The Football Association "wants homophobic chanting outlawed" under the same legislation currently used to stop racist abuse, according to Mihir Bose of the London INDEPENDENT. The FA also wants the government to guarantee that technology providers are made aware of their responsibility in "managing abusive behaviour via their platforms." The measures indicate a "belief within the game's governing body" that more must be done to curb all forms of abuse. The FA wants to tackle homophobia inside grounds by a review of the 1991 Football Offences Act, "which forbids indecent or racist chanting at designated football matches." These action points were written in a letter on May 14 by FA Chair David Bernstein to Jeremy Hunt, then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The letter came three months after the PM held a Downing Street summit "on racism in the game following the incidents" involving Liverpool's Luis Suarez and Chelsea's John Terry. In the letter, Bernstein states the FA "has a record to be proud of in kicking discrimination out of English football and promoting equality". However, he says that "further measures to tackle discrimination will require government help" (INDEPENDENT, 9/23).
