After Football Association, Football League become the latest backer of a government drive to stamp out homophobia and transphobia in sport. The development is significant as the Football League represents 72 clubs in England and Wales.
Already, 3,000 individuals and clubs have signed up the Government’s Sports Charter to tackle homophobia and transphobia in sport. The Football Association has also launched a four-year plan to promote equality in football. It commits the FA to taking action in six key areas to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender inclusion in football
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, was at the League Cup final to see the Football League become the latest backer of the drive.
The Football League signed the Home Office Sports Charter at the Carling Cup final between Liverpool and Cardiff on Sunday.
It means one of the most important and oldest leagues in the world has committed to tackling discrimination both on the pitch and in the stands.
The development is also significant as reports reveal claims filed by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTI) asylum seekers, fleeing persecution and discrimination in their countries of origin, are treated differently across the 27 states of the European Union.
This was revealed by ‘Fleeing Homophobia’, the first-ever EU-wide comparative study recently released by Sabine Jansen and Thomas Spijkerboer.