Ahead of the annual Rainbow Laces game at Ewood Park, this year falling on 09 December 2023 vs Leeds, Proud Rovers Committee member Luke Cannon looks back on a decade of campaigning.
Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign, which promotes LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport, marks 10 years this year and has demonstrated that sport is a vehicle that can bring about societal change in attitudes.
Surveys have demonstrated that sports fans are no longer accepting of homophobic remarks at events and we have more visible LGBTQ+ representation within football – the European champion Lionesses, Zander Murray and Jake Daniels, for example.
Rainbow Laces isn’t just for a two week period in the footballing calendar either. The campaign and its stakeholders have contributed to changing policy, promoting community initiatives and ensuring representation at higher levels of club management
Did you know?
Rainbow Laces is supported by TeamPride, a consortium of world leaders including Barclays, Paddy Power (initial Rainbow Laces partner), the Premier League, Sky Sports and Unilever.
Over the years, it’s become more than laces – rainbow motifs on advertising boards, official club flags, corner flags and captain’s armbands – meaning that an estimated 12 million adults will see the campaign annually.
It is undeniable that professional football has a way to go. A quick search of LGBTQ+ professional footballers in the UK demonstrates the stark contrast between the women’s and men’s game. The global brand of football within the United Kingdom means that enthusiasts of all backgrounds interact with the sport on a daily basis and we must continue to emphatically promote the message that football is for everyone, rooting out selective inclusion that permeates both the physical and virtual terraces.
Rainbow Laces at Ewood Park
Now is a good time to sit and take stock at what have we achieved at Blackburn Rovers during the past few years. Rovers has always thrived as a family club and a focus on inclusivity was required in the modern world to make fans feel even more welcomed and attract supporters to the club who, for whatever reason, felt that they didn’t belong or feel comfortable to attend matches.
Rovers support the Rainbow Laces campaign and have worked alongside us in recognising the group as vital contributors to the continual development of diversity and inclusion at the club, with a space on the fans forum in addition to holding regular meetings with club officials.
Rovers also released a pride range of official merchandise, which continues to sell well at the club shop.
Progress has expanded beyond Ewood Park with the club now a main sponsor of Blackburn Pride, which held its inaugural parade and celebration in 2022. The Community Trust attended alongside Proud Rovers, ensuring that the town’s most familiar business was present and supportive of what was a long overdue venture, which was joyously received by Blackburn’s diverse community.
As Rainbow Laces 10 year anniversary slogan says, let’s ‘Keep it up’ and strive for more milestones in our journey in LGBTQ+ sport.
What next for Rainbow Laces?
For further information, check Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces 10 report
