Stonewall relaunches Rainbow Laces campaign with support from Dame Kelly Holmes and Josh Cavallo

A new survey highlights the urgent need for us to continue advocating for LGBTQIA+ access to sport, fitness and exercise

BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY BRETT COVE

Back in 2013, human rights charity Stonewall launched its Rainbow Laces campaign for the first time. The initiative advocates for LGBTQIA+ access to sport, fitness and exercise. Since then, the landscape for LGBTQIA+ rights has changed a lot. We’re currently living through undeniably turbulent times. The link between mental health and exercise is well document by healthcare professionals. So, the focus for this iteration of the campaign is on supporting the LGBTQIA+ community to Move with Pride.

The relaunch of the iconic campaign comes at a time when we are seeing just how vital this advocacy is. A new survey from YouGov has highlighted that three times as many LGBTQIA+ people still face discrimination while exercising.

Other key findings from the survey:

• More than a third of LGBTQIA+ people felt that their sexuality was a barrier to participation in sport, exercise or other forms of movement
• 45% of those from LGBTQIA+ communities are not meeting the Government-recommended levels of vigorous exercise
• 76% of the LGBTQIA+ community experience, are experiencing or have experienced mental ill-health

With so many LGBTQIA+ people experiencing barriers to moving their bodies, and therefore not experiencing the positive impacts it has on mental wellbeing, it is clear we need to advocate for LGBTQIA+ individuals’ ability to access sport, fitness and exercise spaces with safety.

This year’s campaign has the support of Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes and footballer Josh Cavallo. The former will be hosting a roundtable in partnership with Stonewall to explore how barriers preventing LGBTQIA+ people from getting involved in sport and exercise can be removed.

“As an elite athlete I’ve had the privilege of winning gold medals, and that achievement will always be part of my story. While I’m no longer competing at the elite level, movement and exercise remain essential to my wellbeing, they support both my physical and mental health,” Kelly has stated. “I’m supporting the Rainbow Laces campaign because I believe movement and exercise should be accessible to everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. When people feel they belong, confidence grows and taking part in sport supports this to become easier and more joyful.”

The Rainbow Laces campaign invites individuals across the UK to help grow a visible network of belonging through a range of activities. This includes wearing the Rainbow Laces and displaying the Rainbow Laces badge and sharing moments of movement, participation and play across various digital channels.

Organisations are being invited to signal that they are welcoming to everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community by signing the Proud Pledge. It’s a statement that confirms they have the following beliefs:

• Everyone should be able to confidently access movement, sport and exercise, and its benefits.
• The starting point should always be inclusion.
• Everyone deserves safety and respect.
• Harassment and discrimination are unacceptable in all their forms.

“From my own experience as a keen equestrian, I know the joy and sense of wellbeing that taking part in movement brings. The Rainbow Laces campaign is working to make sure that this feeling and its benefits are available to everyone, including the LGBTQ+ community,” added Simon Blake, OBE, Stonewall’s chief executive. “If you are a sporting or exercise organisation, I would encourage you to sign up to Proud Pledge, show your support and enable everyone to feel that can move with pride.”

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