‘Sport should give us pride and never should come with discrimination,’ said gay Brazilian Congressman Jean Wyllys.
(Photo by Cristina Gallo/Agência Senado; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Homophobia remains a serious problem in global soccer in spite of FIFA’s efforts to fight it.

Article 67 of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code states “the home association or home club is liable for improper conduct among spectators, regardless of the question of culpable conduct or culpable oversight, and, depending on the situation, may be fined.” The provision also says “the visiting association or visiting club is liable for improper conduct among its own group of spectators, regardless of the question of culpable conduct or culpable oversight, and, depending on the situation, maybe fined.”

“Improper conduct includes violence towards persons or objects, letting off incendiary devices, throwing missiles, displaying insulting or political slogans in any form, uttering insulting words or sounds, or invading the pitch,” reads Article 67.

Article 67 does not specifically include sexual orientation, but FIFA has used it to sanction countries over their fans’ anti-gay conduct.

FIFA since 2015 has fined Chile 180,000 Swiss francs ($187,149) for “homophobic chants by supporters” and “improper conduct among spectators” that included “homophobic chants” and “homophobic and insulting chants.” Three of the nine incidents that prompted FIFA to fine the South American country also resulted in banning matches at the National Stadium in Santiago.

FIFA imposed a one-game ban on official matches at the Metropolitan Olympic Stadium in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and fined the country 40,000 Swiss francs ($41,589) after fans shouted “homophobic chants” and threw water bottles during a Nov. 11, 2016, game against Panama.

FIFA since November 2015 has fined Mexico 130,000 Swiss francs ($135,163) for “homophobic chants” among its supporters during matches against the U.S., El Salvador, Canada, Honduras, Panama and Costa Rica.

Mexican soccer fans routinely taunt an opposing team’s goalkeeper by chanting “puto,” which roughly translates as “faggot” in English.

FIFA on June 20 issued a warning to Mexico after fans used the homophobic chant during a pre-2018 World Cup match that took place in Russia. The Mexican Football Association subsequently warned its fans to stop using the chant.

“As you know, FIFA is very serious about the chanting that we do when the goalkeeper takes a kick, and the possible sanctions are serious,” it said in a statement, according to NBC News. “Our efforts on the pitch will come to nothing if, because of this (behavior), we lose the match, the game is suspended or you are expelled from the stadium.”

“We lose, you lose, everyone loses,” added the Mexican Football Association.

FIFA since 2015 has also fined Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Greece, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay for “homophobic chants by supporters” during matches.

FIFA rules specifically ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender, but the organization awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia in spite of the country’s LGBT rights record. A FIFA spokesperson told the Washington Blade the organization has a gay-inclusive “comprehensive strategy to combat discrimination” that includes a guide on how to promote diversity and fight discrimination.

“FIFA is committed to fighting all forms of discrimination in football, including homophobia,” said the spokesperson. “The sanctions related to homophobic chants applied around the FIFA World Cup qualifiers are proof of how seriously FIFA takes this issue.”

LGBT advocacy groups in Latin America have launched campaigns that are designed to combat homophobia in soccer.

The LGBT Federation of Argentina launched a campaign ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil that featured retired soccer player Sergio Govcochea and Argentine sports reporter Juan Manuel Varela. The campaign, which incorporates FIFA’s Fair Play initiative, also featured clips of fans using homophobic and racist chants to taunt players from opposing teams during games.

“We believe in the value of Fair Play that FIFA launched years ago,” then-LGBT Federation of Argentina President Esteban Paulón in a statement that launched the campaign. “It has to leave the fields and reach the fans and also strongly fight against discrimination — not only against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and trans people — in the stands.”

GLAAD, Google and YouTube also launched campaigns during the 2014 World Cup that promoted LGBT acceptance in soccer and other sports.

“Sport should give us pride and never should come with discrimination or exclusion; regardless of ethnicity, social status, gender, sexual orientation or any other type (of factor,)” said gay Brazilian Congressman Jean de Wyllys in Google’s “Play with Pride” campaign.

Chile’s National Association of Professional Soccer last October signed an agreement with the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation, an LGBT advocacy group, in which it pledged to fight homophobia and other forms of discrimination in professional soccer.

The two groups earlier this year launched a campaign to combat homophobic, racist and xenophobic chants in the country’s soccer stadiums. The Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation in a March 29 press release applauded fans for their “good and respectful behavior” during a game between Chile and Venezuela that took place the day before at Monumental Stadium in the Santiago suburb of Macul.

“We did not hear, nor were we aware of any xenophobic, homophobic or racist chants or shouts, even during the second half when the Chilean team was in a tense moment,” said the Movement for the Homosexual Integration and Liberation. “What happened yesterday was, without doubt, an advance for respect and pacifism that we hope will continue.”