Women's Rainbow Laces Campaign

What is the rainbow laces campaign?

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The rainbow laces campaign is a Stonewall campaign, which is where participants such as athletes wear rainbow laces in their boots or trainers, to show their support in regards to the LGBTQ+ equality. This has been apparent due to a campaign that specifically focused on homophobia in football, which has now acknowledged other challenges of the LGBTQ+ community.

 

It's a positive community that celebrates LGBTQ+ people and allows them to gain support to start conversations on how to improve the LGBT across all sports not just one specifically. As football has such a mainstream profile, it means that the issue will be more prolific than in other sports. This allows those that are not heard to be heard so that they become everyone's game. Rainbow Laces is an incredible improvement in showing support and they are working hard with clubs and their community groups to show this.

 

They also want to portray that for many athletes that are openly gay its hard for them to admit to the fact they are gay. Rainbow laces has been successful in recent years and Stonewall were able to hold a game in Wembley to continue to create an environment where its inclusive and supporting.

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                                     HOW IS COVID-19 AFFECTING WOMENS FOOTBALL?!?

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Rainbow Laces in Sport:

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The Rainbow Laces campaign is aiming to get sports involved with the LGBTQ+ community. Although, according to the stonewall page around 4 in 10 LGBT people don’t think sport is welcoming. Therefore, by making this known in the public eye it can hopefully allow a change in society. Many footballers in women football are openly gay such as Gilly Flaherty, Elisha Lehmann, Ramona Bachmann and many more other players. the idea of players announcing them publicly can encourage audiences that may feel the same way.

 

Throughout this campaign they have shown that they have gained significant support and praise for making this concern into a reality. To make this known players were encouraged to replace normal laces with a rainbow lace, which typically refers to the LGBTQ+ community. Not only has this been a great idea in encouraging and displaying the gay community but has also started a trend across the UK. Footballers and now the general public have bought the rainbow laces in order to raise awareness for those that may have suffered abuse for their sexuality.

 

A fundraiser account aided by Stonewall was raising money for those people which have suffered mental health from the verbal abuse they have been given. Altogether, the Rainbow Laces has been very significant in changing the way the gay community has looked upon sports. Football being the most watched sport in the world can encourage other sports in the future to raise the same awareness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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