‘I’m bisexual,’ says former player Richarlyson; for entities, declaration strengthens the fight against homophobia

For the first time, former player Richarlyson has spoken out about his sexuality publicly. In an interview with Globo Esporte’s “Nos Armários dos Vestiários” podcast, the former steering wheel and now Globo commentator declared that he was bisexual. It is the first time that a player with stints in Serie A and the Brazilian national team says he is openly non-heterosexual.

“Because of the many people who say that my position is important, today I decided to say: I’m bisexual. If that’s what was missing, ok. That’s it. Now I want to see if it will really improve, because that’s my question”, proposes the athlete.

Despite the openness, he was skeptical of the changes. “Brazil is the country that kills the most homosexuals. And we are here talking about football, ok, but football is a small business,” he told Globo Esporte.

“Oh, but your speech can help. No, it won’t. Who is Richarlyson, for God’s sake?! I’m a mere ordinary citizen, who had a nice history in football, but I won’t be able to move mountains to end these crimes, so that homophobia in football ends.”

For Symmy Larrat, president of the Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transvestites, Transsexuals and Intersex (ABGLT) —the oldest LGBTQIA+ organization in the country—, what does not change is the former athlete’s professional capacity. “It shows that LGBTQIA+ people are as competent as anyone,” she says.

Richarlyson has a rare collection of titles that includes a World Cup and three Brazilian Championships for São Paulo, a Libertadores and two Mineiros for Atlético-MG, a Paulista for Ituano and a Copa São Paulo for Santo André. Even so, he was never the most acclaimed player in the stadiums. When he played for São Paulo, at his best moment, he was ignored by the fans, who shouted all the names of the team’s lineup. Minus his.

Although not related to competence, the athlete’s positioning has a profound impact on the perception that LGBTQIA+ people may have about themselves. “This shows that we cannot stop fighting to occupy all the places”, says Larrat.

“I, for example, am a transvestite and I never had references from trans professionals in my adolescence. I never thought I could occupy the position I occupy today. Therefore, Richarlyson’s position ends up being a positive reference for people of sexual orientation other than heterosexuality. “

In 2007, the then manager of Palmeiras José Cyrillo Júnior insinuated on national television that Richarlyson was gay, initiating the debate about the player’s sexuality. The former steering wheel filed a complaint, and the top hat had to recant.

The lawsuit, however, was shelved by judge Manoel Maximiniano Junqueira Filho, who said that the acceptance of homosexuals in Brazilian football could harm the team’s thinking. In the sentence, he pointed out that football was a “male thing”.

As Larrat recalls, football does not have a history of inclusion, so it is understandable that a person would not want to talk about their sexual orientation publicly. “It’s important to take a stand, but we should never demand it from others, only those who go through the pressure of prejudice know what happens”, he says.

Until the mid-20th century, football in Brazil remained an elitist practice, sweeping poor and black people from the scene. Only with the professionalization of the sport, in 1933, things began to change. Even in that decade, during the Estado Novo of Getúlio Vargas, women were also officially banned from playing by the National Sports Council.

“Football is in constant transformation. And, although many do not accept it, it is a space for social and political struggle”, wrote journalist João Abel, in the book “Bicha! Structural Homophobia in Football”.

In the work, the author recalls that it was only in 1990 that homosexuality was no longer classified as a disease by the WHO. Transsexuality was only removed from the list of mental disorders in 2018. In addition, only in 2019 did the Federal Supreme Court decide to equate homophobia with the crime of racism. In this sense, football is just the reflection of a society that is still prejudiced.

For Volmar Santos, creator of Coligay, an LGBQIA+ supporter of Grêmio —who worked between 1977 and 1983, during the dictatorship, and is considered one of the pioneers of its kind in Brazil—, prejudice is so present in football that, in many cases, it is internalized. “Many people don’t talk openly about their sexuality because they are just as prejudiced as people who are prejudiced,” he says. “I’m happy with Richarlyson’s stance, and I hope it opens the way for more people to feel comfortable with themselves.”

Actions such as the Coletivo de Torcidas Canarinhos LGBTQ help fight LGBTphobia inside the stadiums. In December 2021, the organization sued eight Brazilian clubs in the STJD (Superior Court of Sports Justice) for acts of homophobia practiced by the fans of Atlético-MG, Ceará, Corinthians, Fluminense, Internacional, Náutico, Paysandu and Remo. Since 2019, the court has recommended that referees report prejudiced manifestations in matches in a summary.

As Symmy Larrat recalls, LGBTphobia is reinforced by teams through cheerleading chants, pranks and jokes that demean LGBTQIA+ people. “Imagine being an athlete and listening to it all the time. Even if it’s not directly with you, it’s a very offensive space”, she points out.

“I congratulate Richarlyson very much. We understand the difficulty, and we understand that this should not be an issue in a society that is truly free of prejudice. We hope that one day no one will be pressured to talk about his personal life. But, surely, his position helps others athletes not to go through what he went through.”