OUR LATEST ISSUE
SITE SEARCH
Gay News: An amateur French football team is refusing to register a player because he is gay.
By: Nigel Robinson
Yoann Lemaire came out in 2009
Yoann Lemaire came out in 2009
French football club charged with homophobia
Yoann Lemaire had played for football club FC Chooz in the Ardennes for fourteen years before he came out as gay in May 2009.
His coming out occasioned some of his teammates to insult him publicly on television.
Following the media frenzy, he took a year’s sabbatical from his club, during which time he wrote a book Je suis le seul jouer de foot homo – I’m the only gay football player.
Lemaire applied to rejoin his club in August 2010, but his application was turned down.
In a statement, league president Frederick Coquet said: “The reasons [for turning down Lemaire’s application] are part of a desire to protect both parties.
“It seems important, given the passion still sensitive after the events of May 2009, and the ensuing media coverage, to avoid further incidents.”
Ironically, FC Chooz was the first French football club to sign the French Charter against Homophobia in Football.
The mayor of Chooz responded: “Before we were the model club fighting against homophobia; now we look liked the archetype of homophobia.”
The French gay football group Paris Foot Gay has called for FC Chooz to be censured to make the football world realise that homophobia is as bad as racism and anti-Semitism.
Lemaire has kept away from the row, reportedly saying that all he wants to do is to be allowed to play with his teammates.
