France, the “rebels” of football against the anti-homophobia day (and the silence of the LGBTQ associations to avoid being accused of Islamophobia) – Corriere.it

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
PARIS – The day of fight against homophobiain French football, it’s a complicated moment, far from the obvious unanimity, at least in words, that one might expect around initiatives of this kind.

Last year Idrisse Gueye, champion of Paris Saint-Germain, had refused to take the field with the rainbow colors like everyone else (he later played this season for Everton, in the English Premier League). And also last Sunday some players preferred not to take the fieldto not have to wear the armband and shirt number with the colors of the rainbowas a sign of solidarity with the LGBTQ community.

Homo ou hétéro, on porte tous le même maillot«Homosexual or straight, we all wear the same shirt», is the slogan of the campaign.

But some have chosen not to participate. As Donatien Gomis of Guincamp, Mostafa Mohamed of Nantes e five Toulouse playersincluding the Moroccan international Zakaria Aboukhlal, who explained himself on social media as follows: «I have decided not to participate in today’s match. First of all, I would like to emphasize that I have the utmost consideration for every person, regardless of their personal choices, gender, religion and origins. Respect is a value that I hold in high regard. It extends to others, but it also includes respect for my personal beliefs. For this reason, I do not consider myself the most suitable person to participate in the meeting. I hope my decision will be treated with respectjust as we ask for respect».

There are those who speak of a distorted championship, such as the coach of Brest, Éric Roy: «Everyone has their own opinions but I’m not happy that in Toulouse as many as five players desert the match against Nantes, which is our rival in the fight to avoid relegation to Ligue 2. It wasn’t necessary to organize this day in the very last league matches». But it is certainly not the French football league that has called the world day against homophobia, which after all is not a legitimate opinion like any other.

In spite of some courageous positions such as those of Antoine Griezmanchampion of the French national team (but plays in the Spanish league, in Atletico Madrid), French football has a problem with homosexuality and former international Patrice Evra told Parisien in January 2022 that «I have played with homosexual footballers. They confided it to me face to face but are afraid to speak about it openly. In every club at least two players are homosexual but in the world of football, if you say so, you’re finished».

An LGBTQ militant, Mehdi Aifa, also blames the leniency of associations defending the rights of homosexualsaccording to him usually more careful but in this case little combative so as not to disturb another minority, the one linked to the Arab-Muslim culture.

«The great absentees in this controversy on homophobia in football are, unsurprisingly, the LGBTQ associations. They usually have rapid indignation but in this case radio silence – he writes on Twitter -. Never be accused of stigmatizing homophobic Muslims. Here, as with homophobia in the banlieues, the Mostafas or Zakarias don’t touch each other».

The Toulouse footballer, Zakaria Aboukhlal, the day after the unplayed league match, during the celebrations for the victory in the French Cup, then turned in a threatening way to the councilor for sport of Toulouse, Mrs. Laurence Arribagé, who he had asked other players to make less noise while a speech was being given. “In my house, women don’t talk like that to men”, the player told her, then going to her to demand an apology. The team, already in trouble for not participating in the day against homophobia, suspended him.