Monday 20 February 2012
Football figures to tackle homophobia at university event
Football campaigners, players, administrators and fans will discuss homophobia
The issue of homophobia in football is to be tackled at a special Kick It Out event at Nottingham Trent University on Tuesday 21 February, when a number of highly-respected figures will come together to talk about how the sport deals with homophobia, and whether the game is now ready for an ‘out’ gay player.
Special guests include Nottingham Forest chairman, Frank Clark; Notts County stars, Sam Sodje and George Nicholas; Barnsley goalkeeper, David Preece; director of The Justin Campaign, Megan Worthing-Davies; and former professional footballer, Earl Barrett, whose previous clubs include Everton, Aston Villa and Oldham Athletic.
The event is supported by the Football Association; Kick It Out, which campaigns against discrimination in football; Pride Sports, the UK's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender sports development and equity organisation; and Nottingham Ball Bois FC, the gay community football club in Nottingham.
Host of the event and Nottingham Business School lecturer, Dr Scott Lawley, has recently researched sports and sexuality, in particular the absence of openly gay players in professional football. He said: “Against a backdrop of increasing workplace and social rights and acceptance for gay men, football is notable for its lack of visible gay participants. The reasons for this, however, are not so easy to tackle and lie within the deeply-ingrained cultures of the game.
“The issue of homophobia in football is very much in the spotlight at the moment, in fact all 20 Premiership football clubs recently announced they would sign a Government charter to pledge to tackle homophobia and transphobia in sport. Events such as this which bring together football campaigners, players, administrators and fans are hugely important in keeping this momentum going.”
The panel discussion will run from 6.30 pm -9 pm in Lecture Theatre 1 in Nottingham Trent University's City site Newton Building. For further information email Scott Lawley.
Notes to editors:
Press enquiries please contact Helen Breese, Press Officer, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8751 or via email, or Therese Easom, Press and Internal Communications Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8774 or via email.
