HOMOPHOBIA: REFEREE PASCAL KAISER ATTACKED IN COLOGNE. ARCIGAY OUTRAGES.
Bologna, February 10, 2026 – “At this historic moment, when the world is focused on the Olympics and the highest values of sport—respect, inclusion, loyalty, peace—we remain deeply shocked and outraged by the brutal assault suffered in the backyard of his home in Cologne by Pascal Kaiser, the referee who a few days earlier had simply performed a gesture of love: asking for his partner's hand in marriage live during a football match,” said Marco Arlati, sports director at Arcigay’s national secretariat. “Arcigay expresses its deepest outrage and full solidarity with the victim and her partner, Moritz, wishing Pascal a speedy recovery and, above all, the chance to find serenity and safety.” As reported in the press, the attack occurred after his personal information was leaked online and a series of threats followed his marriage proposal to his partner during the Bundesliga’s Diversity Matchday.
“What happened to Pascal Kaiser is not an isolated incident, but an alarming sign of how deeply rooted homophobic hatred is and how it can be fueled by the public visibility of LGBTIQA+ people,” Arlati states. “The violence that followed that act of love is a cowardly attempt to extinguish that light, to punish visibility, to intimidate through fear.” “Sport cannot limit itself to celebrating inclusion on symbolic days, only to leave people alone when hatred manifests itself in real life,” Arlati continues. “Federations, clubs, sports institutions, and political bodies have a clear responsibility: to protect those who have the courage to be themselves, actively combat homolesbobitransphobia, and build truly safe environments, on and off the playing field. The values of respect, inclusion, and peace proclaimed by sport, especially during moments of strong global visibility like the Olympics, cannot remain empty words. They must translate into rights and real security for all.”
Right now, on the occasion of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Arcigay is working with CIG Arcigay Milano, Milano Pride, and Pride Sport Milano at Milan's Pride House, a hub of events, shows, talks, and initiatives celebrating diversity and inclusion in sports and supporting the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. The event will take place at the MEET Digital Culture Center at Viale Vittorio Veneto 2, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays; and from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays (closed Mondays). The complete calendar of all the initiatives is available at: https://www.milanopride.it/pride-house-2026/. All events are free to attend.