José Manuel Franco, Peque and Ismael Merino talk about LGTBIphobia in sport

   MADRID, 19 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Higher Sports Council (CSD) has launched this Sunday, on the occasion of the International Day against LGTBIphobia in Sport, the video 'We talk about Sport. We are talking about LGTBIphobia', a conversation between the president of the CSD, José Manuel Franco; the futsal player Patricia González 'Peque' and the president of the LGTBI Iberian Sports Association, Ismael Merino, with whom the CSD wants to underline its "commitment to the eradication of discrimination" against the people of that group.

In the audiovisual piece, recorded at the CSD facilities, the three review aspects such as the experience of 'Peque' and Ismael as LGTBI athletes, the importance of the visibility of sports references -such as the recent case of the Getafe player Jakub Jankto- and the advances introduced by the new Sports Law, among others.

"We have to help overcome those fears that anyone may have, but we have to ensure that in the future they are not gestures of courage, but rather another expression of your condition," said the Secretary of State for Sport at a time of the chat.

"The new Sports Law, which we have recently approved, already includes this need and this obligation of the rest of society to respect that people can play sports on equal terms, regardless of their sexual condition, and on the other hand, the obligation of the institutions, in this case sports, to make this possible. We must be an example for the rest of society because what happens in sport has a brutal significance", he stresses.

The new Sports Law eliminates "any kind of violence or act of LGTBIphobia in sporting events" and promotes "that access to and practice of sports is always carried out with full respect for the principle of equality."

'Little' highlights that we live "in a time in which there are many ways of living, of loving". "Soccer is closely linked to masculinity, and it has nothing to do with it: I play soccer, I'm feminine, I'm a lesbian and I don't have any problem. There are stigmas that are attached and sport has too strong a connection that must be broken" , indicates.

The Madrid native, who plays as a winger for CD Burela -five times Super Cup champion and one of the best futsal teams in the world- also stresses the importance of "taking steps forward, but none back" and warns that " now hate messages are flourishing that have no place.

For his part, the president of ADI -the union of LGTBI sports entities of the Iberian Peninsula, which brings together 15 entities and almost 3,000 athletes-, highlights in a positive tone how "from fifteen years ago to here we have evolved a lot". "We were not prepared to talk about these issues and now we are. But for the moment it is important that athletes speak because they are going to be benchmarks for other generations. Until society gets used to it and sees that this is normal, we must continue fighting and making visible", he points out, recalling that "there is still a long way to go", especially "for trans and non-binary people".

With this video, the CSD continues the development of the Equals in Sport strategy -started last year with an act against LGBTIphobia held at the High Performance Center in Madrid- and inaugurates the audiovisual project 'We talk about Sport. We are talking about...', a format of talks between the President of the Council, athletes and experts on different topics related to sport such as mental health, social cohesion, peace or a professional career beyond competition, which the The organization will launch periodically coinciding with International Days and important dates.