It was announced last month that clubs could now be charged by the Football Association if their fans sing a song containing a specific, offensive, homophobic slur.
Jo Bailey, co-chair of Pride of Irons, the official West Ham LGBTQ+ supporters’ group, explained how offensive the chant is in an open letter to supporters.
She said: “Supporters often say ‘oh the Chelsea rent boy chant, it’s just a bit of banter’. Well, that chant demeans fans.
“Think of it as an insult like the term ‘you’re so gay’, meaning you’re a lesser person than I am.
“The chant means LGBTQ+ people are less than non LGBTQ+ people. Once you break it down then supporters realise why it’s an awful and ridiculous chant.
“Not many people know that homophobic chanting is a hate crime and we will be working with the club and police to ensure that offending supporters are dealt with appropriately.”
Published: 10/02/2023 by Radio NewsHub
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