"The LGBT Football Club for Sussex"
Homophobia in Football
Football is an area of society where homophobia remains a problem, both at grass-roots and professional levels. Brighton Bandits, along with other gay community teams and the Gay Football Supporters' Network, are involved in an initiative with the Football Association to combat homophobia in the professional game.
The Justin Campaign was founded to demonstrate that ten years after Justin Fashanu's tragic suicide in 1998, homophobia is still hugely prevalent in the world of professional football.
Along with raising awareness the campaign has a strong focus on Art, Events, Education and football. Through these four key initiatives and some forward thinking strategic work with other inclusive sporting organisations The Justin Campaign seeks to challenge the stereotypes and misconceptions that exist around gay & bisexual men & women in football and work towards a future where the visibility of gay and bisexual men in professional football are both accepted and celebrated.
On February 19th 2010, The Justin Campaign launched Football v Homophobia – An international day opposing homophobia in football, which provided an opportunity for individuals, communities and teams the world over to communicate their disapproval of homophobia in football and celebrate football's diverse following under the banner of Football v Homophobia.
The campaign intends that Football v Homophobia on Feb 19th will become the one day out of each year where individuals, community groups, teams and clubs all over the world can express their disapproval of homophobia in football by celebrating under the banner of Football v Homophobia.
The campaign hopes that you can express your support for the day next year and ensure that this initiative significantly changes how LGBT people are perceived and treated in football.
Remember you don't have to be a football fan or sports group to back the campaign! Impacting on homophobia in football will communicate a zero tolerance attitude to homophobia in any shape, or form, across the world.