Rainbow Laces campaign has become a symbol of LGBTQ+ inclusion across sport and physical activity. More than one million people have worn laces to help bring visibility for LGBTQ+ people in sport.

December 8th is Rainbow Laces day, it is a powerful platform to help support people and challenge cultures and policies that exclude the LGBTQ+ community.

Everyone deserves to be safe, welcomed and respected while playing sport. Yet Stonewall’s LGBT in Britain Hate Crime study reports:

“Two in five trans people (41 per cent) have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their gender identity in the last 12 months and one in six LGB people, who aren’t trans (16 per cent), have experienced a hate crime or incident due to their sexual orientation in the same period.”

What you can do – Resources

Below are some educational resources to help support:

10 tips to step up as an ally to LGBTQ+ people in sport

Workshops to make your sports organisations better for LGBTQ+ people

Rainbow Laces for campaigning

Transgender Inclusion in Sport:

There have been discussions across the sports sector in relation to Transgender inclusion in sport, which has come to fruition after the Sports Councils’ Equality Group (SCEG) commissioned a review of its existing guidance, for the inclusion of transgender people in sport. More information can be found here

We have guidance notes for including members of the LGBTQ+ community in table tennis, which can be found here.

We welcome efforts and guidance from the sports councils in making spaces to play sport inclusive. With the new recommendations, we are reviewing our current policies and guidance. We are keen to support decisions that are developed in consultation both with members and external organisations. We will provide more information as developments are made.