Young football fans have been quizzed on their sexuality and gender identity as part of an ‘inappropriate’ bid to improve their experience watching Scotland.
Bosses at the Scottish Football Association commissioned a survey which asked children under the age of 16 if they were bisexual, gay or had ever identified as being transgender.
Scotland Supporters Club members were told officials wanted to ‘check in’ to ‘understand their experiences’ and look at how they can ‘improve things for members’ during the next campaign.
But critics last night claimed asking children about sexual orientation and gender identity was ‘inappropriate’, ‘irrelevant’ and a ‘major safeguarding failure’.
One parent branded it ‘woke nonsense’ and said ‘it is disgraceful that kids like my daughter were sent this’.
The Scottish Football Association asked children if they were bisexual, gay or had ever identified as being transgender
The questionnaire, which also asked about income and job status, was only intended to be sent to adult members but was also inadvertently sent out to its junior cohort due to a ‘segmentation error’.
Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at human-rights charity Sex Matters, however, said: ‘Asking children about their sexuality and so-called gender identity by mistake is a major safeguarding failure by the Scottish Football Association.
‘What the SFA should be surveying supporters on when it comes to sex and gender is the inclusion of men in female teams. Women and girls playing football in Scotland have reported feeling unsafe and excluded as a result of men being included in female leagues, not just on the playing field but also in changing rooms.
‘They need to find a way to make it safe for this problem to be reported, but this safeguarding breach won’t give much confidence to women and the parents of girls in football.’
Her concerns were echoed by Susan Smith, co-director of women’s and children rights group For Women Scotland. She said: ‘It’s totally inappropriate to ask young fans these questions and it’s completely irrelevant to their experience or enjoyment as spectators. Where it does matter is for those playing the game.
‘SFA would do better to ensure they are asking such questions of players and protecting the women’s game.’
The SFA was criticised for asking young Scotland fans ‘intrusive and inappropriate questions’ about their sexuality, but said the questionnaire had been sent out in error
Supporters were asked: ‘Which of the following best describes how you think of your sexual orientation? Supporters were then given the options to answer ‘heterosexual’, ‘homosexual’, ‘bisexual’ or ‘other’. They were also asked: ‘Have you ever identified as a transgender person?
The questionnaire was sent out by independent marketing firm Taylor McKenzie Research on behalf of the SFA earlier this week.
An email accompanying the survey read: ‘As the end of the current Scotland Supporters Club membership period nears, the Scottish FA want to check in to understand your experiences of the Scotland Supporters Club and look into what they can do to improve things for members into the next campaign.
‘This helps the Scottish FA to understand where improvements can be made to meet the needs of committed fans like you.’
One supporter, who did not want to be named, said: ‘Some of the questions did seem kind off irrelevant and a bit over the top. I think it was really to try and find out about how to set up the supports club next season. But some of what they were asking did seem a bit unnecessary.’
And he added ‘they [SFA} haven’t done themselves any favours’ by sending it out to children.
Scottish Conservative shadow minister for children and young people Roz McCall, said: ‘The SFA have no business asking young Scotland fans such intrusive and inappropriate questions.
‘This survey will, in some cases, have been sent to young children, so parents have every right to be angry. They and their kids deserve an apology from the SFA.’
The Scottish Football Association last night said it ‘apologises to anyone who received the recent supporters club members’ survey in error’.
A spokesman added: ‘This version was intended for adult members only and was designed to benchmark the demographic of our Scotland Supporters Club with the demographic of Scotland.
‘In that regard, some questions reflect those asked by Scotland’s Census in 2022.’
He said the SFA has spoken with the third-party company who issued the survey on its behalf and the firm ‘acknowledged the segmentation error, remedied it immediately and have committed to ensuring no reoccurrence’.