Bayer Leverkusen has been fined €18,000 by the German Football Association’s (DFB) sports court after its supporters unfurled a banner that stated there are only two genders — a move deemed to be discriminatory against the LGBT community.
The Bundesliga club was indicted by the DFB for “discriminatory, unsportsmanlike behavior on the part of its supporters” for the incident that occurred during the team’s away match against Werder Bremen on Nov. 25 last year.
A huge banner unrolled by fans displayed the slogan, “There are many styles of music but only two genders.”
The financial penalty was imposed in a ruling by a single judge who ruled that €6,000 of the fine could be used to fund “preventative measures against discrimination.”
The club and the DFB have agreed to the judgment, which is now legally binding.
Julian Reichelt, the former editor of Germany’s largest tabloid Bild, slammed the judgment and claimed the banner “simply states the basic biological fact of our existence.”
“The spirit of our institutions is being eaten away by an ideological virus,” he added.
Conservative commentator Anabel Schunke said the judgment was indicative of Germany entering “peak madhouse.”
Bayer Leverkusen remains undefeated in the Bundesliga so far this year and sits top of the table after 19 games played. The club has never won the German top flight but has finished runner-up five times, more than any other team never to have won the title.