John Blankenstein
Encyclopedia
John Blankenstein was a Dutch
soccer referee. He was notable for being one of the first homosexual athletes to come out
in the Netherlands
.
After playing as an amateur player, he refereed games from 1966 to 1995, and participated on the highest FIFA
level. Highlights of his career were the UEFA Cup
final in 1993 and being chosen for the 1992 European Championship
.
Blankenstein was active in various anti-discrimination charities and remained a well-known celebrity in the Netherlands. On Friday August 25, 2006 Blankenstein died in the Leyenburg hospital in The Hague due to a rare kidney
-related disease.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
soccer referee. He was notable for being one of the first homosexual athletes to come out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
After playing as an amateur player, he refereed games from 1966 to 1995, and participated on the highest FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
level. Highlights of his career were the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
final in 1993 and being chosen for the 1992 European Championship
1992 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA. Eight national teams contested the championship, which was won by Denmark, one of...
.
Blankenstein was active in various anti-discrimination charities and remained a well-known celebrity in the Netherlands. On Friday August 25, 2006 Blankenstein died in the Leyenburg hospital in The Hague due to a rare kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
-related disease.