Proudly supporting Football v Homophobia

Tottenham Hotspur is proudly supporting Football v Homophobia (FvH) Month of Action, a campaign that aims to tackle homophobic discrimination in football, at Sunday’s home match against Chelsea.

FvH was launched in 2010 to bring fans, players, communities, grassroots teams, professional clubs and football authorities together to promote a safe and inclusive football environment for everyone regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Month of Action calls on football to take visible steps to tackle homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in the game.

In our continued support of FvH, we are promoting the campaign across our website, social media channels, LED signage and big screens around the Chelsea match. Members of Proud Lilywhites will also be appearing on our half-time show.

In 2020, the Club was honoured with the Professional Game Award at the first ever Football v Homophobia Awards. The Club was recognised for showing dedication to improving the landscape of football for LGBTQ+ people and who have worked in numerous ways to create better inclusion and participation at all levels of football.

The Club was one of the first to establish a LGBTQ+ Supporters’ Association, with the Proud Lilywhites launched in February, 2014.

Since then, Proud Lilywhites has continued to work closely with the Club to help combat issues relating to homophobia within the game and create a safe and inclusive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender fans.

Earlier this week, Co-Chair of Proud Lilywhites Lee Johnson met with Club Ambassador Ledley King and presenter Ben Haines to talk about the importance of campaigns such as FvH in support of LGBTQ+ communities, how the power of sport brings people together and the implications around fans’ use of the ‘Chelsea rent boy’ chant – a term that the Crown Prosecution Service considers to be a homophobic slur.

Lifelong Spurs fan Lee used to regularly attend matches but that all changed in 2008 when he came to watch Spurs v Chelsea at White Hart Lane. During the game, Lee heard fans using the chant which left him feeling excluded and unsafe. Lee left the match and didn’t return to a Spurs game for 10 years.

It wasn’t until Lee saw a picture of the Proud Lilywhites flag proudly displayed at a home match in 2018 that he decided to start attending matches again.

Lee said: “I’m excited to be back at the stadium for this weekend’s match. I feel I’m a lot more equipped to be able to challenge people if I hear the rent boy chant, and to also be a strong voice for people who might not feel comfortable saying anything. Having the rainbow flag in the corner, the stadium lit up in rainbow colours, it shows that the Club are fully behind and support us – it’s a testament to all the work we do together to drive inclusion. I’m excited, nervous and apprehensive but most importantly, I’m looking forward to watching the game I love in our world-class stadium.”

As a statement of support for the LGBTQ+ community, the Club has launched a Proud Lilywhites merchandise range, dedicated to celebrating our LGBTQ+ fans and allies. The rainbow colours and pride flag feature on a range of different products including accessories, homeware, stationery and clothing which are all available to purchase online and at The Tottenham Experience.

Furthermore, for the past four years, the Club has illuminated its iconic stadium in rainbow colours to celebrate the Rainbow Laces campaign.

We remind all fans that the Crown Prosecution Service considers the term ‘rent boy’ to be a homophobic slur, meaning that those using it could be liable for prosecution under hate crime laws. In January, the Football Association also informed Clubs that it can pursue formal disciplinary action against any club whose supporters engage in discriminatory behaviour, now including the use of the term ‘rent boy’.

For more information about FvH, visit www.footballvhomophobia.com.