Montenegrin LGBT group presents survey of discrimination and hate speech in sport

LGBT Forum Progres, a Podgorica-based LGBT rights organisation, brought together officials, sports bodies, civil society groups and journalists for a conference on “Mechanisms to Combat Hate Speech and Discrimination in Sport”, held at the Hotel Septembar in the Montenegrin capital.

The event presented the findings of “Red Card for Hate – the state of discrimination in Montenegrin sport”, a survey of 168 people working in sport across the country. According to the organisers, it captures their experiences of and attitudes towards discrimination and hate speech, as well as the protection mechanisms currently in place, and is meant to serve as a basis for better policy and practice. Detailed figures from the survey were not included in the published reports.

A panel discussion looked at why discrimination in sport is hard to recognise and report, the responsibility of state institutions and sports organisations, and how to build more effective prevention and protection.

Dina Knežević, from the office of Montenegro’s Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms (the national ombudsman), spoke about the importance of institutional protection and the duty of everyone involved to prevent discriminatory treatment. Milijana Ćirković, president of the Union of Paraplegic Associations of Montenegro and a para-athlete, called for sport to be made accessible and for the barriers facing athletes with disabilities to be removed. Marija Kipa, a multiple national judo champion and coach, stressed the role of education and of clubs’ responsibility in creating a safe and supportive environment for all athletes.

Participants called for closer cooperation between institutions, sports federations, clubs and civil society, with a focus on education, accessible ways to report abuse and consistent application of anti-discrimination standards.

LGBT Forum Progres said the findings and the conference’s recommendations should be the starting point for further work towards a safer and more inclusive sporting environment in Montenegro.

The conference is part of the project “We Are in the Game Together – a systemic approach to tackling hate speech and discrimination in sport”, which LGBT Forum Progres runs with the NGO Social Centre, funded by Montenegro’s Ministry of Sport and Youth.

Source: cdm.me, rtcg.me. English adaptation: gay-serbia.com.