1998 world champion, among others, Lilian Thuram had very strong words about homophobia and the devastation that results from it.
Last season, the operation organized by the LFP to demonstrate French football’s solidarity with victims of homophobia and discrimination sparked some controversy.
Some players, disagreeing with the initiative and what it represents, did not want to play matches so as not to have to wear a distinctive rainbow sign, the symbolic color of the LGBT movement.
Lilian Thuram spoke about this episode on Thursday afternoon before the Commission of Inquiry responsible for studying the operational failures of the governing bodies of French sport. “ A coach had a surreal exit. For him, it was necessary to stop all that because it could cost one or two points at the end of the season. »
Lilian Thuram: “If you give people a rainbow jersey without explaining to them what homophobia is, they don’t understand” pic.twitter.com/9nOmzJ23Ho
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The former Blues defender, 1998 world and 2000 European champion, stressed the need to inform and educate. “ The person who says that doesn’t realize what homophobia is. Homophobia is violence, the right to kill people, it’s people in prison for who they are, it’s contempt, in your own family. »
Lilian Thuram, visibly very sensitive on the subject, as he is about the racism of which he was a victim in Italy in particular, also points out the responsibility of society. Because she did not know how to tackle the problem early enough, perhaps in the face of the ignorant.
“ They don’t know what homophobia is. They don’t know how widespread this is in societycontinued the father of Marcus (Inter) and Khéphren (OGC Nice). We have to explain to them, tell them that there are children who commit suicide because they are homosexual. But they commit suicide because of whom? But because of us! This is what we need to tell people. »
