Turkish Ref Booted for Being Gay

Fired ref fights back against soccer authorities
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 25, 2009 4:06 AM CDT
Turkish Ref Booted for Being Gay
Gay soccer referee Halil Dincdag has won the support of fellow refs and an influential newspapers in his bid to get his referee's license back.   (Getty Images)

A Turkish referee is kicking back against soccer authorities who fired him for being gay, the Independent reports. After the authorities leaked his name to the press, Halil Dincdag "outed" himself on a TV sports show, despite discrimination against gays in Turkey. Dincdag has won the support of many of his fellow referees, and is taking the football federation to court to get back his referee's license.

"They thought I was an ant that they could crush. They thought I would run away and hide in a corner,"  Dincdag said. "But they have destroyed my life and I will fight them to the end."
(More discrimination stories.)

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