Football v Homophobia Football v Homophobia

There haven't been many stories shared by transgender footballers in the UK, which makes Blair Hamilton and Natalie Washington two trailblazers in the sport.

Blair is a goalkeeper for Saltdean United Women. She plays in the fifth tier of the women's game in England, while Natalie is a level below at tier six.

On this special episode of the FvH Podcast in support of the annual Week of Action for the Football v Transphobia campaign, Blair speaks candidly about her experiences in the game - the supportive camaraderie she's found at Saltdean, the moments of discrimination she's overcome in the sport, and her determination to help educate others through her academic research.

Together with Natalie, who is the campaign lead of FvT, they also discuss new statistics released by Kick It Out that show more people are coming forward to report anti-trans abuse than ever before.

This episode is hosted by FvH media and comms lead Jon Holmes, produced by Sports Media LGBT+.

Activate FvT in your football space - just head to footballvhomophobia.com/fvt for info, or contact us. We value your support.

Links

Football v Transphobia info and resources - https://www.footballvhomophobia.com/fvt/ 

The focus of #FvT2024 - https://sportsmedialgbt.com/football-v-transphobia-week-of-action-2024-lgbtq-trans-nonbinary 

Thanks for listening - please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials using the hashtag #FvT2024. We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter / X; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram and Threads; and you can like us on Facebook too.

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'Rylan: Football, Homophobia and Me' is the latest TV documentary to explore the experience of being LGBTQ+ in the game. Produced by Buzz 16 for TNT Sports, it has a different feel to similar films, given a very personal touch by its hugely likeable presenter - a big West Ham supporter and football fan in general - while focusing on people within the game who are out as gay and bi and who have shared their stories.

On this episode of the FvH Podcast, Jon Holmes is joined by two of those people - Thetford Town player-manager Matt Morton, and Sevenoaks Town centre-back Jahmal Howlett-Mundle.

Matt is no stranger to appearing on screen since first publicly sharing his story back in the summer of 2020. As a self-described 'alpha male' who bucks all the stereotypes, he's also given great thought to the many factors that make visibility like his so rare in men's football.

Jahmal shared the news that he is bisexual a year after Matt, in July 2021, and he has also been in demand from all parts of the media - he's thought to be the only player to have progressed through a Premier League club's Academy system to then later come out publicly.

In a chat held in the annual Football v Homophobia Month of Action and what is also LGBT+ History Month, Matt and Jahmal (aka Jam) talk about what it was like to be part of the Rylan documentary, give their reviews of the finished film, and discuss a lot of connected issues such as LGBTQ+ men's mental health, education, and experiences of both discrimination and inclusion at grassroots level.

Matt also talks about another doc that's just been released in Germany called 'The Last Taboo' which will hopefully hit UK streaming platforms later in the year.

Links

Football v Homophobia - ⁠https://www.footballvhomophobia.com/⁠

Sports Media LGBT+ - ⁠https://sportsmedialgbt.com/⁠

Matt and Jahmal's profiles on the LGBTQ+ Professionals in Football Collective (see links to their socials) - ⁠https://lgbtqfootball.com/who-are-we/⁠ 

Watch 'Rylan: Football, Homophobia and Me' on Discovery+ (UK) - https://www.discoveryplus.com/gb/video/rylan-football-homophobia-me/rylan-football-homophobia-me

Jon's blog about the doc for Out and Out Football - https://www.outandout.football/p/rylans-new-documentary-will-fire-you-up-for-football-v-homophobias-month-of-action/

Trailer on Buzz 16's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/buzz16_buzz16-documentary-lgbtq-activity-7163139078765408259-334W

Thank you for listening to the FvH Podcast - if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials.

We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter / X; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram and Threads; and you can like us on Facebook too.

Me & You by MusicbyAden | ⁠https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden⁠ 

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It can feel like the toughest decision you'll ever make - but being true to yourself, your teammates, coaches and colleagues is the winning feeling that every LGBTQ+ person in football deserves.

On this episode of the FvH Podcast, Jon Holmes is joined by two referees for a conversation about the upsides of coming out and how to look out for others when they might be feeling down.

Dan McFarlane is a Category 1 ref taking charge of games in the SPFL. He's been out within Scottish football officiating for several years and says authenticity has been an essential part of his rise up the leagues.

Mikey Connor will be familiar to viewers of BBC reality dating show 'I Kissed A Boy' - but he's also a Liverpool FA referee at grassroots level. Like Dan, he's a member of the LGBTQ+ Professionals in Football Collective, a network group run by FvH that's bringing together those from the community who are working in the game.

In a chat with host Jon Holmes to coincide with World Mental Health Day and Coming Out Day on October 10 and 11, the two men in the middle share their stories, offer advice to other gay and bi guys who might be finding it hard to break out of the closet, and assess the challenges that are still being faced in men's football.

It's a refreshing and open conversation that can help listeners to unlock their potential, on and off the pitch - and it might just encourage you to pursue officiating as well.

Links

Football v Homophobia - https://www.footballvhomophobia.com/

Sports Media LGBT+ - https://sportsmedialgbt.com/

Mikey and Dan’s profiles on the LGBTQ+ Professionals in Football Collective (see links to their socials) - https://lgbtqfootball.com/who-are-we/ 

Dan on referee recruitment (Press & Journal) - https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/6186347/referees-encourage-new-faces-to-pick-up-the-whistle/ 

Thank you for listening to the FvH Podcast - if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials.

We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter / X; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram; and you can like us on Facebook too.

Me & You by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden 

Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com 

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

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In Manchester on Pride weekend, the Football v Homophobia campaign revived a big get-together for the LGBTQ+ community in the game - an event that had previously been held online during the pandemic summer of 2020.

This time, however, it was in person and fully fabulous! At a symposium at Man Met University, queer football culture was celebrated, from the inclusive vibes of the Women’s World Cup to encouraging signs in the men’s game, from the ‘monster’ TRUK United FC story to a decade of LGBTQ+ fan groups.

We also put on a screening of short film ‘Realness With A Twist’ which tells the tale of a voguing-mad player who’s torn between the dressing room and the dancefloor; and we explored why Manchester is a magical place to make family through football.

There was also a Pride party at the uber-cool Motley bar and we marched with a Football Pride banner in the parade on the Saturday before enjoying the rest of the weekend on Canal Street.

The event was one of the highlights of the FvH calendar, and joining Sports Media LGBT+’s Jon Holmes to recap all the news and share their own stories are guests Sabah Ahmad and Adam Haworth.

Sabah spoke on the closing panel about setting up Lez Be United FC, a club for women and non-binary people that plays in Manchester’s inclusive AF League. On the pod, she explains how growing up, she could never have dreamed of the kind of connection she has with football now; why local drag bar Cruz 101 is the perfect sponsor; and what she took away from Football Pride.

At the start of 2023, Adam created Out and Out Football, a digital platform to share queer perspectives on the game. He talks about what he enjoyed as an attendee, and his outlook on LGBTQ inclusion as a Burnley fan. He also offers some suggestions about what might be good to introduce if/when (!) Football Pride comes back in 2024…

Thank you to everyone who took part - our speakers, attendees, sponsors, organisers and anyone who amplified the message.

Some links…

Lez Be United FC on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lezbeunited_fc/

Watch Cruz 101’s Barb Just Barb try out for the team in a special Pride video! - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs9BEbHoXiJ/

Out & Out Football - https://www.outandout.football/

Adam on Twitter - https://twitter.com/aahaworth 

Thank you for listening to the Football v Homophobia Podcast - if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials.

We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram; and you can like us on Facebook too. Our website is
https://www.footballvhomophobia.com

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Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com 

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

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Lovers of the game are gearing up to go Down Under for the ninth FIFA Women's World Cup and with the tournament fast approaching, that's where our LGBTQ+ focus lies for a special Pride Month episode.

For the third consecutive year, the podcast is celebrating the Football Writers' Association's support for Sports Media LGBT+, with both organisations keen to send out the message that the football media industry welcomes everyone.

Joining host Jon Holmes for this chat are four fellow journalists - together they'll waltz you through a queer history of the WWC, selecting highs and lows, heroes and villains from past tournaments, before looking ahead to Australia and New Zealand 2023. On the pod...


ESPN's Sophie Lawson, on the sometimes problematic but often wholesome storytelling that accompanies a WWC - follow @lawson_sv
Júlia Belas, from The Guardian's Moving the Goalposts newsletter, on Brazil's trinity of trailblazers - follow @july_bt
ABC's Samantha Lewis on the impact made by Michelle Heyman and how the Matildas can make their many fans truly proud - follow @battledinosaur
Also with us from Sydney, freelancer and FvH Award nominee Poletti on the marvel that is Megan Rapinoe and how coverage of women's football in Oz is changing for the better - follow @ItsPoletti

The FWA welcomes industry professionals and students as members, while Sports Media LGBT+ can help you on inclusion, networking and content creation. Reach out for advice and connections!

Thank you for listening to the Football v Homophobia Podcast - if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials.

We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram; and you can like us on Facebook too. Happy Pride!

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Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are on Twitter and within that, there's 'Football Twitter' - the sizeable cohort of users who support their clubs fiercely, who comment on the latest news and gossip constantly, and who interact with just about anything to do with the game.

'Football Twitter' (or 'FT') has also become notorious for anti-LGBTQ+ abuse and discrimination. As the platform continues to grow in toxicity and reach, it appears to be an increasingly unpleasant place to hang out for anyone who loves football but doesn't fit the 'FT mould'.

On this episode of the FvH Podcast, we're joined by broadcaster and Arsenal YouTuber Sophie Nicolaou - aka @soccerdiva - and journalist and researcher Finbarr Toesland.

Sophie tells us about her own experiences of harassment and abuse from a noisy 'FT' minority - but she also explains how she's still able to find her tribe on Twitter.

Finbarr discusses the new report he's authored exploring how LGBTQ+ journalists - including football content creators - are being targeted on social media, and his recommendations to media organisations and brands. He feels they need to understand how and why abuse happens and the effect it has on individuals.

This episode, hosted and produced by Sports Media LGBT+'s Jon Holmes, is being released to coincide with the global awareness day IDAHOBIT (the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia) on May 17, and Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK.

Show your support for FvH! Activate the campaign in your football space - just head to footballvhomophobia.com for info, downloads and resources, and how to contact the FvH team.

Links

Sophie Nicolaou on Twitter - https://twitter.com/soccerdiva

Finbarr Toesland on Twitter - https://twitter.com/FinbarrToesland

Read Finn's report: 'Are media organisations adequately protecting LGBTQ journalists from harassment and abuse?' - https://www.bcu.ac.uk/media/research/sir-lenny-henry-centre-for-media-diversity/research

IDAHOBIT - https://may17.org

Mental Health Awareness Week - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week

Thank you for listening - please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials. We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram; and you can like us on Facebook too.

Music

Me & You by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden

Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US