Barbara Barend: football world’s anti-racism campaign is hypocritical

The football world should stop the anti-racism campaign if it does not also take a stand against violence against LGBT people. Barbara Barend stated this on Thursday on NPO Radio 1.

“Football is for everyone, except for gays”, Barend sighed. “Time and again we go to countries where I am not accepted. And where other gay people are not accepted. Where it is punishable to be myself. And that really bothers me. Stop campaigning like ‘No to racism’ if that also does not apply to gays.”

The KNVB informed NU.nl on Thursday that it does not consider it necessary to adjust the protocol for anti-LGBTI chants. During the friendly duel between Orange and Germany, “All Germans are gay” could be heard several times from the stands. No action was taken.

The protocol of the KNVB states that it can be decided to intervene in the event of repeated chants. The KNVB did not consider the anti-LGBTI choirs serious enough to do that.