BBC praised over documentary on homophobia in sport
Last night’s BBC documentary on homophobia in the sporting world, called Inside Sport – The Last Taboo, has been praised by the Justin Campaign.
BBC sports commentator Mark Chapman said he had been called, among other things, “naive, stupid and brave” for making the programme which featured out gay sports stars including tennis legend Martina Navratilova, former Wales Rugby Union International and now rugby league player Gareth Thomas, British former basketball player John Amaechi and All-Ireland hurler Donal Og Cusack.
Gay football club London Titans were also featured playing a GFSN friendly match against Nottingham Ballbois.
The Justin Campaign, which works to tackle homophobia in football, is named in honour of Justin Fashanu, the only professional football league player to have come out in the UK, back in 1990. He took his own life in an east London lock-up in 1998. The campaign’s director, Darren Ollerton, told the BBC: “The programme raised some very valid points around the support a professional player can expect on coming out.”
On the question of whether or not the titular taboo can ever be broken, Chapman said: “It is down to all of us connected to the game to help with the answer.”
