PRIDE: INCLUSION AND TOLERANCE
Ahead of our first game during Pride month this evening, Bohemian Football Club today reiterates our commitment to making Dalymount Park a place of inclusion and tolerance for all.
We stand against all forms of intolerance and hate – be it homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism or any other form of prejudiced discrimination.
We are proud of our work as a members-owned club on issues varying from direct provision to homelessness, and in particular the role our fans have played in making Dalymount Park a welcoming place for anyone despite their background, skin colour or sexual orientation.
However, we are also aware that there is still much to do as a club and in football generally.
The courageous stances taken by Jake Daniels and Josh Cavallo in coming out, and a minority of the subsequent reaction, are a reminder of this.
It is inconceivable that there are not many, many more gay footballers playing in professional football.
Football has been around for 150 years and has consistently been one of the most inhospitable cultures for people from the LGBTQ+ community.
It is long passed time that we collectively tackled that head-on.
We are delighted to be the first professional club, alongside LGBTQ+ fan-group GayBohs, to take part in the Pride march and parade. However, we are conscious of not solely engaging in symbolic gestures.
Whilst these gestures are great and much needed, ultimately, prejudiced views, homophobia and transphobia will only be eradicated long-term in two ways:
- Through education. Educating everyone at Bohs about the importance of tolerance and inclusivity in the club and in wider society.
- By challenging and calling-out abusive behaviour and language towards minority groups. By calling on people associated with the club to not tolerate views that are simply unacceptable and potentially very harmful.
That’s why we are delighted to have partnered with ShoutOut in rolling out workshops for coaches and youth players in the area of inclusivity and also providing direct assistance to players and staff who may need it.
We hope that the wider footballing community in Ireland will also adopt this idea and that together we can push to eradicate homophobia and transphobia from the sport through education.
Football and Bohs are for all.
