FC Barcelona celebrates the Day against LGTBI-phobia with a video featuring María León and Dani Alves

This Tuesday 17 May is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia and FC Barcelona is also joining the campaign against discrimination. It is doing so using the images of two top level footballers, María León and Dani Alves. The Barça women's team player, who has often spoken out in favour of the struggle to end LGTB-phobia, and the men’s team defender, who is always ready to support movements like this, have appeared in a video in which they send out a very clear message of support for people who have suffered or are suffering discrimination because of their sexual orientation or identity. 

The video is based around interviews with the two players in which they discuss the message they would like to send out to people affected by these injustices and the society around them. María León, as a member of the LGTBI collective, is proud of the way she feels and wanted to do her part to support the campaign to end discrimination. "I would tell these people that they are not alone” she says. “There are lot of us in this community and we are fighting every day to get our cries for support heard. I accept who I am and I don’t understand the problem with accepting other people. I’d prefer to live my life the way I am. I don’t attack people for being different to me. Ultimately, those of us who have this kind of exposure and are in the media should do these little things. It is wonderful that we can send out messages like this from FC Barcelona.” 

Brazilian Dani Alves adds that “we live in a world in which there should be more respect and more love. Everyone should respect everyone else’s space, and not invade other people’s space. We need to have more respect for each other. People should be able to be what they want and be happy.” 

The video ends with María León and Dani Alves sharing the same message: “Against LGTB-phobia, we all play for the same team. Stop LGTBI-phobia!” 

Talks on sport and LGTBI+ people 

This awareness video is not the club’s only action against LGTB-phobia. As part of European Diversity Month, FC Barcelona has been organising different activities that reaffirm its commitment to social awareness and the building of a diverse club. These include talks on sport and the LGTBI+ community given by Joan Miró, president of the Panteres Grogues, in the Auditorium at La Masia, for instructors and coaches in the handball, basketball, roller hockey and handball sections. These talks are designed to offer an overview of the collective and raise awareness among the staff at La Masia.

The Panteres Grogues talks have arisen from an agreement that the club signed with this sports association last February 18 as part of the Internal Day Against LGTB-phobia in Sport, and which has also been reflected in a modification to the FC Barcelona statutes. 

Statement by institutional vice-president, Elena Fort 

“Barça is a leading sporting and social organisation and as such we appreciate the importance of education at the club with regard to discrimination against the LGTBI+ community. To get people to understand, to learn to use inclusive language, and to know where we are.” 

“We took an important step by establishing in the statutes that we are opposed to LGTBI-phobia and to show the world that we are committed to human rights. The values that we wish to represent go beyond sport.”