The European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) has recently launched a new football gaming application for mobile phones. The app, called ‘UpFront’, has been designed with an emphasis on fun, helping to promote equality and inclusion by challenging discrimination and negative behaviour in sport.

It is hoped the app can help people to think about attitudes and behaviour in sport, with the message that ‘Discrimination in sport is wrong’ and encourage users to get involved in the fight against discrimination.

The multi-level game, which is suitable for children and young people, aged 11 and above, is available to download from GooglePlay for Android.

For the EGLSF, and their Development Officer, Andrej Pisl, the educational value of the tool is key,

“Education has a huge part to play in tackling discrimination, hate crime and violence in sport. We wanted to create an educational tool that young people want to play and that helps them understand that football should be for everyone.”

The game’s release was launched to coincide with the celebration of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) on the 17th May and is part of the EGLSF’s ‘Pride in Sport’ project, an initiative funded within the European Commission’s Preparatory Actions in the Field of Sport.

Other partners involved in the project include the FARE Network, Pride Sports, Out in Slovenia, Fédération Sportive Gaie et Lesbienne, Frankfurt's Gay Sports Club and Atlasz.

As well as the app a fact sheet has been produced for football governing bodies on ‘LGBT inclusion and the prevention of discrimination and violence.’

The project also developed a series of Good Practice projects focussed on education, training and media work through the dissemination of small grants.