Column | No words, but little pieces

For those who followed the vicissitudes surrounding men’s football last week, the bucket seats were not to last forever. Leaders have been quick to avoid defending people who deviate from the direct norm. Words were launched as smokescreens: “respect for everyone”, “standards and values”, “everyone can be there”. A talk show guest tried to say that it is quite difficult for a captain not to stand up for people who are discriminated against. The media landscape was awash with men protecting tiny characters with big words. The state of the tongue gave the title “Most meaningless quote of the week”: “He also says he respects her and understands her, so I think you should respect him too.” The word respect was already attached to the fan.

The KNVB practiced A declaration that the One Love campaign “continues unabated”. However, the group’s port in November was canceled due to the unrest. The undiminished word lies bleeding in a ditch.

On Saturday, you could rule out the scared of men’s football with the lottery for the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Women’s football is football with a spine and balls. Nobody needs to be in the closet there, homophobia is a fossil and, as former footballer Alexi Lalas who was there for the United States said: “You can be proud of the players , on and off the field.

Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of the host country, New Zealand, delivered a speech. Ardern grew up a Mormon, but turned faith. At New Zealand Herald she said she had gay friends and went to church regularly. She kept thinking: this is incoherent. Either I betray my church or I betray my friends. “How could I follow a religion that had no respect for them?” She could not accept what she saw as discrimination within a faith that preached tolerance.

In her speech, she said New Zealand didn’t want to be the best in the world, but the best for the world. I didn’t know this pun. Not the best in the business, but the best for it. Beautiful. It is not the eyes that are the window to the soul, but the words you choose to show your thoughts. In women’s football, the language seemed safe. Until FIFA boss Gianni Infantino took the stage. From his speech came the phrase: “Football is joy and FIFA has been the official bearer of joy for more than a hundred years…”. Everyone could take their bowl.

Saturday night in the Netherlands a refusal from the group came with new words. He had spoken to his imam and wanted to be true to his faith. He didn’t want to be a billboard for “this movement”. If he was wearing this band on release day, he was. If only the KNVB were half as true to their principles as the average religious homophobe. Or like Jacinda Ardern.

Meanwhile, friends, nephews and gay supporters of the group’s rejecters are further hidden in the closet. In the dark, they watch the same fragments over and over on their phones: “everyone can be there”, “the imam said it was good”, “we will continue without respite”.

Caroline Trujillo is a writer.