Fans from the Brazil and Mexico match at the FIFA World Cup in 2014 (Photo: Brazilian government, copa2014.gov.br, via Wikimedia Commons).
FIFA, the governing body for world soccer, on Wednesday announced it has imposed fines against the various football associations of Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Argentina for homophobic chants by fans.
FIFA says that the “insulting and discriminatory chants” were uttered by fans during qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup, reports The Guardian. The chant, in which fans scream “¡Puto!” during goal kicks by the opposing team’s goal keeper, is roughly translated as “fag,” “man whore” or “coward.”
Some who have used the phrase argue that it is not meant to be directed at gays, but is only used to ridicule opponents as weak and unmanly. But others say that the word clearly has homophobic roots and has historically been used to degrade gay men, according to OutSports.com. The chant originated with Mexican fans, but has been adopted by many other Latin American nations.
Chile has received the largest fine, at 70,000 Swiss francs, or about $70,082 in U.S, dollars, for cases where the chant was used during four different matches. The other four countries were fine 20,000 Swiss francs, or about $20,019 in U.S. dollars, for other instances where homophobic chants were used. Proceedings against Honduras for similar offenses remain ongoing.
“FIFA has been fighting discrimination in football for many years and one part of that has been through sanctions,” Claudio Sulser, chair of FIFA’s disciplinary committee, said in a statement. “But disciplinary proceedings alone cannot change behavior by certain groups of fans that unfortunately goes against the core values of our game. FIFA and the entire football community have to be proactive in educating and inspiring a message of equality and respect across all levels of the game.”
But the Mexican Football Federation announced it was appealing the fine and the warning from FIFA for fans’ actions during the Mexican national team’s 3-0 victory over El Salvador on Nov. 13.
“It’s an issue that requires more discussion, Guillermo Cantu, the federation’s general secretary, said in a statement to ESPN Deportes. “It is a chant that occurs in games, and not just recently.”
Seattle's local organizing committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is moving ahead with a first-of-its-kind "Pride Match" at Lumen Field on June 26, coinciding with the city's Pride Weekend, even though the scheduled game will feature Iran and Egypt, two countries that criminalize homosexuality.
The Pride-adjacent branding was created by the host city, not FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, which has not endorsed the designation.
When FIFA was planning the match schedule, Seattle was in line to host either New Zealand versus Belgium or Egypt versus Iran on June 26. Vancouver ultimately received the New Zealand-Belgium game, leaving Seattle with Egypt versus Iran, reports Outsports.
The Trump administration is working to bring a transgender woman back to the United States after immigration officials wrongly deported her in violation of a federal judge's order.
Britania Uriostegui Rios, a Mexican transgender woman who came to the U.S. in 2003 and later became a lawful permanent resident, lost that status in 2023 after pleading guilty to felony assault with a deadly weapon, according to The Guardian.
She received a suspended sentence for the assault conviction, then was sent to a men's immigration detention facility as officials prepared to deport her to Mexico.
#300Letters doesn't start cooking right away. The spicy, gay Argentinian "anti-romcom" warms up slowly as writer-director Lucas Santa Ana tees up the film's intriguing premise, then commits to the generally well-scripted follow-through.
The basic point-and-shoot camerawork does the script, co-written by Gustavo Cabaña, no favors, but the storytelling engages, along with the attractive cast. Cristian Mariani and Gastón Frías star as crossfit-crazed Jero and queer underground poet Tom, boyfriends who have become a gay "It couple" in Buenos Aires by sharing their unlikely romance on TikTok via The Tom and Jero Show.
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