Mexico City Congress Establishes Annual ‘Day Against LGBTphobias in Sports’
Mexico City, June 14, 2026 – The Normativity Commission of the Mexico City Congress has approved a resolution to institute February 19 of each year as the “Day Against LGBTphobias in Sports in Mexico City.” This decision, announced in a Congress communiqué dated June 14, follows an initiative presented by Deputy Diana Sánchez Barrios from the Parliamentary Association Women for Feminist and Inclusive Commerce.
Víctor Hugo Lobo Rodríguez, the Morena party’s deputy and president of the commission, highlighted the significance of this resolution, especially in light of the upcoming 2026 World Cup. He emphasized the importance of fostering “an environment of respect in all sports spaces” for participants.
An Inclusive City: A Step Towards Dignity and Respect
Lobo Rodríguez affirmed that endorsing this proposal signifies Mexico City as “a space of inclusion and respect for the dignity of all people regardless of their sexual orientation.” He added that commemorating this date will help to make visible the realities still faced by many individuals in sports environments.
Deputy Sánchez Barrios recalled that thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals have encountered “discrimination, mockery, exclusion, and violence” within sports. “Many abandoned their dreams and even hid who they really were, and this reality cannot be normal in a city that has been a national and international benchmark in the defense of human rights,” she stated.
Jesus Sesma Suárez, a deputy from the Green Party, further commented that the initiative is “a progressive step” for Mexico City. He called for the continuation of inclusion programs and the implementation of educational and awareness campaigns.
Lack of Openly Gay Male Players in Liga MX
Despite the start of Pride Month and the context of the 2026 World Cup, which Mexico is co-hosting with Canada and the United States, there are no openly gay male football players, active or retired, in Mexican professional football. This contrasts sharply with the visibility present in the Liga MX Femenil.
Experts and civil associations identify fear of losing sponsorships and facing homophobic chants in stadiums as major obstacles. This disparity exists while globally, among over 60,000 active professional players, only a handful have publicly disclosed their sexual orientation. Notable examples include Czech player Jakub Jankto, who came out in 2023 while still active, as well as Jake Daniels in England, Joshua Cavallo and Andy Bremman in Australia, David Testo in Canada, Collin Martin in the United States, Robbie Rogers at LA Galaxy, Anton Hysén in Sweden, and Justin Fashanu.
The locker room and stands environment maintain a taboo reinforced by macho traditions and the fear of professional repercussions.
In June 2025, Desirée Monsiváis compared the openness between the two branches of football and questioned the lack of visibility among men. “Now it turns out that there are no homosexuals in Liga MX,” she remarked at the time.
Monsiváis also asserted that in women’s football, sexual orientation does not operate as a taboo in the same way it does in the men’s league, where silence and exclusion persist.
Visibility in Women’s Football: A Contrast to the Men’s Game
The lack of LGBTQ+ visibility in Mexican men’s football contrasts with the openness that exists in Liga MX Femenil, exemplified by cases like Kenya Caballero. Caballero, a national beach soccer player and former Pumas player, was one of the first Mexican female footballers to publicly acknowledge her homosexuality. Her case serves as a reference for an openness that has no equivalent in the men’s branch.
Caballero recounted her experience within Mexican football to TVNotas in 2019: “Within the Liga MX, it is very common for there to be people with ‘different’ sexual preferences. Within the League and at Pumas, I was never treated strangely; there was always respect from players and directors, there were never any jokes or anything similar about my sexuality.”
Source: https://www.infobae.com/mexico/2026/06/14/congreso-de-la-cdmx-busca-establecer-el-dia-contra-las-lgbtfobias-en-el-deporte/
