Everyone wele? Gay football fans prepare for FIFA World Cup

Contents:

• WHY IS 'RENT BOY' CHANT HOMOPHOBIC? YOU ASKED, GAY LIVERPOOL FANS ANSWERED
• YEARS LATER, HOMOPHOBIC ‘RENT BOY’ CHANT STILL TORMENTS GAY SOCCER FANS
• EVERYONE WELE? GAY FOOTBALL FANS PREPARE FOR FIFA WORLD CUP
• LIVERPOOL BOSS JURGEN KLOPP URG FANS TO STOP ANTI-GAY CHANTS

WHY IS 'RENT BOY' CHANT HOMOPHOBIC? YOU ASKED, GAY LIVERPOOL FANS ANSWERED

The veted football tournament’s host natn, Qatar, crimalis homosexualy and is punishable wh a jail sentence of up to seven years. This was the first sign to be displayed a Premier League club stadium to bat homophobia. A more memorable stance was when manager Jurgen Klopp urged “idt fans” to stop g a homophobic chant agast Norwich's on-loan Chelsea midfielr Billy Gilmour durg the first Liverpool FC game of the 2021/2022 season.

YEARS LATER, HOMOPHOBIC ‘RENT BOY’ CHANT STILL TORMENTS GAY SOCCER FANS

Followg the match, Klopp ved Pl Amann to the Reds' trag centre Kirkby to discs the impact of homophobia football. " Mr Ja claims “directly followg” Pl Amann’s s down wh Jurgen last season “there was a clear and purposeful behavural shift wh our supporter base agast homophobic chantg once our fans had been ted on the impact of what many didn’t realise was offensive”. Jürgen Klopp has strongly nmned the Liverpool supporters who directed homophobic chants at the Norwich midfielr Billy Gilmour, llg them “idts”.

Goal has spoken to supporters' groups reprentg gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenr fans om around the Premier League, cludg at December 2020, Liverpool pta Jordan Henrson rpond to a gay Reds fan on Twter, who had spoken about how supportg his football club had helped him al wh his sexualy. While havg an England ternatnal speak out so clearly support of gay fans was important, Amann feels ronat closely wh the outlook of Liverpool supporters overall, and plays to the ma role played by a group like Kop Outs. “People unwtgly – the ma – have been transphobic and homophobic at Anfield, and is only through our fellow fans that the volume of those chants and behavurs have cled.

Homophobia is no longer mastream, and that is ttament to an tn procs and an awarens of polics that we are fortunate to have Liverpool. "Some fans perceive as nothg more than nocent banter, wh a Liverpool supporter nicknamed Mac wrg on Tribuna: "This is what the world is g to, that a full on fact is gettg labelled as homophobic ffs. "However, the term 'rent boy' is homophobic, as brilliantly explaed by a fan nicknamed Tim Park—his post was retweeted by Kop Outs!, an anisatn for Liverpool's LGBT fans.

EVERYONE WELE? GAY FOOTBALL FANS PREPARE FOR FIFA WORLD CUP

"Rpectfully, is [homophobic]. "To e the term a rogatory manner is homophobic. It's homophobic.

The slur’s stubborn persistence shows how difficult n be to eradite homophobic tradns om male sports, pecially wh relative actn om erng bodi. “It’s a te dark cloud over any gay man who go to a football game and has to hear .

LIVERPOOL BOSS JURGEN KLOPP URG FANS TO STOP ANTI-GAY CHANTS

Eher way, the exprsn “rent boy” is herently homophobic, says Jon Holm, an edor at Sky Sports. “There’s always the suggtn that people chant or say that chant or sg bee they don’t really do wh homophobic tentns, ” he said. K., don’t regnize the chant as homophobic.

For Callum Jewell, -founr of Watford’s LGBTQ fan club, the Proud Hors, “rent boy” and other anti-gay tnts brg back unpleasant memori. “When you grow up gay, and you’re bullied a lot childhood pecially, there’s words that put you on edge, and jt brg back all the horrible memori of every time that someone says sh to you. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool fans to put an end to homophobic chantg, tellg them: "I don't want to hear anymore.

Kop Outs founr Pl Amann says was 'eply disappotg' to hear homophobic chantg directed towards Norwich midfielr Billy Gilmour durg Liverpool's 3-0 victory at Carrow Road. "It has been viewed over two ln tim and the vast majory of fans are supportive, they are engagg, they are realisg, when they didn't, that actually that chant is que homophobic.