BLOG: Rafael Villanueva of DIDESEX, Mexico

One of the most prevalent and serious problems that the LGBTIQ+ community in Mexico faces is the machismo and homophobia transmitted from generation to generation. It is so engrained within Mexican culture that in many cases, people do not perceive what they say or do as a homophobic act.

Poll after poll of the population on attitudes towards LGBTIQ+ people shows the disregard most Mexicans have towards my community. One showed that 71% of Mexican young people do not approve of gay people having the same rights as heterosexuals. Another stated that 33% of Mexicans feel an aversion towards homosexuals, 32% did not like the prospect of gay neighbours.

This normalisation of homophobia is reflected in every day life on a spectrum, from abuse to human rights violations, and in the worst cases, murder.

‘Girls’, ‘faggots’ and ‘machorras’

Sport and football in particular is no different. Football is characterised by insults directed at “weak” men who are referred to as “girls,” and “faggots”. Women who play are commonly referred to as “lesbians” or “machorras”.

The means that many people in the Mexican LGBTIQ+ community avoid playing team sports. Trans people do not even have the opportunity to participate because their identity is not recognised.

In football stadiums the slur of choice is ‘Puto’. It’s a term that refers to a male sex worker and is commonly shouted at the rival team's goalkeeper. Taking off in Mexico at some point in the early 2000’s, by the time of the World Cup in Brazil it had caught hold and has now spread across Latin America.

An Associated Press report from Mexico’s 2-0 defeat of the USA in Guadalajara last night quotes a fan saying: “It amazes me that outside of Mexico people believe that it [the P word] is a homophobic chant. In Mexico it’s normal and it does not offend anyone.”

Be in no doubt that the P word is homophobic. And hearing it in public in a country that has the second highest number of homophobic crimes in Latin America is a violation of the human rights of the LGBTIQ+ community. We should be in no doubt of this basic fact.

Promoting positive models

For these reasons and many more DIDESEX A.C. has fought to promote positive models of coexistence in sports spaces, since its creation in 2011. We work in three main areas to raise social awareness. First, diversity is promoted as a social value and difference is presented as something positive that enriches our lives. Sport is a place of transformation, which can provide a platform to recognise gender identities and sexual diversity. Finally, we promote positive understandings of sexuality, including the sexual and reproductive rights of all people.

Creating a grassroots movement for a 2026 legacy

DIDESEX’s work has been challenged by resistance from government authorities, because of political agendas and their lack of experience of campaigning in sports. In what we hope can be a way of embedding longer term work in the country, DIDESEX, together with the Fare network, began a project in 2023 to professionalize grass-roots NGO’s in Mexico. We helped organisations become legal non-profits, it may nit sound significant but it means that they can participate in national and international initiatives and become permanent sites of change in sport spaces. As independent legal groups they are challenging and creating space for LGBTIQ+ people in football.

Our recent actions include national football tournaments of diverse teams from the LGBTIQ+ community; campaigns against homophobia; statements against actions, laws or regulations that violate human rights; creating LGBTIQ+ teams to represent us in international competitions (such as the Gay Games); mapping new LGBTIQ+ groups and teams in the country; ongoing legalisation of sports groups into civil associations, and, finally, creating relationships to LGBTIQ+ advocacy groups beyond Mexico for international exchanges.

It’s a long fight but we know that only through sustained work can we change attitudes and give visibility to diversity.

And we are so excited that Mexico will co-host the Men’s World Cup in 2026. We will take the opportunity to make visible the work that has been underway in the country for years and hope to take advantage of the moment to connect with decision makers who can contribute to guaranteeing inclusion in sport for all people.

Will homophobia be present inside stadiums in Mexico in 2026? At the moment it’s difficult to see how it will not be. But be assured we are going all out to make sure LGBTIQ+ people are safe and this chant does not become the legacy of our World Cup.

Didesex.org