After fresh data revealed “great progress,” Stonewall is kicking off its acclaimed Rainbow Laces campaign for the ninth year and urging supporters to continue the fight for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports. A recent study by ICM/Walnut and Stonewall sheds light on the legendary Rainbow Laces campaign’s transformative effects. The percentage of sports fans who believe homophobic slurs in sports are acceptable has nearly halved over the last five years, falling from 25% in 2017 to 14% in 2022. This comes after five years of persistent agitation by TeamPride, Stonewall, and organizations involved in sports like the Premier League, FA, Premiership Rugby, and major sponsors.
Even though there has been great progress, there is still a long way to go before all LGBTQ+ athletes are treated equally. Several openly LGBTQ+ athletes have gained notoriety and inspired the country this year. LGBTQ+ persons in sports have never been more visible, whether it be Jake Daniels coming out or the bold lesbian and bi inclusion of the Lionesses in this year’s Euros-winning England Women’s Football team.
Many LGBTQ+ persons still feel unsafe and unwelcome at sporting events and fitness centers, despite significant progress. According to the study, few sports fans believe that the competitive sports industry is a friendly place for LGBTQ+ athletes. Just 40% of sports fans believe that homosexual and bisexual men or lesbian and bisexual women can participate in competitive sports (43 percent). Only 29% of spectators believe that competitive sports are accepting of trans athletes.
Although it has been encouraging to see sportsmen like Jake Daniels, Zander Murray, and Josh Cavallo at ease playing as their true selves, the fight to make sport accessible to all is still ongoing. People are being urged by the campaign to keep it up, speak out, and lace up.
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