Football v Homophobia launches new partnership with Kick It Out as anti‑LGBTQ+ abuse surges

Football v Homophobia (FvH) has launched a new reporting partnership with Kick It Out in response to a sharp and deeply troubling rise in anti‑LGBTQ+ abuse across the game.

Announced during FvH’s annual Month of Action this month, the collaboration creates a direct route for supporters, players and others to report homophobia and transphobia via FvH, with cases passed to Kick It Out’s dedicated discrimination team. The charity will then liaise with football authorities to ensure incidents are properly followed up.

The move comes against the backdrop of an unprecedented surge in discriminatory behaviour this season. Kick It Out has already received 139 reports of homophobia across professional leagues, grassroots football and online platforms during the 2025/26 campaign - surpassing the total for the entire previous season.

Delivered by Pride Sports, FvH says it will use its extensive networks to provide guidance, resources and connections to those affected by abuse. The agreement is the third reporting relationship Kick It Out has formalised in the past year, following similar partnerships with Her Game Too and The Frank Soo Foundation.

Homophobia remains the second‑most reported form of discrimination in football, behind only racism. Since 2019/20, Kick It Out has received 845 reports of homophobic abuse, with 80% involving fans and more than half directed at players. A significant proportion - 126 reports - relate to mass chanting, much of it involving the “rent boy” slur, which has been prosecutable as a criminal offence since January 2022.

Reports of transphobic abuse are also rising steeply, doubling in each of the last three completed seasons.

Recent Home Office figures show continued increases in anti‑LGBTQ+ incidents across Premier League and EFL fixtures, while the FA’s latest Discipline Review confirms that homophobia accounts for more proven grassroots discrimination charges than any other category.

FvH campaign director Lou Englefield warned that even these record figures do not represent the true scale of the problem. “While there has already been a large increase in reports of anti‑LGBTQ+ language and behaviour in football to Kick It Out so far this season, it’s important to note that incidents of homophobia and transphobia tend to go unreported,” she said.

“A 2024 survey of fans who watch men’s football and who are LGBTQ+ reflected a desire for homophobia to be tackled more seriously. However, less than a quarter of fans who said they had experienced or witnessed discrimination of this type went on to report those incidents.

“Through this new relationship, FvH hopes to build greater confidence in the reporting process for all those who are impacted by LGBTQ+‑phobia, not just people who are lesbian, gay, bi and trans.”

Kick It Out vice‑chair Chris Paouros said stronger, more visible action from the football community is essential. “The rise in reports of homophobia to us this season shows that despite progress, football must take stronger action so that LGBTQ+ communities feel a real sense of belonging and respect across the game,” she said.

“That comes from celebrating the community, increasing education, encouraging reporting and ensuring that greater accountability follows when incidents occur.

“Even though the homophobic chant related to Chelsea Football Club is now a criminal offence, we still receive reports of it being sung, and this season, homophobic abuse at grassroots level has increased sharply compared to last season.

“We’re pleased to enhance our relationship with FvH to back the LGBTQ+ community, and believe this arrangement will help advocate for a game where everyone stands up to discrimination.”

Both organisations are urging anyone who experiences or witnesses anti‑LGBTQ+ discrimination at any level of football to report it with confidence.