FIFA Decides Anti-Gay Slurs are Okay, Drops Case Against Mexican Fans

 

Yesterday we reported that Mexico was under investigation by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) after fans chanted the abusive term “puto” during Mexico’s win over Cameroon on June 13. "Puto" is the Spanish word for a male prostitute, "fag" or "coward", and a derogatory term for gay men.

However, FIFA has decided to take no action against the Mexican football federation as the chant “is not considered insulting in this specific context.”

FIFA has now dismissed the charge as “improper conduct.”

Speaking to MVS Radio, Mexican actor and producer Diego Luna said that he heard the homophobic chant at the World Cup in Germany in 2006. Luna went on to say "soccer is a reflection of what we are in many ways. We live in a classist, racist, homophobic society into which we are very assimilated, that's all. I'm not really proud about that."

Although FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff had pledged to use the World Cup as a platform against racism and discrimination, FIFA has awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 event to Qatar, despite human rights abuses in those countries and Russia’s 2013 decision to pass anti-gay laws.

Katy Perry Let Diego Luna Get Away and Now Her Old Self is Pissed: WATCH

Katy Perry watches her old self suffer with regret for letting Diego Luna get away, in her new video/cautionary tale.

Watch (and don't let this happen to you), AFTER THE JUMP...

Movies: Kirk/Spock, Bernal/Luna, Jekyll/Hyde

 

NATHANIEL ROGERS

Nathaniel Rogers is older than Penélope Cruz, younger than Nicole Kidman and has neither dated nor signed a contract with Tom Cruise. He blogs daily at The Film Experience.

Take One: Now Playing

This very site has done such a fine job covering OUTRAGE, the new documentary on closeted gay/anti-gay politicans, and LITTLE ASHES, the gay Dalí/Lorca romance that I don't have to. Which is fine by me since there are so many other double sides worth discussing this week. Take the Y Tu Mama Tambien pair, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, who reunite for RUDO Y CURSI They make a great duo, but sadly there's no makeout session this time. They play brothers. It's not that kind of movie (sigh). Gael does a fun music video (a little Madonna Don't Tell Me-ish) for it which you can see here. Tilda Swinton fans -- I hope that's you. If it's not, I don't even want to know ya --  will want to check out JULIA, in which she plays an alcoholic woman in way over her head in a kidnapping. But most of the attention everywhere this weekend will be going to STAR TREK which is a remarkably fun reboot of the 40something year old franchise. We didn't need an 11th Star Trek movie, but since we didn't need it, thank god it goes down so well with popcorn.

Take Two: Jump Cuts

Which previously subliminated inter-Starfleet relationship finally gets the big screen treatment?

The answer, AFTER THE JUMP...

Diego Luna: Gael Garcia Bernal is a Better Kisser than Sean Penn

On last night's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Gael Garcia Bernal appeared with BFF and sometime co-star Diego Luna, and Bernal demanded to know whether he or Sean Penn is the better kisser. A refreshingly comfortable exchange when compared with some of Franco's.

Said Luna: "I have to say Gael is a better kisser. And he doesn't smoke, which is good. At 8 am in the morning. He's good. Yes."

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: WTC, Eric Holder, PlanetOut, Liverpool, Oscar Grant

Marriage equality ballot initiative launched in California: "The California-based Yes! On Equality campaign launched a 2010 ballot initiative today (the "California Marriage Equality Act") with the aim of ensuring equal access to marriage for all Californians in accordance with the California State Constitution."

American Architectural Foundation donates seven-foot replica of World Trade Center to the 9/11 Museum. The model was designed by WTC architectural firm Minoru Yamasaki Associates. Tropolism: "The model is huge, a technical achievement in its own right, not just in construction but in the extreme stewardship needed to keep it in good shape. And yes, it's significant and ironic that a paper and plastic model outlived a huge building complex. It's a powerful reminder of what was lost seven and a half years ago."

Lady Gaga keeps her poker face on in frigid London.

PlanetOut cutting 50% of staff in wake of merger with Regent Media.

Airbus to offer Obama A380 superjumbo to replace the Air Force One Boeing 747: "Tom Enders, chief executive, said the US was already thinking about new aircraft for the presidential fleet and it was 'not completely absurd' to consider the superjumbo as an alternative. It can carry as many as 840 passengers and is the European plane-maker's flagship, with one sold to a Gulf sheikh."

Candlelight vigils held for BART shooting victim Oscar Grant.

Jake Gyllenhaal won't stop running.

Liverpool, UK to receive final approval to create gay village: "Councillors will consider closing three city centre streets, home to many of Merseyside’s favourite gay-friendly venues, to traffic."

Meet Tim Cook, the man who will become temorary, and possibly permanent CEO of Apple, following Steve Jobs' announcement yesterday that he is taking a leave of absence because his health issues have turned out to be more complex than he originally thought.

State Bar of California’s Annual Meeting to hold annual meeting at Prop 8-supporter Doug Manchester's Grand Hyatt San Diego. Gay attorneys protest: "Los Angeles attorney Thomas Watson, co-founder of Love Honor Cherish, which describes itself as a grassroots organization dedicated to marriage equality in California, opined that the location was 'something the State Bar should immediately reconsider.' He suggested that holding the meeting at the hotel would 'de facto exclude…any conscientious attorney in California from going' to the event, which was 'discriminatory' and 'inexcusable.' With the state’s economy suffering, he maintained 'hotels are begging people, begging people, to plan an event,' and that 'it would be better not to have the meeting at all than to have it at a place where the State Bar of California would be contributing to someone who is directly contrary to equality for all Californians.' Watson called for the resignation of the person who made the decision to have the event at the Hyatt and vowed to resign from any bar association which participates in the conference of delegates, which will take place the same weekend."

BAFTA nominations announced — guess who got a million?

Matthew Fox looking a bit lost in Details.

Attorney General nominee Eric Holder breaks with Mukasey: "I agree with you, Mr. Chairman, waterboarding is torture."

Whitney Houston staging comeback: "Whitney Houston's new album (now without crack) will be released sometime this March, according to inside sources. One of those being Clive Davis, music mogul and Whitney's mentor pre and post-crack addiction. Whitney will also have the honor of being the headliner at Clive's pre-Grammys bash and she will reportedly be performing brand new tracks off the new disc."

Singapore man gets eight years in prison for slashing colleague over gay rumor.

What have the attached-at-the-hip hotties Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna been up to? I know you've been wondering...

Four horn players from Seattle's Rainbow City Band to join gay and lesbian band in inauguration parade. Said trumpeter Will Dean: "It's symbolic, but symbolism is important. You need things that are milestones to represent where you've been and where you're going, and for the gay community this is an important milestone."

Gus van Sant's Milk Premieres in San Francisco

Sean Penn arrives to the Milk premiere at the Castro Theatre before a backdrop of "No on Prop 8" protestors. While Harvey Milk's story is political to its core, the film (trailer) could not have arrived at a more politically-charged moment in California's gay history, with marriage rights that have national implications hanging in the balance.

If anyone was there, feel free to give us a report in the comments section.

The SF Chronicle reports: "State Assemblyman Mark Leno, sporting a 'Harvey Milk for Assembly' button on his lapel, connected 'the exciting and tumultuous time' of Milk's gay rights activism to the 'ill-conceived measure facing voters on the ballot next week.' Mayor Gavin Newsom said he felt 'a tremendous amount of pride' to be attending the movie's premiere in San Francisco. Citing the changes seen from the 'anti-sodomy laws that were still on the books' in the 1970s to San Francisco today, he said, 'This story couldn't have happened anywhere else.' Supervisor Tom Ammiano (pictured/Brant Ward-SF Chronicle) was a friend of Milk's. 'This is about getting in touch with the grief process,' he said, then flashed an affectionately wistful smile. 'Harvey was a mensch. He could also be a diva. He would have loved knowing that Sean Penn would be playing him.'"

Donate to the "No on Prop 8" campaign HERE.

A larger selection of Milk premiere pics featuring Josh Brolin, James Franco, Diego Luna, Emile Hirsch, Dustin Lance Black, the producers, SF Mayor Gavin Newsom, and others,
AFTER THE JUMP...