Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign returns in the Premier League this weekend and runs through to December 13; Premier League chief executive Richard Masters: "We know there's more to do and we look forward to making further progress"
Wednesday 2 December 2020 10:34, UK
The Premier League will make LGBT+ inclusion a key element of their player care and support programmes as part of a new two-year partnership with the equality charity Stonewall.
The commitment is part of a focus on education, with the introduction of new resources and programmes for coaches, teachers and leaders in schools and communities to help promote positive attitudes towards the LGBT+ community.
Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign returns to Premier League matchdays this weekend, supported by Sky Sports as a member of TeamPride.
This year's activation, which begins in the Premier League on Saturday and runs through to December 13, will see the Rainbow Laces campaign highlighted on substitute boards, ball plinths and handshake boards, while rainbow armbands, laces and pin badges will be available for players and staff.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: "The Premier League is committed to promoting equality in all we do and we are pleased to extend our relationship with Stonewall through this new strategic partnership.
"There is no place for discrimination of any kind in football or wider society. Our new partnership focuses on developing the positive LGBT+ inclusion projects we have carried out with Stonewall in recent years.
"A great deal of work has taken place to make football as welcoming as possible, promoting diversity on and off the pitch, and within our clubs' communities. However, we know there is more to do and we look forward to making further progress.
"Fans will be able to see our support for the Rainbow Laces campaign over match rounds 11 and 12, which clearly demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the League and our clubs to LGBT+ inclusion in football."
Nancy Kelley, Stonewall chief executive, said: "We're immensely proud to announce the next phase of our strategic partnership with the Premier League during this year's Rainbow Laces campaign.
"When we re-launched this campaign four years ago, we knew we needed allies to raise awareness of the challenges facing LGBT+ people in sport. The Premier League's early support for the campaign, and joining TeamPride, was a huge catalyst for driving change across football and sport more widely.
"Three years ago, the Premier League stepped up and demonstrate they were willing to go further by committing to a partnership with us to support their clubs and communities to better include LGBT+ people.
"While we've made great progress since then, and seen phenomenal enthusiasm from the Premier League, we both know more needs to be done to ensure no-one is left behind.
"We look forward to continue building on our partnership and working ever more closely with the Premier League to create a game where all LGBT+ people are welcome and able to fulfil their potential in football."
Sky Sports, now in its fifth year with TeamPride - a coalition of businesses and brands that amplifies the message of the campaign and also includes adidas, Aon, Barclays, Coca-Cola, and the Premier League - is sharing stories that reflect both inclusive environments and some of the challenges that still exist for LGBT+ people in sport.
Rainbow Laces continues to change attitudes. Last year, polling from Stonewall found that the vast majority of British people (65 per cent) think it is important that anti-LGBT+ language and abuse is challenged in live sporting events. The positive polling response represents an increase of seven per cent on the same question asked 12 months previously.
Sky Sports is a member of TeamPride which supports Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign. If you'd like to help inspire others in sport by sharing your own story of being LGBT+ or an ally, please contact us here.
