Proud and Palace is a new network for LGBT Crystal Palace fans writes Stephanie, the group founder.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. I believe those were the words of Mahatma Gandhi.
I spent a good while deciding if I wanted to set up a fan group for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi, trans) Palace fans. I should say now that LGBT does apply to me as I am gay, have a lovely girlfriend and on the whole a pretty good life.
One of the really tedious things about being gay is that you never really get to stop coming out. I am no activist, far from it. I have only been to London gay pride once. It is generally not my bag.
I first went to Selhurst Park in 1980. It was a goalless draw with Liverpool. As I got older I had a season ticket and traveled home and away for many years. I always found attending football often an uncomfortable experience if you identify within the anachronism LGBT. For a period of time I stopped going which was really hard as I love the game and watching Palace.
If you are reading this and LGBT does not apply to you and you do not know anyone that LGBT does apply to, then you could be forgiven for thinking what all the fuss is about. Gay people get all their rights now and everything is pretty good is it not? Well, yes. We can marry and also now enjoy messy divorces. Why should straight people have all the fun. But day to day homophobia is very present and many people reading this will probably not even realise they have LGBT colleagues and in some cases, friends. Changes in the law did not make coming out easier and it generally has not changed entrenched views.
Periodically in the media the debate rises as to why are there still no openly gay footballers playing. The last was Justin Fashanu and if you do not know what happened to him, then please take the time to find out. An absolute tragedy.
The reason no player will come out while still playing is probably for the same reason that most LGBT fans tend to be careful when attending games or more likely just not attend at all. Football really is not a very accepting space for LGBT people yet each week across the country thousands of us will attend matches as players and spectators and hear homophobic comments and chants go unchallenged.
So here is why I have decided to push on with the idea of a Crystal Palace LGBT supporters network.
Last week at Wembley, before England took on Slovenia, fans from the LGBT networks of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Manchester City and Norwich City all stopped on Wembley Way to have their photos taken with the banners of their respective teams networks. So, fans with banners on Wembley Way, nothing new there. Depressingly, outside our national stadium, they were subjected to homophobic abuse for the outrageous act of having a flag. It is easy to say ‘there will always be the odd idiot‘ but hearing this really stung me. Bad things happen when good people do nothing so I decided to start doing something good.
It is great that Kick It Out, Football v Homophobia and the Stonewall rainbow laces campaigns have all been reasonably well supported in recent years. I really hope all eleven Palace players will wear the laces next season, why would they not? But what will really make a difference is a visible presence at every match, at every ground, to remind the majority that every single club has LGBT fans.
We are here, we have always been here, but now we are visible and also an accepted part of the clubs we love. Tottenham have taken the step of producing a banner for their fan group and sighting it in a very prominent position, and in doing so have said we are an inclusive club.
What I hope the role of the Palace network will be is as follows:
- Support the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender supporters of Crystal Palace FC
- Work to support a safe space and a social environment for Crystal Palace FC LGBT supporters
- Work as a conduit between Crystal Palace FC and the LGBT community with a view to tackling homophobia, biphobia and transphobia at Selhurst Park and within football generally
- Promote the support of Crystal Palace FC to the LGBT community as a club they can feel comfortable attending and supporting.
- To work cooperatively with other Palace supporters groups.
- To work with Palace and others on campaigns and initiatives to support diversity, fairness and equality for all regardless of their colour, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, religion or belief so football can be truly inclusive for all.
To date, LGBT Fans networks now exist at Arsenal, Swansea City, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Reading, West Ham United, Norwich City, Ipswich Town, Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton. A Palace group is really a progressive step for what I feel is progressive club.
What would progress look like? Well, for a start, with no homophobic chants when we next play Brighton & Hove Albion. It is utterly cringe worthy and we have so many real reasons to mock them such as the 5-0 beating, Play-Off semi final, the plastic clapper things and much more.
If you would like to join the mailing list or maybe get more involved with the group then please email me at CPFCLGBT@outlook.com. You can also follow us on Twitter @proudandpalace. A website will follow soon. Straight allies are very welcome too!
Proud and Palace. Because LGBT people can be both.
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