Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Hannah Bardell and Tracey Crouch

Thursday 3rd November 2016 Commons Chamber

[Hannah Bardell (Livingston) (SNP)]

7. What steps she is taking to reduce the incidence of homophobia in sport.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tracey Crouch)]

There is absolutely no place for homophobia in sport or anywhere in society. In the sports strategy, we asked Sport England to

“place equal emphasis on the support for LGB&T people in sport as it does for other characteristics”

that are protected. Some research has been commissioned, and Sport England is currently considering its findings.

[Hannah Bardell]

When the chairman of the English Football Association said that it was not the time for gay footballers to come out in the male Premier League he shamed himself and he shamed football. Does the Minister agree that those comments are wholly unacceptable, and that the FA and Premier League clubs in England should follow the example of Scotland, which, with the Equality Network, has developed an LGBT sports charter? Will she work with me and others to take that forward?

[Tracey Crouch]

The reported comments are indeed unhelpful and we should encourage and support people in all sports who wish to come out. We need to ensure that we use existing legislation to stop homophobic chanting and language during sporting events. I know that the Football Association is working hard trying to support people in the game and that progress has been made in tackling homophobia, but we need to consider other means of doing that as well. Supporting players is absolutely essential.