FIFA must condemn Nigerian anti-lesbian witch-hunt
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Flashmob protest planned for Wednesday 13 July in Frankfurt
London – 12 July 2011
The international gay rights pressure group – www.AllOut.org - has called on FIFA to publicly condemn homophobia in football, starting with a full investigation of the Nigerian Women’s Football Coach, Eucharia Uche, for her homophobic coaching policies, as documented by the New York Times: http://tiny.cc/wehgp
Read about the AllOut.org petition with over 45,000 signatures: http://www.allout.org/fifa
FLASH MOB IN FRONT OF FRANKFURT STADIUM, GERMANY
When: Wednesday, July 13 • 7:00pm
Where: S-Bahn Station, by Commerzbank Arena
What: 100 activists dressed up as referees with Red Cards reading "Homophobia No"
Expressing his support for the AllOut.org campaign, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said:
“The reported purge last year of lesbian players from the Nigerian women’s football team by Nigerian soccer federation official James Peters is outrageous discrimination. The team’s current coach has also boasted that she is attempting to remove lesbian influences from the team. These actions go against the spirit that sport should be open to everyone and that players should be judged solely on their football abilities.
“FIFA’s silence and inaction is collusion with homophobic prejudice and discrimination. It has failed to act against the anti-lesbian policies of the Nigerian football authorities.
“Sepp Blatter and FIFA must insist that Nigerian football officials halt their witch-hunt of lesbian players. Allowing this discrimination is unacceptable. The beautiful game is not beautiful when it tolerates prejudice,” said Mr Tatchell.
More info from AllOut.org:
Naomi Seligman - Los Angeles, Naomi@FitzGibbonMedia.com 001 310.450.2447
CJ Frogozo - Los Angeles, CJ@FitzGibbonMedia.com 001 310.570.2622