Liverpool FC bans staff from using anti-gay slurs
Liverpool Football Club has issued a new set of rules to its workers banning the use of “unacceptable” words and phrases such as “faggot”, “fairy”, and “that’s gay”.
A leaked copy of a new staff handbook for the football club has revealed examples of banned words, terms and phrases under the headings of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and disability.
Liverpool FC’s list of what is “usually offensive and the club considers unacceptable” has been given to all full-time and part-time staff members who are in contact with the public.
The guide has not been issued to Liverpool players as they will receive separate guidance from the Premier League.
Rishi Jain, the social inclusion officer for Liverpool who helped compile the guide, said to the Mirror: “As part of the club’s continued commitment to tackle all forms of discrimination, as well as promoting its approach to equality and diversity.”
He explained the club had been actively working with anti-discrimination campaigns Kick It Out, Show Racism the Red Card and the Anthony Walker Foundation.
Liverpool’s guide was praised by Lord Herman Ouseley, the chairman of the FA group Kick It Out.
He said: “The guide is a positive and proactive step in educating staff and stewards at the club.
“Match day stewards must be trained on dealing with incidents of discrimination and unacceptable behavior in order to eradicate it from our stadiums”.
Lord Ouseley also launched a new campaign this week to tackle homophobia and other discrimination, and urged clubs to do more to support players who report abuse.
He said: “The regulatory body must act in a way that tells the victims that this is going to be dealt with in a way that might stop it happening again.”
He said: “Young people coming to terms with their sexuality and gender identity need support, engagement and understanding. Role models, particularly in sport, show that sexual orientation or gender identity need not be a barrier to achieving your potential.
“Sport as a mechanism is fantastic at breaking down barriers; it now needs to ensure it fits into the 21st century and society in general by including LGBT+ people at all levels”.
