EU report on discrimination in sport ignores sexual orientation

From the foreword to the report from the European Unions Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), entitled: Racism, ethnic discrimination and exclusion of migrants and minorities in sport: The situation in the European Union:

Sport brings together millions of people, regardless of their sex, colour, gender, age, nationality or religion, and has thus the potential to play an important role in creating an inclusive society. Sports activities ranging from the local to the national and international level, embracing leisure as well as competitive sport, can support the integration of migrants and persons belonging to minorities into society as whole. In other words, sport events could be an ideal platform to foster inclusion, acceptance of diversity and mutual respect while combating racism, discrimination and exclusion.

This potential of sports to convey human values is of increasing interest for the European Union. With the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon in December 2009, the European Union holds now an explicit competence in the field of sport.

Union actions shall aim to develop ‘the European dimension in sport, by promoting fairness and openness in sporting competitions and cooperation between bodies responsible for sports, and by protecting the physical and moral integrity of sportsmen and sportswomen, especially the youngest sportsmen and sportswomen’. The new Treaty also introduces a horizontal clause that obliges the Union to combat discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation in all contexts – that is, whenever the Union is ‘defining and implementing its policies and activities’.

Against this background, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has carried out research on racism, discrimination and exclusion in sport, focusing on different sports and levels of practice. The findings show that despite significant progress made in past years, sport continues to face a number of challenges related to racism and ethnic discrimination. Incidences of racism and ethnic discrimination affect sport at professional as well as at amateur level. Particularly at amateur level, there is reluctance to recognise such incidents. Moreover, few Member States have established effective monitoring systems to record racism and racial discrimination in sport.

Policy makers are increasingly interested in the role of sport in combating racism and discrimination. This research provides some useful assistance in their eff orts to explore the rich potential of sport for promoting equality.

Morten Kjaerum
Director

We note that while the full report mentions in passing homophobia in sport, the report as a whole ignores this significant form of discrimination against EU citizens and residents. Given the commitment of many FRA consulting partners (including Football Against Racism in Europe, of which our friends of the EGLSF are members) to put homophobia on the same footing as racism in sport, this exclusion by FRA is all the more surprising.