Football for Equality Project - Tackling homophobia and racism with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe!

UEFA-EURO 2012 | Poland and Ukraine | 8th June - 1st July 2012

The countdown is almost over – only two more days and then the UEFA EURO in Poland and Ukraine starts with the opening match in Warsaw between Poland and Greece. There are a lot of discussions about human rights around this EURO. Topics like the case of Julia Timoschenko or the recently broadcasted BBC-documentary which heated the debate about racism and anti-semitism in the host countries are well discussed in media.

At the same time the first ever Pride Parade in Ukraine should have taken place but was cancelled on short notice because of homophobic violence. Two LGBT-activists were beaten up brutally by ultra-right groups. Reason enough to turn a spotlight on the situation of LGBTIQ community in CEE countries (Central and Eastern European countries), and thats the focus of the Football for Equality-project.


The following actions take place around EURO:

 

EURO PRIDE HOUSE 2012

The Euro Pride House in Poland is an initiative of the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation. It is meant to be a meeting point for LGBTIQs, to create safe spaces for queer fans that visit the EURO and who wish to celebrate football together.

The concept behind the Euro Pride House is to raise awareness of the involvement of LGBTIQ people in football as supporters and participants and to create a dialogue amongst football stakeholders on homophobia and transphobia particularly in Eastern Europe.

The launch of the Pride House will take place on Friday 8 June in Warsaw. Guests will include activists, football supporters, politicians and representatives from within football.

Throughout June Euro Pride House will screen matches, host a table football tournament and host a range of debates and networking events.

Also the exhibition Against the Rules - Lesbians and Gays in Sport will be shown in the Pride House in Polish language!

 

Anti-Discrimination Actions within the Fans' Embassy at EURO 2012

 

Fans' Embassy-project at UEFA EURO 2012

UEFA’s Respect Fan Culture project will support football fans throughout next summer's finals. With the collaboration of Football Supporters Europe (FSE), fan embassies will be set up in the eight host cities to serve as places where fans can seek assistance with last-minute travel and accommodation arrangements as well as aid in unforeseen circumstances. Supporters of participating countries will also have their own mobile fan embassies (12 teams) that will move from stadium to stadium. Fan guides and fanguide maps in 15 different languages will be produced.

This international Fans' Embassy project is organised by FSE - Football Supporters Europe.

Action Days for Respect and Equality

In the framework of the European project “Football for Equality: Tackling homophobia and racism with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe” (funded by the European Commission/DG Justice) FSE plans to organise the following fan-oriented equality activities at the UEFA EURO 2012:

Action Day for Respect and against Discrimination at the Fans´ Embassies

  • Warsaw, 11 June: Football for Equality party in the Pride House Warsaw, ul. Solec 44, on 11 June at 8pm as warm-up party before before the Poland – Russia game
  • Wroclaw, 12 June:“Kibicowanie II – Football as universal language II” exhibition in Wroclaw, ul. Ku?nicza on 12 June at the Fans’ Embassy before the Greece – Czech Republic game
  • Gdansk, 14 June: “Kibicowanie II – Football as universal language II exhibition in Gdansk, ul. Targ W?glowy on 14 June at the Fans’ Embassy before the Spain – Ireland game
  • Poznan, 18 June: Awareness raising and distribution of informational material at the Fans’ Embassies in Poznan, in ul. 27 Grudnia oraz and ul. Paderewskiego, before the Italy – Ireland game on 18 June

 

Diversity workshops and Fanguides

Before the EURO workshops on discrimination, homophobia and racism have been organised for Fans´ Embassies´ staff together with the project partner EGLSF.


Within the printed and also within the online-fanguides there will me anti-discrimination sections which focus on problems of minorities, and what fans can expect and what safe behaviour is recommended, within th twei host countries Poland and Ukraine.

The online official online FanGuide 2012 in 15 languages can be visited at

External link in new windowwww.fansembassy.org

External link in new windowwww.2012fanguide.org

Ane the printed version can be downloded in English here:

PDF DownloadFanguide English

for other languages, here you can find the download-link of FSE:

External link in new windowfansembassy.org/en/library/summary/5-fan-guides

Contact:
Football Supporters Europe eV
Coordinating Office
P.O. Box 50 04 03
22704 Hamburg
Germany
E-mail: info@footballsupporterseurope.org
more informations on www.fanembassy.org

Build YOUR Pridehouse,
bring on this poster:

www.fair-play.info/