The Premier League ditches Rainbow Laces campaign ahead of 2025-26 season
– 1 min read
The Premier League has officially ended its eight-year partnership with LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, bringing the widely recognised Rainbow Laces campaign to a close ahead of the 2025–26 season.
The Rainbow Laces initiative, launched in 2013 and adopted by the Premier League in 2017, became a symbol of inclusion and allyship in football. Players wore rainbow-coloured laces and captains donned rainbow armbands to visibly support LGBTQ+ rights and challenge homophobia in the sport. However, the Premier League has now opted to develop its own LGBTQ+ inclusion campaign, set to launch during LGBTQ+ History Month in February.
According to The Telegraph, the decision to ditch rainbow armbands and laces was taken in a meeting held with all 20 club captains on Thursday.
The report claims that 'education through its community programmes would also remain a priority'.
Last season, Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi was reprimanded for writing religious messages, including 'I Love Jesus', on his rainbow armband, while Ipswich Town’s Sam Morsy declined to wear the armband due to religious beliefs.
"Rainbow Laces has benefited from a wide range of partners with a natural ebb and flow reflecting cultural and sporting changes," a Stonewall spokesperson said.
"Alongside other sporting bodies the FA has been instrumental in advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion at the grassroots level and more recently the Women's Super League has taken up the mantle as the women's game has grown - enabling Rainbow Laces to reach more diverse audiences."
The decision comes at a time when homophobia and transphobia in football remain pressing issues. Recent data from Kick It Out revealed record levels of discrimination, with transphobia doubling and homophobia remaining prevalent in both professional and grassroots football.
