US: Portland football fans choreograph giant anti-homophobia rainbow flag

Fans of Major League Soccer team the Portland Timbers staged an anti-homophobia demonstration at a match by holding up coloured fabric squares to form a rainbow pride flag.

USA Today reports that the Timbers fans staged a tifo, or choreographed mosaic, at a match against California’s Chivas USA on Sunday. The spectators held up fabric squares in rainbow colours to form a Pride flag across several sections of the stadium.

Fans also held large banners reading “Pride not Prejudice” and “Football fans against homophobia”.

Last month Timbers player Will Johnson was the subject of homophobic abuse from Alan Gordon of the San Jose Earthquakes.

Gordon was suspended for using an anti-gay slur against Johnson during a game.

He later said: “I’m going to use this for the good, that’s what I’ve decided to do. People that know me, know what type of person I am. I will choose to use this in the best way I can… I will do several things to let people know that it was a mistake.”

You Can Play’s co-founder Patrick Burke, an anti-homophobia in sports campaign group, visited the camp of baseball team the Toronto Blue Jays, and spoke about the damaging effect of homophobic slurs.

The Timbers went on to win the match 3-0.

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