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Gay news: 'The organisation that spawned it lacks a true understanding of the issues or any sense of nuance or proportion'
The FA: Not satisfied
FA cancel 'offensive and vulgar' anti-homophobia video premiere
The Football Association has cancelled the premiere of an educational video intended to tackle homophobia in the sport, following condemnation from gay former NBA basketball player John Amaechi.
The video, in the form of a 90-second advert, was produced in conjunction with Kick It Out, football's equality and inclusion campaign, and was due to be launched on February 11 at London's Wembley Stadium.
The FA's announcement that it needed "more time to strengthen our strategy in this area" came just hours after Amaechi, who was involved with the project, publicly condemned the video on his blog, describing it as "offensive" and "vulgar". He said he was "horrified" by its content and would not be attending the premiere.
He stated: "The reality is that this advert, like the organisations that spawned it, lacks a true understanding of the issues or any sense of nuance or proportion.
"This advert shows an ostensibly straight, white thug abusing his co-workers and other random people around him and never once being challenged.
"It shows what we must assume is a gay man shrinking behind his cubicle to avoid abuse and in the final scene at the football game the abuser again goes completely unchallenged while letting out a verbal tirade that made my eyes water."
In its statement, the FA said it had "decided to take some more time to strengthen our strategy in this area of work", adding that it would consult with its advisory group and test the film with "broader audiences".
An FA spokesman said: "After consultation with our Tackling Homophobia Working Group we have now produced a viral film which will form part of our overall strategy.
"We will now enter the final stage of consultation and will shortly be in a position to announce the next stage of the strategy, including the launch of the educational film."
A spokesman for gay charity Stonewall, which was consulted on the project, said: "Stonewall believes that the ads have the potential to be hard-hitting and effective.
"We hope the time of this postponement will be used to strengthen the urgent intervention needed of homophobia in football."
