This weekend sees the launch of the 6 th annual Stonewall ‘Rainbow Laces’ campaign, a campaign to show support for LGBT+ equality and inclusivity in sport. Players and fans across the country will be wearing a pair of rainbow laces in their football or rugby boots, cricket shoes, athletics spikes and whatever else they are wearing. We will also see football stadia decked out with rainbow corner flags, decorated substitution boards, & captains wearing rainbow armbands. LGBT+ football supporter groups are growing quickly; nearly every other club in the Football League has one (44 currently), and the Premier League and the EFL embrace ‘Rainbow Laces’ every year, yet many fans are questioning the need for such activity. So, why do we need a Rainbow Laces campaign? Unfortunately, homophobic language (often dismissed as banter) is still common in football grounds. The fact that there are no openly gay players suggests that the football environment is not conducive to being o...