The Premier League has ended its Rainbow Laces partnership with the charity Stonewall, and wearing rainbows is no longer mandatory for players, as the league launches a new partnership with Switchboard, an LGBTQ+ helpline, for their With Pride campaign.
The Premier League first joined the Rainbow Laces initiative in 2014 to encourage equality in football, with players wearing rainbow coloured items. This consisted of rainbow laces and warm-up jackets, and the captains wearing a rainbow armband.
Despite the initiative, numerous players protested by refusing to wear rainbow gear. This includes Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy, who did not wear his rainbow armband, and Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, who wrote “I love Jesus” on his armband.
While the wearing of rainbow-adorned items is no longer mandatory, there are still plans to have the LGBTQ+ symbol displayed throughout the With Pride campaign, which is in partnership with Switchboard. This will be in the form of in-stadium graphics on screen and on other items, including both teams’ substitution boards.
The league is also launching new LGBTQ+ inclusion education for under-9s through to under-21s, which launches this month.
“The resources are designed to develop practical skills and spark meaningful conversation on topics including respectful language and how to support the LGBTQ+ community by being a good ally”, a statement on their website reads. The League also offers LGBTQ+ training for staff across clubs.
“Premier League With Pride demonstrates our ongoing support for the LGBTQ+ community, and our commitment to ensuring that football is for everyone and inclusivity is embedded across all areas of the game,” Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said.
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC have released a statement ahead of their Premier League With Pride fixture, reestablishing their zero-tolerance policy for discrimination.
February is Football v Homophobia month, part of the international initiative campaign, encouraging a month of action. It invites clubs to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community.
A recent poll found that over a third of LGBTQ+ people find their sexuality to be a barrier to partaking in sport and exercise, that 37% experienced discrimination while trying to exercise, and at least 45% don’t meet the recommended amounts of exercise.
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