{"id":40022,"title":"Ol\u00e9, ol\u00e9, ol\u00e9, homophobia\u2019s never ok","description":"This article first appeared in the QPR matchday programme on 24 February 204 ahead of our game with Rotherham United. \n\nWith February marking LGBT+ History Month and the Football v Homophobia Month of Action, lifelong Rangers fan Jack Fidler talks about the importance of fan groups and the impact we can all have on young fans.","content":"

This article first appeared in the QPR matchday programme on 24 February 204 ahead of our game with Rotherham United.<\/em><\/p>

With February marking LGBT+ History Month and the Football v Homophobia Month of Action, lifelong Rangers fan Jack Fidler talks about the importance of fan groups and the impact we can all have on young fans.<\/strong><\/p>

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\u201cFootball, for me, is pure escapism. Away from the norms of the 9-5, the weekly shop and the gym class you can\u2019t be bothered to go to \u2013 we all are not that different, as we sit down to watch our football team, hopeful of three points, with our knees in a constant battle with the back of the chair in front. <\/p>

\u201cAs a young fan, that escapism was a break from my inner questioning and coming to terms with my sexuality. For 90 minutes, I could think about something else. <\/p>

\u201cYou may not remember the chant \u2018ol\u00e9, ol\u00e9, ol\u00e9... Jose Mourinho's gay\u2019, but I do. It took me immediately back to the playground, where the term \u2018gay\u2019 was dished around as easily as Pok\u00e9mon cards.<\/p>

\u201cI remember my focus that day not being on the game being played out in front of me, but on a song sung just rows away from me \u2013 a chant that made teenage me feel so uncomfortable. Even now, years later, that memory still makes me feel uncomfortable. Maybe you sang it yourself? Not through malice or hatred of gay people, just as a laugh and a joke on a Saturday afternoon. Unaware of the effect it was having on those around you. But words are powerful. And so are the choices we make every day.<\/p>

\u201cIf you take just one thing away from this article, I guess it's that \u2013 to be mindful of the person that you sit next to. Before you berate the linesman for a terrible decision, think about the young QPR fan two rows away unsure of their gender. Before you 'harmlessly' slate the opposite, spare a thought for the kid trying to work out who they are and how they fit into this world of football that we love.<\/p>

\u201cThe Football v Homophobia campaign isn't just about raising awareness, it's about kicking homophobia out of football once and for all. All year round. That means all of us being accountable for what we say and hear on the terraces, outside the ground, and over that post-match pint.<\/p>

\u201cFast forward 10+ years and it's amazing to think that, through Rainbow Rangers, there is now visible representation out there for us LGBTQIA+ people who support QPR. A space to be our true selves. A space to meet like-minded people and build community. A collective voice to work with the club to make Loftus Road a safe and welcoming space for everyone. A beacon for those sitting in the stands, contemplating their own differences.<\/p>

\u201cIt's 2024 and you can love who you love, be who you are meant to be, and support our wonderful Queens Park Rangers. All of these things can co-exist, and through football \u2013 be that a last-minute winner, staying up on the last day or another 16th place finish \u2013 let\u2019s celebrate both the wonderful differences that make us human, and the similarities that keep us coming back to this historical stadium week-in week-out.\u201d<\/p>

https:\/\/www.qpr.co.uk\/news\/2024\/february\/29\/ol-ol-ol-homophobia-s-never-ok-\/<\/a><\/p>

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