Volmar Santos, founder of Coligay, dies aged 77 | OneFootball

Volmar Santos, founder of Coligay at Grêmio, died on Monday morning aged 77 in Passo Fundo.

According to Globo.com, he had been receiving treatment for health problems. The wake starts at 15:30 at the Vera Cruz cemetery chapel, with burial at 9:00 on Tuesday.

A musician, carnival organiser, social columnist and radio host, Santos created Coligay in 1977, the first organised LGBTQIAPN+ supporters’ group in Brazil. He sought livelier stands at Estádio Olímpico, bringing together friends and patrons of the Coliseu nightclub.

The group’s first outing was in April 1977 in a Campeonato Gaúcho win over Santa Cruz. Fellow Grêmio fans tried to attack them, and police had to intervene.

Coligay gained a lucky reputation during a period of Inter dominance, backing the 1977 state title that ended the rival’s run. That same year, invited by Vicente Matheus, they supported Corinthians as the club ended a 23-year trophy drought.

Activities ceased in 1983 when Santos returned to Passo Fundo to care for his mother. In 2023, Grêmio honoured him with a shirt and captain’s armband in LGBTQIAPN+ colours, and later lamented his passing online. The group’s story features in Léo Gerchmann’s book “Coligay, tricolor e de todas as cores” and in the 2025 Peleja Media documentary “Por que essa torcida mete medo em quem odeia gays”.

Source: Globo.com