Tomorrow, the Mexican national team returns home to face Canada for a second time this week at the Estadio Azteca. The meeting marks the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol’s first big test following Decio de María’s call to ban the “eeh puto” chant last month.
Now, the president is once again calling for a halt to the anti-gay chants.
“It represents a cry of joy,” de María told La Afición, but “there are people who do not like it, and as long as this is the case we need to align ourselves in order to avoid sanctions. We are creating a campaign, inviting everyone to avoid this demonstration. I hope that the public can support us and perhaps even invent a new cheer.”
For those who feel that the homophobic rallying cry is worth defending, check just how far its reach has extended in Mexican society today; just last week, Andoni Bello – captain of El Tri Gay – said that he has heard the chant directed toward him on the streets while going about his day-to-day life. “I have passed by, hand-in-hand with my partner, and people already do this demonstration [towards us],” he disclosed to El Universal.
He went on to describe Mexican soccer fans as those at the forefront of cheering innovation – exporting the wave to the world after Mexico 86 – the passionate hinchas who now find themselves on the wrong side of history with their loud projections of a term tied to homophobia. You know what’s maybe the worst part about it? Children hearing “eeh puto’s” commonplace use and growing up under the guise that it is normal and even acceptable behavior. News flash: it is not.
Let’s get this new cheer invention process underway. Replacing “eeh puto” in favor of something more universally tolerable shouldn’t be that tough. Have you heard Arsenal fans chanting “Ooooospina!” when their Colombian goalkeeper goes up for a goal kick? The possibilities are endless.