Diversity – lived in the stadium, communicated on the internet

For queer, trans*, inter* and non-binary people, stadiums in professional men’s soccer are not welcoming and certainly not safe places. They encounter a whole range of barriers and discrimination, starting with access to the stadium. Together with a number of professional soccer clubs, the “Diversity in the stadium” project of the Kompetenzgruppe Fankulturen und Sport bezogene Soziale Arbeit KoFaS (Competence Group Fan Cultures and Sport-Related Social Work) has developed measures for more inclusion and freedom from discrimination – so that the stadium experience can also be enjoyed by fans from the LGBTQ+ community.

The project results were to be published on a website in order to provide club employees such as fan representatives, security staff and CSR officers with direct access to the measures and recommendations developed. In the design phase, flmh identified the needs of the target groups and developed ways in which club members without prior knowledge could also engage with measures to reduce discrimination. This focus was at the heart of the design process. The aim was to create a fresh, progressive look that appeals to users from different backgrounds.

The project “Vielfalt im Stadion – Queere Fans im Fußballstadion?!” (“Diversity in the stadium – Queer fans in the soccer stadium?!”) now has a new website. Soccer practitioners now have direct and uncomplicated access to information that is relevant to their work. The website developed by flmh is interactive, multimedia-based and accessible. This will make visiting the stadium safer in future – for everyone.