Despite losing the semifinal round to Sada Cruzeiro, Volei Futuro and especially Michael are still winners.
The homophobic incident a few weeks ago made headlines & shocked the world. A forgettable moment which showed how ignorant, heartless and hurtful some people could be, ie Sada Cruzeiro fans.
During this traumatizing experience, thousands of volleyball fans stood by Michael’s side and showed him more love and support. His teammates wore pink, Mario (the libero) wore a rainbow jersey, banners against prejudice were displayed, pink thunder sticks were used and fans from the rest of the world wrote inspiring messages for Michael. He was never alone and he’ll never be.
Sada Cruzeiro received a $31,000 fine from the CBV (Brazilian Federation) because of the incident. Also, some fans took time to make banners as their way of saying sorry for the pain they’ve caused.
The president of CBV, Ary Graça, has revealed that they will create a commission to evaluate the presence of football fans in any volleyball match. He stated that volleyball is now a growing sport in Brazil and there’s more passion than ever before. President Graca said that when football fans come to see a volleyball match, they are expected to respect the rules of the game and the players.
The 3,000 fans who chanted “bicha” were mostly football fans.
We’re glad that this incident has brought a lot of positive changes the way players and fans treat each other and it has also created a path for players to find protection whenever and wherever they play. There’s nothing wrong with being different.
As for Michael, he never showed signs of weakness when he felt like the world was against him for being gay. He kept playing and fighting for his team with his head held high. He showed strength & courage which allowed to find his rainbow after the storm.
Finally, We strongly believe that respect is not a choice but it’s a responsibility that all of us need and must honor.
Side Dish: Volei Futuro and Michael beat Minas to win the bronze of the 2010/2011 edition of the Superliga. Congratulations!
(images: uol.com/ globoesporte.com)