2 weeks Ago
An LGBTQ+ activist has condemned homophobic abuse aimed at Barcelona full-back Hector Fort after the pair posed for a picture on social media. Brigitta Lamoure, an actress and activist based in Barcelona who performs at events and also holds workshops around LGBTQ+ awareness, posted a picture titled “Easter Sunday” on Instagram. The image, taken at the 20th International Solidarity Sport gala in March but posted earlier this week, showed Fort holding Lamoure.
Advertisement Lamoure — who had previously posed with sporting figures at the event, including former Espanyol president Joan Collet — contacted the Catalan Observatory Against Homophobia to detail the derogatory comments aimed at Fort. Lamoure told Spanish newspaper El Pais that the 18-year-old Barcelona defender had received homophobic messages largely from “very young women,” and said it is a “terrible” thing for him to deal with. SHe added that conservative ideologies are “growing stronger every year in Catalan society,” finding themselves “comfortably established” on social media.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brigitta Lamoure (@brigitta_lamoure) The activist and actress later posted on X, lamenting the “hate” that surrounded the post with Fort, and said it should “help us continue fighting for a free, secular, diverse and inclusive society.” Lamoure added: “FC Barcelona always and everywhere condemns homophobic attitudes in society and sport.” Lamoure suggested posing “in the same way” with the entirety of Barcelona’s men’s team when they have their squad photo taken in June, saying: “That way the club could clean up its image.
” Eugeni Rodriguez, president of the Observatory Against Homophobia, said upon learning of the homophobic comments aimed at Fort, the organisation decided to “make it public immediately”. Rodriguez said it is “worrying” that a “beautiful” charity event has been “tainted by hate,” especially when many of the comments were seemingly made by younger users. The Observatory said in a post on X that it gave “all our support” to Lamoure and Fort and expressed its “absolute condemnation of hatred towards diversity and freedom”.
The Athletic has approached Barcelona for comment. Fort’s Barcelona are next in action against Clasico rivals Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday. (Photo: Alex Grimm/Getty Images).
