New research shows that many queer people don’t feel welcome at live sports events
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGE BY STONEWALL
Research commissioned by Stonewall has revealed that many LGBTQIA do not feel welcome playing or watching sport. The research comes shortly after the kick off of Stonewall’s annual Rainbow Laces campaign, which aims to make sport more inclusive.
Stonewall’s study revealed one in four LGBTQIA people do not feel welcome when participating in community sports, and the same number feel unwelcome watching live sports events. Almost a third of respondents said they do not feel comfortable watching live sport in a pub either, leaving private spaces the only way for them to watch sport safely.
These figures were worse for LGBTQIA people of colour. While 21% of LGBTQIA people said they’d experienced discrimination at a live sporting event, this figure rose to over a third for queer people of colour.
Rainbow Laces, which was started in 2013, aims to make the sports community more inclusive. The 2024 campaign, which encourages those taking part in sport to wear rainbow laces in support of the LGBTQIA community, began this weekend. Many major sports organisations are taking part, including the Barclays Women’s Super League, Sky Sports and the Football Association. The Premiere League is set to take part later in the month.
Jake Daniels, a pro-footballer for Blackpool FC, said: “I know first-hand what it feels like to have to hide who you are on the pitch and the impact that has on participating in the sports you love. It’s thanks to campaigns like Rainbow Laces that more LGBTQ+ players and fans can bring their full selves to the beautiful game, and sport as a whole.”
You can get a pair of rainbow laces from the Stonewall website.
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