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July 13, 2006updated 22 Nov 2022 8:13pm

The Sun criticised for Ronaldo ‘gay slur’

By Press Gazette

A gay rights group has criticised The Sun for its "gay slur" towards Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, following England's defeat in the World Cup.

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, of campaign group OutRage, said The Sun coverage: "stirred up homophobic prejudice against Ronaldo, with its sneering insinuation that he is gay."

Tatchell is angry that the paper described Ronaldo on 3 July as a "nancy boy" and a "pretty boy".

He wants the Football Association to prove its commitment to tackling homophobia by reporting The Sun to the Press Complaints Commission.

The FA said it was committed to tackling homophobia, but would not be making a complaint, as the comments were made outside of a "football environment".

Five complaints have been received by the PCC, but none from Ronaldo himself. The commission usually only acts if the individual directly affected makes the complaint.

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