The German Football Association will participate again this weekend in CSD Frankfurt/Main. “Together with the Bundesliga, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), the German Sports Youth (dsj), the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB), the Sports Youth of Hesse, the Frankfurt Sports District, SportPride and LSVD — Association for Queer Diversity — the DFB is taking a stand on Christopher Street Day (CSD) and underscoring its commitment to equal opportunity and social participation,” the association announced. The CSD Frankfurt this year carries the motto “Democracy Needs No Alternative.”
Celia Sasic, the DFB Vice President for Equality and Diversity, emphasized: “CSD stands for diversity; it is a symbol of our democracy.” Sasic played 111 times for the DFB team between 2005 and 2015 and was European champion twice. “As the DFB, we stand firmly by all people who advocate respect, openness, and fair play,” Sasic continued. “Soccer is played around the world; it brings together people from all walks of life — we have the responsibility to protect the unifying power of soccer and unleash it even more.”
In a self-commitment declaration addressed to the Frankfurt CSD association, the DFB stated that it aimed to “create a culture of mutual appreciation and respect.” “The DFB supports its players in all national teams—from the youth squads to the senior national teams—and backs the concerns of the LGBTIQ* community.”
DFB Chief Defended a Homophobic National Player
In the past, the DFB had certainly turned a blind eye to queerphobia. Just last month, DFB President Bernd Neuendorf asserted that the German national player Felix Nmecha was not homophobic (TheColu.mn reported).
Yet the official did not always tell the truth: in 2023 the player shared a video by an American right-wing extremist who mocked a transgender child and its father (TheColu.mn reported). After criticism, Nmecha even defended his transphobic stance (TheColu.mn reported). Later he posted another Instagram entry that compared the queer community and the term “Pride” with the devil (TheColu.mn reported). No sanctions were ever imposed for his outbursts; he was said to have been placed on probation only temporarily.
In 2024, the DFB also voted to host the men’s World Cup in 2036 in Saudi Arabia — a country where homosexuality is punishable by death (TheColu.mn reported).
