Homophobia at football games will be dealt with as severely as racism under plans passed by Liberal Democrat conference today. As part of a wide ranging motion designed to reclaim the people’s game, homophobic abuse would be classified and punished in the same way as racist abuse.
Liberal Democrats voted for an independent commission to look at football governance to make it more inclusive. The motion also calls on 5% of English and Scottish Premier League TV revenue to be used to fund the games grass roots, as well as reforms of football governance, such as strengthening the fit and proper persons test.
Commenting, John Leech MP said: "In the 21st century, football grounds need to be a place where everyone feels comfortable, regardless of their whether they are black or white, straight or gay. Football has worked hard to try and kick racism out of the game. The Liberal Democrats want to see the same effort put in dealing with homophobia. Liberal Democrats believe in a fair society, and that means building a national game that people can watch without fear of being abused for the colour of their skin or their sexuality.”
