A Liverpool-based footballer said he feels a "deep sadness" when watching this year's World Cup.
Francis Wight, a member of Merseyside's LGBT+ football club, Mersey Marauders FC, said he is deeply saddened that if he had travelled to Qatar - a country where homosexuality for Muslim men is punishable by death - to watch the coveted football tournament, he feels he “wouldn’t have been able to be open” about his sexuality.
Francis, from Aigburth, also spoke about how it is “not an easy time to be a gay football fan" but appreciates it pales in comparison to the experiences LGBT+ people in Qatar face simply because of their sexuality or gender identity.
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The 32-year-old centre-back told the ECHO : “I’ll be watching the England games - I usually love international tournaments, but instead of the feeling of giddy excitement I usually have, I feel a deep sense of unease and sadness.”
Francis, who works in local government, fears the hostility and lack of representation at an elite level has excluded many LGBT+ people from playing football. Now with the World Cup underway in its host nation - where homosexuality is illegal - he worries the men’s football tournament will only “further entrench this perspective”.
Francis said that “football doesn’t have to be like this” and that his experience with the Marauders has been a "place of joy".
He said: "Many LGBT+ people have witnessed or experienced abuse first-hand in football, whether in the stands, dressing room or even the school playground. We (Mersey Marauders) exist to rectify this, creating a welcoming and inclusive space, free from discrimination, where everyone can enjoy the sport and thrive.
"Historically we have mostly catered to white, gay men and we’re determined to reach out beyond this group this season.
"That means making some small changes like adapting our website to ensure our language is trans-inclusive and seeking to build partnerships in the community to reach trans people, non-binary people and women. We also want to do more with black, Asian and ethnic minority communities in the region.”
Mersey Marauders are just one example of how football clubs - at all levels - can challenge homophobia in the game. The club play in a national league, the Gay Football Supporters Network, alongside 16 other clubs across the country, which according to Francis, suggests “we’re not alone in our conviction that football can be a place for LGBT+ people to thrive”.
Francis added: “Take the England Women’s team, their success over the summer was ground breaking in the encouragement it gave to girls and women who want to play. But the Lionesses were also trailblazing in their representation of LGBT+ people in the sport - seven of the 23 who won the European Championships identified as LGBT+.
"The difference seeing these LGBT+ role models at the very top of the game will have made to football fans across the country cannot be underestimated. It is crucial that we highlight where football can and does include LGBT+ people, and demonstrate that we belong in the sport just as much as anyone else.”
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