Taking care of the team in the company. Trouncing the prejudice on the field.
Times are changing — but there’s still a lot to fight for ahead. The story you will ready today will fill you with that warm feeling we get when we realize there’s a lot of courage and willingness to fight for respect and equality!
Rafael Marçal, our Personnel Department Analyst, faced the challenge of being who he really is from a very young age. Passionate about sports, since his childhood he was ridiculed by other boys when he tried to play soccer. He would hear slurs and jokes because of the way he was, and because of this, felt more comfortable around girls and playing sports like dodgeball and volleyball.
This much prejudice ended up driving Rafael away from the fields, and to the practice of other sports, like swimming, for which he even won trophies, handball and basketball. Little did he know that the tables would soon turn.
A few years later, Rafa discovered that a gay soccer team was about to be founded in Belo Horizonte, inspired by other teams all over the country. It was then that he got the chance to practice a sport that he truly loved, without having to be someone else to be accepted. And Bharbixas was born: a team with a lot of attitude and courage to bring down paradigms, get over prejudice, and fight for respect. Rafa and his friends founded a team that is known for its authenticity, humor, and, of course, the talent between the four lines.
But for those who think this is just a hobby, think again! The team is run just like a company, and very soon it will become a legal entity, which is a requirement to get sponsored. There are some championships in the horizon, such as the national Champions Ligay, which will take place in Porto Alegre — and international ones as well, like World Gay Games, a sort of Olympic Games, in France. More than that, the decisions in the team are taken collectively, in meetings, and the Mission, Vision, and Values are very well-defined by them. Check it out:
Mission: to revolutionize the soccer country in the country, by creating a welcoming and safe space, where any LGBT+ person who is interested can practice the most beloved sport in Brazil, deconstructing prejudice and spreading the diversity, besides earning the right to compete in professional soccer leagues.
Vision: to be a soccer team that is internationally known as professional because of the technical quality, alongside the recognition of the fight for LGBT+ rights and against prejudice.
Values: respect, dedication, solidarity, equity, grit, and diversity.
The success of the team came in a heartbeat, and there was so much support that today there are about 70 people in the team. Of course it is impossible for everyone to be in the starting lineups, and that’s why practice is split into technical and tactical sessions — which take place on Saturdays, focusing on the championships — and in a fun “free for all” game on Sundays, for WHOEVER wants to play, or just have fun in the cheering sections.
Media outlets have also become interested in Bharbixas, especially after they won the Champions Ligay, which led them to a participation in a very famous morning show on TV. The boys were in the main newspapers and portals all over the world, and a lot of support came from people who learned about this very special team. However, Rafa is still saddened by the heavy negative repercussions, insults, and even threats that they received for being in the spotlight. But instead of giving up, they rise up stronger than ever to fight against the odds and reach their objectives, which are not merely trophies and cups.
More than fighting for space and recognition in one of the most hostile sports for homosexuals, Bharbixas also fight for noble causes. A great ally, for example, is the Transvest NGO, which helps transvestites and transsexuals to study and find jobs. In a partnership with Dr. Maravilha (Dr. Wonderful), they recorded an educational video for the World AIDS Day. They are also promoting “White January”, which is intended to raise awareness for Mental Health topics. All of this efforts turn to the LGBT+ community, as they embrace recurring themes in the lives of people who not always find support in their family and friends, besides suffering prejudice and discrimination.
Rafa works in the Personnel Department at Hotmart, and, with Bharbixas, he learns every day how to bring to the company the ability to relate to people who are different, and make important decisions. After all, the department started from zero, and today, is organized into a variety of committees that discuss topics such as health, ethics, techniques, marketing, society, and finances, everything with a lot of determination and courage to realize dreams. He is always present in the administrative work of the company, being well-versed in it.
Bharbixas doesn’t merely exist to post pictures on its Instagram profile (which, by the way, is followed by thousands of people interested in following and having fun with the team’s routine, check it out by following @bharbixas), but to find its place in soccer, not in the defensive half of the field, but going forward, attacking, with a lot of talent and love, to win the battle with the most powerful weapon there is: respect.
In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need a gay soccer team so that these people could play. While there are still many barriers for this, Bharbixas and other teams with the same initiative keep moving forward, telling the world that people can go wherever they want, so that respect always overcomes the differences, since these differences make the world a better place, not worse.
Soccer is a game for whoever likes soccer! Period!
