73% of LGBT+ athletes feel they have to be part of an LGBT+ team or ‘safe space’ to take part in sport. Meanwhile there appears to be little shift in the levels of homophobia on the sports pitch and in stadiums in the last decade.
That’s according to new research by UK LGBT+ sports campaign organization Just A Ball Game? As it celebrates its 10th anniversary.
It also reported that only 44% of people who reported homophobia, biphobia or transphobia in a sports context felt they got a satisfactory response.
Moreover, the number who feel confident in reporting LGBT+ discrimination is just 25% today – exactly the same as in 2011. LGBT+ soccer ally and former Everton and Wales goalkeeper Neville Southall said: ‘To me sport has been something