FIFA

Mexico's national soccer team just released a campaign titled, loosely, "Together for soccer," that includes a video in which players discuss the need to respect everyone in their diverse audience. The need for such a campaign arises because Mexico's fans often chant "puto," an anti-gay pejorative in many Spanish-speaking countries.

GLAAD unió a varias organizaciones de comunidades lesbianas, gay, bisexuales y transgénero (LGBT) de los EE.UU., México, Argentina y Europa para enviar una carta abierta dirigida a FIFA pidiendo que tomen concretas acciones en contra de la homofobia en el futbol, algo que FIFA no hizo durante la Copa Mundial. Aunque los acuerdos de FIFA indican que fans que expresan palabras o comportamiento discriminatorio serían expulsados, la organización no hizo nada cuando los fans cantaron la palabra despectiva "puto" durante los juegos entre México vs Cameroon y México vs Brasil. Inclusive, cuando FARE (una organización contra el racismo en el futbol en Europa) pidió una investigación formal del uso de esta palabra anti-gay por los fans, FIFA concluyó que "la palabra no era ofensiva en este contexto." FIFA tomo esta decisión aunque muchos incluyendo Conapred, la agencia anti-discriminación de México ha dicho que la palabra si es ofensiva y dañina.

In recent days we have heard that FIFA is investigating Mexican fans of the national soccer team, the Tri (and perhaps Brazilian fans) for the use of the derogatory word "puto." Amazingly, Mexico's coach Miguel Herrera has defended the use of the word as "not that bad." That attitude is shocking and so too is the fact that neither FIFA nor Mexican soccer have done more about this issue, and sooner. In fact, Conapred, the Mexican agency that investigates discrimination has taken a stand saying use of this word is not "a custom," it's irresponsible.