An Italian sports magazine is on the receiving end of a Twitter backlash after putting a photo of two male rugby players kissing on their front cover.
Sportsweek have said they aim to confront 'the last taboo in sport' by addressing the issue of homophobia with the cover that is accompanied by the headline "Who's afraid of a kiss?".
Chi ha paura di un #bacio? Ecco la nostra copertina di sabato! #SportWeek#sport#omosessualità#LoveWinspic.twitter.com/XjoHkZRZpj
— SW SportWeek (@SW_SportWeek) July 9, 2015
The rugby players are a real life couple and they play for Libera Rugby Club in Italy.
The cover was met with some angry responses on Twitter and the magazine has been accused of being "painfully conformist and ideological".
Further Tweets were more vociferous in their criticism, one said "That's disgusting" while another stated "F**k Off, What the F**k?".
Other users tweeted their support for the cover, one said:
I'm not afraid, but many Italians are, and its fear and ignorance that create homophobia
Italy are the last country in western Europe to not offer any legal recognition to same-sex couples.
