the better.
But such is the scale of the challenge, there is always more work to do. And I’m keen to help as much as possible. That’s why today, I’m launching a survey for LGBTQ+ people to share their experiences and feelings about men’s football.
“The more LGBTQ+ people that take part, the better our understanding of the scale of the problem.”
Whether you’re already interested in football or it’s your least favourite thing: if you’re LGBTQ+, this is for you.
Have your say
It usually takes less than five minutes to complete.
We need a better, more up-to-date understanding of LGBTQ+ inclusion in football. There’s some data out there already, but we need more of it.
If we can map out the landscape, it’s easier for all of us to find the best path forward. To work out where the barriers are, and to start to understand possible solutions.
And the more LGBTQ+ people that take part, the better our understanding of the scale of the problem. The better our understanding of the problem, the easier it will be to work out how to fix it.
The survey focuses on men’s football, because that’s where the biggest problems lie.
Since Out and Out Football launched in early 2023, we’ve shared stories of homophobia heard on football terraces, of people assuming that football couldn’t be for them because they’re queer, of how football can make gender dysphoria worse.
But we’ve also shared stories about how football can, when done right, give a sense of community, togetherness, friendship, and even safety.
There’s hope in those stories. There’s hope in the tireless work by Football v Homophobia, and by the many LGBTQ+ supporter groups.
That hope energises me. We can make real change happen. But first, we must shine a brighter light on the problem.
Please don’t wait – take part in the survey.
Words by Adam Haworth from Out and Out Football. Original article HERE.