This gay couple held hands at a football match, and the reaction might not be what you expect
A gay couple attempted to challenge notions of homophobia in sport – by holding hands at a football match.
The recent video trend started when two Russian men decided to film people’s reaction to them holding hands on the street – receiving homophobic abuse and threats from passers-by.
The stunt went awry when it was repeated in Ukraine, with a far-right mob pepper-spraying the couple before violently attacking them.
The experiment has since been repeated across the world, with couples also testing reactions in Jerusalem and in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.
The pair who carried out the Lisbon experiment have since took it a step further – travelling to Oporto in northern Portugal, visiting ‘rougher’ parts of the country and even a football stadium.
The couple, Lorenzo and Pedro, said: “The goal was to see how people react in this areas of the country when they see a gay couple holding hands and exchanging some affections.
“We were various areas of Oporto: from the iconic tourist areas, through the most ‘dangerous’ places of the city.
“We even went to the Dragon Stadium on a day of a Oporto vs Estoril Praia football game, which is known to be not acceptive of gay couples.
Portugal is one of the most progressive countries in Europe on LGBT rights, introducing same-sex marriage back in 2010.
However, when two video-makers carried out the experiment in Portugal’s capital of Lisbon this week, they were shocked to find the reaction was overwhelmingly positive.
The pair said of the other experiments: “The result [in Moscow and Kiev] was primitive, sad and disgusting. It was like they were still living in 1920.”
Portugal is one of the most progressive countries in Europe on LGBT rights, introducing same-sex marriage back in 2010.
