Soccer is a sport with immense social power that brings people together. Nevertheless, we are aware that for many groups, including queer people and FLINTA* people, the soccer pitch is still not an entirely safe and anti-discriminatory place. Stereotypes, prejudices and exclusion are still part of the reality. The Berlin Football Association faces up to this responsibility and sees the promotion of sexual and gender diversity as an ongoing task.

This is why we have been working closely with the LSVD Verband Queere Vielfalt Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. since 2011. Our common goal is to make the existing discrimination barriers and structures visible and to establish an association culture that is characterized by respect, openness and acceptance. We do not tolerate any form of queer hostility on our squares and want to dismantle it in the long term.

An important milestone on this path was reached at the 2019 Working Association Day when a groundbreaking motion was adopted, which came into force on July 1, 2020 and included the inclusion of people with the third gender entry "diverse" in the allocation of playing rights. This decision marked a decisive step towards greater equality and inclusion in soccer (further details on tin* playing rights can be found on the corresponding subpage). In addition, the Berlin Football Association guarantees permanent contact persons for tin* people and the entire community who offer a confidential point of contact (contact details and further information can be found on the "Contact persons" subpage).

Continued work on this issue is of the utmost importance as it not only reflects the values of the sport, but also aims to create a positive and inclusive environment for all involved. The Berlin Football Association remains committed to working towards a culture of respect, openness and diversity to ensure that everyone is welcome in soccer, regardless of gender and/or sexual identity.

Confidants

If you have any questions, our sexual and gender diversity officers can be contacted at any time at the following e-mail address: vielfalt@spam.berlinerfv.de.Please note that our representatives work on a voluntary basis and are not available every day. However, we will endeavor to respond as quickly as possible.

Note: We have answered frequently asked questions about tin* gaming rights here. You may already find an answer to your question here:

What does the trusted person support me with?

  • Advice and education on gender and sexual diversity.

  • Support with applications and processes for changing eligibility to play and passport changes as well as taking over all consultations with the registration system.

  • Support and exchange until the final granting of the right to play or completion of the transition.

  • Conducting (awareness-raising) talks with you and/or your club or other stakeholders.

What costs are incurred by the support of the trusted person?

The support provided by the liaison officer is free of charge for amateur footballers in Berlin.

Kooperation mit dem LSVD Verband Queere Vielfalt Berlin-Brandenburg

Extension of the cooperation agreement by former LSVD board member Mia Schumacher and BFV President Bernd Schultz at the symposium "Making clubs strong for diversity" in 2022.

Cooperation with the LSVD Queer Diversity Association Berlin-Brandenburg

In January 2011, the BFV and the LSVD Association Queer Diversity Berlin-Brandenburg concluded the first cooperation agreement. A lot has happened since then: Information and awareness campaigns as well as qualification measures have been carried out together, educational material has been produced, rainbow, trans and progressive flags have been hoisted and people in and around Berlin soccer have been sensitized to the topic of "homophobia in soccer". Today, we no longer just talk about homophobia, but about hostility towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, inter, non-binary, agender and queer people (LGBTQIA+ for short). We use the term queer hostility to summarize this discrimination.

In 2011, the BFV and LSVD Verband Queere Vielfalt Berlin-Brandenburg jointly organized the firstsymposium "Making clubs strong for diversity"took place. Since then, many concrete measures have emerged from the jointly organized symposia, such as theamended gambling law in 2019which gives trans, inter and non-binary people the opportunity to participate in organized soccer. With the support of the LSVD Queer Diversity Association Berlin-Brandenburg, the BFV was the first German soccer association to adopt the tin* playing rights.

Despite a number of awareness-raising measures, soccer is still an area in which LGBTQIA+ people experience discrimination. For this reason, the cooperation between the BFV and the LSVD Berlin-Brandenburg has been extended indefinitely and is deepening.

2011 fand auch der erste von BFV und LSVD Verband Queere Vielfalt Berlin-Brandenburg gemeinsam organisierte Fachtag “Vereine stark machen für Vielfalt” statt. Aus den seitdem gemeinsam organisierten Fachtagen sind viele konkrete Maßnahmen hervorgegangen, zum Beispiel das 2019 geänderte Spielrecht, welches trans, inter und nicht-binären Personen die Möglichkeit gibt, am organisierten Fußballsport teilzunehmen. Der BFV war damit in Unterstützung mit dem LSVD Verband Queere Vielfalt Berlin-Brandenburg der erste deutsche Fußballverband, der das tin* Spielrecht beschloss.   

Trotz etlicher Sensibilisierungsmaßnahmen ist Fußball dennoch nach wie vor ein Raum, in dem LGBTQIA+ Personen Diskriminierungen erleben. Aus diesem Grund wurde die Kooperation zwischen dem BFV und dem LSVD Berlin-Brandenburg auf unbefristete Zeit verlängert und vertieft sich.   

Cooperation objective

The agreement sets out the direction of the cooperation in a total of seven points. The BFV and LSVD Verband Queere Vielfalt Berlin-Brandenburg agree to reduce hostility towards LGBTQIA+ people and to raise awareness of gender and sexual diversity in Berlin soccer. The cooperation is to be supported by jointly issued publications, mutual links and joint events.

Extension

The Berlin Football Association and LSVD Queer Diversity Association Berlin-Brandenburg signed an extension to their cooperation agreement on October 21, 2022 as part of the twelfth symposium "Making clubs strong for diversity in sport". The two associations will continue to implement joint measures in the future to strengthen diversity in Berlin's club landscape.

Flaggenhissung 2025. BFV Präsidium und LSVD Queere Vielfalt Geschäftsführung.

Verlängerung  

Der Berliner Fußball-Verband und LSVD Verband Queere Vielfalt Berlin-Brandenburg haben am 21. Oktober 2022 im Rahmen des zwölften Fachtags "Vereine stark machen für Vielfalt im Sport" eine Verlängerung ihrer Kooperationsvereinbarung unterzeichnet. Auch in Zukunft werden die beiden Verbände gemeinsame Maßnahmen umsetzen, um die Vielfalt in der Berliner Vereinslandschaft zu stärken. 

Contact us

Alice Drouin (sie/ihr)

Leitung Bereich Sport beim LSVD Verband Queere Vielfalt Berlin-Brandenburg, Kompetenz- und Koordinierungsstelle für geschlechtliche und sexuelle Vielfalt

T (030) 7543 770 24

alice.drouin@spam.lsvd.berlin

Berlin Queer Alliance

The Berlin Queer Alliance is an association of Berlin companies, organizations and institutions with the aim of promoting acceptance and appreciation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, inter and queer (LGBTIQ*) people both within the organizational context of the alliance members and at the level of society as a whole. The Berlin Football Association is a member of the alliance and supports these goals.

  1. QUEER HOSTILITY CONCERNS US ALL!
    Queer hostility is a problem for society as a whole. As the Berlin Queer Alliance, we will not remain inactive, but will take a determined stand against it together.

  2. QUEERFEINDLICHKEIT IST IRRATIONAL
    Queer hostility is a social hostility directed against queer people and is based on an irrational, unfounded and patriarchal aversion to LGBTIQ* people and their lifestyles.

  3. ACCEPTANCE AGAINST QUEER LIFESTYLES REQUIRES COMMITMENT
    Queerophobia is present and powerful in all generations and social circles. This is why a continuous commitment to equality for queer lifestyles is needed - both at the level of society as a whole and within the structures of companies, organizations and institutions.

  4. QUEERFEINDLICHKEIT HAS MANY FORMS
    Discrimination, unequal treatment, exclusion, conspiracy narratives, disadvantage, bullying, assault, hate speech and inflammatory articles are all facets of queer hostility. Regardless of the type and form of expression, queer hostility concerns us all and is in no way acceptable.

  5. QUEER ENEMY IS PART OFGROUP-RELATED HUMANENEMY
    Queer hostility cannot be combated in isolation from other forms of group-related misanthropy. The Alliance is committed to combating discrimination based on gender, origin, physical or mental ability, faith and all other forms of misanthropy and their intersections.

Sports activities for queer people

In early 2022, the LSVD Queer Diversity Association Berlin-Brandenburg and the Berlin State Sports Association (LSB) conducted a survey on sports facilities in Berlin for queer people. In the survey, there were clubs and associations that do not explicitly offer sports activities for queer people but position themselves as queer-friendly.

The results of this survey can be viewed in the overview of sports facilities for queer people in Berlin:Sports facilities for queer people in Berlin

Note: The list is currently being revised.We are happy to receive tips and recommendations for new clubs and/or teams. Please send us an e-mail to vielfalt@spam.berlinerfv.de.

tin* Training

The barriers to participation in organized soccer are often very high for trans, inter and non-binary (tin*) people. In order to counteract this and provide access to soccer for all people in Berlin, the BFV continues to advocate for comprehensive inclusion.

In order to strengthen the community and not create a competing offer, the BFV's open and free tin* training offer was merged with that of Seitenwechsel Sportverein für FrauenLesbenTrans*Inter* und Mädchen e.V. in 2025. This cooperation was sealed by a written agreement between the BFV and Seitenwechsel.

The now jointly supported offer is still aimed exclusively at tin* people.

  • Training takes place weekly on Thursdays from 19:30 to 21:00.

  • It is open to all levels of play, but the current level of the group is ball experienced (intermediate). Tin* beginners are welcome, but joining the group can be a little more difficult.

  • Interested parties can attend up to two training sessions free of charge.

  • Registration and further information:Via the Seitenwechsel website

If you have any questions, you can contact the sexual and gender diversity officers at the following e-mail addressvielfalt@spam.berlinerfv.de.

Guidelines for gender-sensitive language in BFV texts

As the Berlin Football Association, we bear responsibility - not only on the pitch, but also in the way we communicate. Language is more than just a neutral means of providing information: it reflects social realities, shapes our thinking and influences who is seen and addressed - and who is not.

Soccer brings together people from a wide variety of backgrounds, identities and realities. Traditionally, the majority of players in clubs are men, who have often been addressed as the primary target group in communication.

In view of the social changes and diversity in Berlin, however, it is crucial for the BFV that no one feels excluded or invisible through language. All genders and identities should be meant and addressed.

This is precisely why it is important for the BFV to use gender-sensitive language that is appropriate for the target group:Everyone belongs and we are ONE TEAM BERLIN.

Gender-sensitive language...

  • promotes equality and participation.

  • makes people visible who have so far been given too little or no consideration in language and society - for example FLINTA people.
    (In 2019/2020, the BFV was the first German national association to create regulations for trans, inter and non-binary people in match operations).

  • shows appreciation and creates awareness that diversity in soccer is not only lived on the pitch, but also in our communication.

For us as an association, this step is an expression of a clear stance: we stand for respect, diversity and inclusion - including in language. The BFV has therefore opted for the gender star in 2025, as it is currently considered the most accessible and inclusive solution for gender-sensitive language.

We see ourselves as part of a social development that understands language not only as a mirror, but also as a tool for change. With this conscious decision, the BFV is committed to diversity, equality and visibility - also in language.

The guidelines as a PDF file: Gender-sensitive language at the BFV

Glossary with gender-sensitive wording alternatives related to soccer

Information and material

Note: This list is only an example of all publications and media and is of course not exhaustive. If you have any further recommendations or tips regarding publications, please send us an e-mail to vielfalt@spam.berlinerfv.de.