Football player Vinícius Júnior’s claim, “Racism is normal in La Liga” sparked off a new debate about association football’s most enduring, bedeviling and seemingly insoluble problem. Why does it persist in the most globally inclusive and culturally diverse sport the world has ever seen? Ellis Cashmore, who has researched this subject since the early 1980s, provides an analysis – and... Continue Reading
Inclusivity of one of the century’s great cultural tropes. Taking the knee for black lives and wearing a rainbow on your shirt to support LGBTQ+ rights has become the norm. Many people object to such gestures on philosophical, religious or cultural grounds. Has forcing them to go along with these so-called inclusive gestures turned coercive? Continue Reading
As Paris 2024 approaches, the dispute over Russian and Belarusian participation intensifies and could push NATO members toward an impossible decision. Continue Reading
In the coming decades, we will see a world where the majority of people will no longer identify as heterosexual. Our sexual identities are not pre-mapped in our minds, but continually shaped and reshaped by cultural contexts. Continue Reading
Without realizing it, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon staked her political life on the transgender reforms. She has fallen on her sword. Scotland now has to wrestle with the ideological questions that have already challenged some other countries and will challenge many others in the years to come. Continue Reading
Manchester United fans are getting ready to make the Emir of Qatar feel like an unwelcome guest. Continue Reading
The Tyre Nichols case has forced everyone to reconsider the meaning of institutional racism. Are we laboring with a concept that no longer has purpose, or should we accept its impact is wider and more penetrating than we imagined? Continue Reading
Qatar was the blueprint for the future, according to a brand new research that asked 1,200 fans how they thought the geopolitically explosive tournament will affect sport. As high as 9 out of 10 believe the World Cup has been politicized for good. Continue Reading
The tennis great has recently been diagnosed with breast and throat cancer. She has extraordinary courage, immense influence and historical significance, which extends far beyond sport. Continue Reading
