Working with EE and a range of public figures, we launched the GayVAR initiative to tackle the issue of online homophobia within football and raised vital funds for our work.
Fronted by former England international Joe Cole and comedian Tom Allen, GayVAR identified online homophobic hate and demonstrated its wide-ranging negative impact, while challenging claims that it is merely 'banter.'
As part of the campaign, EE Hope United monitored social media activity across three Premier League game weeks, with GayVAR content posted in response to specific moments that generated spikes in online homophobic abuse, such as bad individual player performances, bad goalkeeping, dives, and losses.