Exclusive: Rainbow Laces campaign branded completely ineffective in fight against homophobia in sport
The Rainbow Laces campaign aimed at tackling homophobia in sport has been slammed as completely ineffective.
The criticism follows a groundbreaking international survey of 1,173 lesbian, gay and bisexual people aged 15-21. It reveals that 55 per cent of those in the United Kingdom had suffered homophobic abuse playing sport.
In the UK, 28 per cent of respondents were “out” about their sexuality to their team-mates, compared to the international average of 20 per cent. But those who discussed their sexuality were significantly more likely to report being the target of abuse.
“We hoped that the LGB youth who came out in sport would report less homophobic behaviour, because everyone around them had decided to stop the homophobic banter and other behaviours we know remain common in team sports,” said Erik Denison, lead author of the report, with the School of Social Sciences at Monash University in Melbourne.
Denison was critical of the effectiveness of the Rainbow Laces campaign led by Stonewall in the UK, which is holding its annual awareness day of LGBTQ+ people in sport on Wednesday. Premier League footballers and Premiership rugby players are encouraged to wear the laces to demonstrate support of the LGBTQ+ community.
“We see this with Rainbow Laces, which needs to be totally redesigned. There is no evidence that this campaign, as it is now held, actually changes homophobic behaviour in sport,” he said.
“We also know that education doesn’t change this behaviour. The use of homophobic language in sport is primarily driven by the culture in sport, not the individual attitudes of players.”
According to Denison when grass-root clubs host Pride matches, players use 40-50 per cent less homophobic language according to research. They also use and hear less sexist language.
Denison said: “We have shared this information with the organisers of Rainbow Laces and have strongly recommended they refocus the entire campaign toward community clubs, with the professional clubs helping to drive the adoption.”
Denison continued: “We didn’t expect that so many young people would report being the target of behaviours that included slurs, bullying, assaults, and derogatory jokes. Being the target of these behaviours, or even just being exposed to these behaviours, increases the likelihood that a young person will self-harm, or attempt suicide. It also deters them from playing and getting the many benefits from being part of a team.
“This research helps explain why gay males continue to be invisible in professional sports in the UK and around the world.”
Robbie de Santos, Stonewall's associate director of communications and campaign, said: ‘When Rainbow Laces began, there were very few constructive discussions about LGBT+ people in football. We needed a way to open up the conversation and we found that by turning a pair of shoelaces into a symbolic display of solidarity for LGBT+ people in sport.
"Now, Rainbow Laces reaches millions of people, hundreds of thousands lace up every year, and the campaign is having a real impact on changing people’s attitudes and behaviour. After seeing the campaign, nearly two thirds of sport fans (62 per cent) said they had a responsibility to stick up for LGBT+ fans, compared to only 48 per cent who didn’t see it. We’ve also seen a steady rise in the number of sport fans who would be more likely to challenge anti-LGBT language at games (41 per cent to 46 per cent) after seeing the campaign.
"Rainbow Laces is also about change on the ground, and is coupled with a training programme for community coaches with the Premier League and England Rugby, along with County FAs. So this steady rise in people wanting to help LGBT+ people feel included in sport highlights how attitudes are shifting, both on and off the pitch – and Rainbow Laces is a crucial part of driving this change.
"The tide is turning, but there’s always more to be done to ensure that no-one is left behind. It’s sports collective responsibility to make change happen and Stonewall’s ready to help sport take that step.’
