Pressure on Theresa May as Labour backs Tory MP bid to outlaw homophobic chants at football games
3 min read
Labour has thrown its weight behind a Tory MP’s bid to outlaw homophobic chants at football matches.
In a rare show of cross-party unity, Shadow Equalities Minister Dawn Butler said it was “the next important step to making discrimination in sport a thing of the past”.
The move piles pressure on the Government to heed the growing calls and back the legislative tweak amid concerns about gay rights in Russia during the World Cup.
Damian Collins, the Tory chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, launched the drive this week in a bid to make football “a sport that is truly open to everyone”.
In a report last year, his committee said fans who display homophobic attitudes at matches should face “immediate, lengthy bans”, while sports authorities must adopt a “zero tolerance” approach.
According to research by the BBC, 50% of football fans have heard homophobic abuse at football matches, while a Stonewall survey put the figure at 72%.
Ms Butler told PoliticsHome: “Labour fully supports this Bill to outlaw homophobic chants in football stadiums, which is the next important step to making discrimination in sport a thing of the past.
“Any football fans or players being bullied and taunted for their sexuality is unacceptable on or off the pitch.”
She hailed the “great work” done by the Kick it Out campaign to tackle racism and discrimination in football, but noted: “There is still much more to do to end discrimination in sport.”
And she added: “I call on the Government to give the Bill the support it deserves, so together we can make it law.”
Mr Collins teamed up Welsh ex-rugby star Gareth Thomas in his attempt to amend the Football Offences Act to make indecent chanting or gesturing with reference to sexual orientation or gender identity illegal.
The Tory MP said last week: “Whilst, if enacted, the bill would protect LGBT+ fans and players in the UK, recent events, including at the World Cup, have once again demonstrated that homophobic abuse takes place at football matches the world over.
“Fifa and other sports governing bodies should take the necessary steps to ensure that homophobic abuse will never be tolerated and that action will be taken against people that engage in activities like these, no matter where the game is played.
“We hope that the bill will soon become law and will contribute to making football a sport that is truly open to everyone.”
Ahead of its report, the committee heard examples of fans hurling abuse from the stands, sending it online through social media and even giving out homophobic leaflets at a game.
It also heard about the effects of homophobic “banter” among teams in locker rooms, and how it impacts on the mental health of those who keep their sexuality secret.
Mr Collins and Mr Thomas launched a draft bill to amend the Football Offences Act at an event in parliament on Monday.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "There is no place for racism, sexism, homophobia or any other kind of discrimination in sport. Homophobic chanting is already an offence under the Football (Offences) Act. Individuals engaged in racist, indecent or homophobic chanting can also be charged under the Public Order Act 1986.
"In 2016 we published the Hate Crime Action Plan which makes clear our commitment to tackle all forms of hate crime. Anyone who commits such hate crimes will feel the full force of the law.”
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
