English Football to Tackle Homophobia. On a Budget.

It’s been a long time coming, but English football has decided that 2009 is the year to finally start fighting homophobia. Apparently several organizations are teaming up for a promotional video speaking out against the homophobia that exists in football – and it does.

Here’s the lowdown:

The Football Association (FA), the Professional Footballers’ Association, the players’ union, Kick It Out, the sport’s diversity and inclusion campaign, and Peter Tatchell, of gay rights group Outrage!, began work on plans for the video at the end of last month. It is hoped that up to a dozen players, including David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, David James, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole and Cristiano Ronaldo, will be persuaded to take part. The video is due to be released in March and could be shown in schools if the FA wins the backing of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

There are obvious parallels with English football’s fight against racism, which overall has to be seen as a success:

Danny Lynch, of Kick It Out, said that football – often seen as the one of the last bastions of homophobia – was out of synch with public opinion. “When we were set up 15 years ago, monkey chanting and banana throwing was commonplace, but football has changed and you just don’t see that kind of behaviour any more. But in the absence of traditional racist abuse, we have seen this sharp rise in homophobic abuse and dealing with it is now a key part of our remit, ” said Lynch.

Alright, sounds like a plan then.

So how much money are the FA spending on this huge campaign to change entrenched attitudes and end homophobic chanting and abuse? How many millions?

The FA has put aside a budget of £20,000 and is hoping that a major advertising agency will take on the project at minimal cost.

Oh.

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