Bundesliga clubs support LGBT inclusion campaign
May 17th will clarify whether the announcement of a group coming out by homosexual footballers is just a social action or if it will mark a watershed moment in German football.
23 April 2024 19:32
An organization led by Marcus Urban coordinates the campaign. The 53-year-old former football player now advocates for tolerance towards the LGBT community. He publicly came out as homosexual in a 2007 interview with the "Welt am Sonntag" newspaper, a decision made 13 years after he had come out to his closest friends and family.
Marcus Urban's organization receives support from several well-known German football clubs. Among them is Borussia Dortmund, a Champions League semi-finalist, FC Sankt Pauli, Union Berlin, SC Freiburg, and VfB Stuttgart.
Marcus Urban is in touch with homosexual athletes who plan to reveal their orientation through a special website on May 17th. This event is poised to spark discussions beyond Germany’s borders.
Urban's revelation about his sexual orientation came long after he retired from professional football. It didn't lead to a wave of similar disclosures in German football.
As part of the "Sports Free" campaign, the documentary "Hide and Seek" will be released. It highlights the challenges faced by the athletes the organization supports. Urban is also contacting other players who are interested in coming out on May 17th.
Many believe that football is linked to traditionally masculine traits such as combativeness, dominance, strength, and aggression. This explains why homosexuality remains a significant taboo in professional football, a sentiment echoed by sports psychologists and among other sources is mentioned on sportbible.com.
