The reaction from Fernandez and his family and fans was so strong that the police had to guard the fan for his own safety. “The police had to intervene so he could leave,” Fernandez said. It’s difficult to give Americans a comparable understanding of where exactly Fernandez is on the soccer totem pole, as the system of soccer in Argentina is vastly different from the United States. The closest thing to the comparable sports level is probably something like NCAA Division II or III, but of course Fernandez’s team isn’t associated with a university. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Argentina since 2010. Other LGBTQ rights in the country, almost across the board, are well ahead of the pace of most of the rest of the world. It’s great to see Fernandez blazing a trail in a sport with a long history of homophobic behavior, particularly by fans. Here’s hoping we hear more from him in the future.īe sure to check out his full interview with Tiempo here.
