Premier League clubs and players will participate in the Rainbow Laces campaign, which is taking place before the World Cup Qatar in Qatar, where homosexuality in men is prohibited.
All levels of officials, broadcasters, players and officials are encouraged to support LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion once per season.
At Paris Saint-Germain, Everton’s new signing Idrissa Gueye did not take part in similar campaigns, prompting controversy that led to interventions from politicians in France and his native Senegal.
The Athletic Examining the situation After the French return of Gueye, Everton was restored..
What happened in FranceLast season?
Gueye missed PSG’s match against Montpellier in May last season After players were asked to wear shirts that had rainbow numbers,.
The rainbow has long been associated with the LGBTQ+ community and Gueye withdrew from the match for “personal reasons” according to manager Mauricio Pochettino. The match was also not played in his previous season.
The Athletic’s Nancy Frostick At the time, I was writing about it.
France president Emmanuel Macron criticised Gueye’s actions. He tweeted: “Homophobia, transphobia, biphobia strike, discriminate, reject. We will fight alongside those who are victims and those who fight for equality and human rights. Everybody is free to be who they are, to love and to be loved. “
L’homophobie, la transphobie, la biphobie frappent, discriminent, rejettent. Aux côtés de celles et ceux qui en sont victimes, de celles et ceux qui se battent pour les droits humains et l’égalité, nous continuerons le combat. Chacun est libre d’être soi, d’être aimé et d’aimer.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 17, 2022
Valerie Pecresse, the leader of the Paris regional council, called for Gueye to face “a sanction” for refusing to “join the fight against homophobia”.
Rouge Direct, an association that campaigns against homophobia in sport, added: “Homophobia is not an opinion. It is a criminal offence.”
This is something the midfielder has not said publicly, but he was reportedly asked to clarify his position by the French Football Federation.
In a letter obtained by the AP, council president Patrick Anton wrote: “Your absence has led to speculation that has been very widely interpreted as a refusal to take part in this operation to raise awareness of the fight against discrimination.
“The fight against discrimination affecting different minorities is a vital and constant fight. Whether it’s skin colour, religion, sexual orientation or any other difference, all discrimination is based on the same grounds — the rejection of others.
“By refusing to take part in this operation, you are validating discriminatory behaviour (and) the rejection of others, and not just against those in the LGBTQ+ movement. All of us can feel a sense of responsibility because of the positive impact that soccer has on society. We hope this letter makes you aware of the fact you need to clarify your position or make amends.”
What was the response from Senegal
“The reaction in Senegal was broadly supportive,” explains Nicolas Haque, a Dakar-based correspondent for Al Jazeera.
Macky Sall, president of Senegal, tweeted his support for Gueye.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Abdoul Mbaye said: “He is not homophobic. He doesn’t want to see his image used for homosexuality. Leave him alone.”
Cheikhou and Ismaila Kouyate were both internationals and they backed each other on social media. Worldwide, the hashtag #WeareallIdriss was also popular.
Senegal considers homosexual acts to be illegal. Senegal can impose prison sentences up to five year.
“It’s almost unprecedented to see the president of a country take a position over the actions of a footballer,” explains Haque. “That gives you an example of the awareness and sensitivity around this issue.
“The law here is really strict. Gay people are often attacked and even arrested. At university, people get attacked for what they’re wearing. It’s become increasingly difficult for the LGBT+ community to express themselves in an African context. Increasingly, it’s become a political tool.
“You have to understand that Gueye grew up poor and almost certainly supports people back home financially. He’s a practising Muslim and promotes his faith. When you’re a famous footballer here you need to get a blessing from Marabouts, who are religious leaders here.
“If he promoted LGBTQ+ rights, it would be taken out of context in Senegal. His family and him would almost certainly be at risk and in danger. So there’s a lot of stake for him and people close to him.”
A few prominent Senegalese cultural figures have stood up for LGBTQ+ rights. Wally Seck (a Senegalese pop singer) wore a colorful T-shirt while performing live on TV. Some religious and civic leaders denounced Seck as a puppet of Western civilization.
Senegalese footballers are under even greater pressure.
“The Senegalese team are celebrated as heroes. Each player is like an angel and holds so much power. Everything they do, say or don’t say is overly analysed here,” Haque adds.
“People here perceive it as someone standing up against a powerful club in what was a former colonial power in France. It’s seen by some as the West trying to impose its views and culture.
“It shows how much work there is to be done — in an educational sense — within football. There is an opportunity to have more discussion here in Africa, as I doubt that things will change anytime soon. “
What was the reaction to the signing of the document?
From a sporting sense, most Everton fans were positive about the prospect of Gueye’s return, even more so after his typically industrious and stabilising appearance in the Merseyside derby.
Before his arrival was confirmed, however, he had already prompted Rainbow Toffees, Everton’s LGBTQ+ fan group, to release a statement.
Gueye made his return for Everton in the Merseyside Derby (Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
“If a football club expects its players to reflect the welcoming and inclusive nature they wish to promote, then someone’s religious beliefs should not be any sort of excuse to oppose inclusivity,” they wrote.
“No one is asking anyone to change their religious views, but they should have no connection to whether a football club is inclusive and welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community.”
Subsequently, the Rainbow Toffees Twitter account publicly asked for one of their representatives to be able to meet Gueye, adding: “We believe by meeting him it will give us the chance to ask a few unanswered questions. We owe this to all of our LGBTQ+ fans.”
Everton’s engagement team have since held talks with Rainbow Toffees, with the latter declining to comment when contacted by The Athletic.
The Athletic also consulted Stonewall, Europe’s leading LGBTQ+ charity, and Pride in Football but both organisations preferred not to release statements on the issue.
Hana Roks is a gay woman who is part of the club’s fan advisory board and runs Han’s Tours, a supporters group and coach-travel firm.
She said she had already discussed potential issues — including any participation in Rainbow Laces — arising from Gueye’s arrival with club officials.
“The Senegal leader is openly opposed to LGBTQ+ people which is clearly part of this,” Roks said. “People forget but it was only in my lifetime that gay marriage became legal in the UK.
“It’s clearly far behind in Senegal, where you hear about people being attacked for being LGBTQ+ allies.”
What is Rainbow Laces and how will this year’s campaign work?
Stonewall launched the Rainbow Laces campaign in 2013 to encourage broadcasters, officials, and players of all levels to support LGBTQ+ equality.
Stonewall claims it has made a significant impact. In 2017, the campaign was seen by 12million people. This led to a decline in homophobic language acceptance among 18-24-year-olds from 23% to 15%.
It has aimed to use the Premier League’s global reach “to put the campaign in front of more than one billion people in 200 territories worldwide, supporting our wider international campaigns”.
Seamus Coleman throws in during the Stonewall Rainbow Lace Campaign in November 2013. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images).
Everton was the first Premier League club, nine years ago to announce that its players would be wearing rainbow laces in the lead-up of the inaugural campaign.
Clubs have changed the way they support the campaign over the years. In some cases, team captains wore rainbow armbands while others emphasized that all players wore re-laced boots.
The league doesn’t require clubs to participate in the Rainbow Laces activity by way of a handbook or Premier League rule. However, they do provide them with branded assets like advertising boards and ball plinths as well as images they can use for their websites. Participation is up to the individual clubs and players.
This season’s campaign is scheduled to happen before the World CupIn Qatar.
Everton Club is one example of a club that uses the annual campaign to promote their work with LGBTQ+ supporter group members in their community.
Everton, who pride themselves on being a fully inclusive organisation, created their own campaign, “All Together Now”, which went on to win awards.
In 2020, Everton formalised their support for Stonewall by becoming members of its Diversity Champions scheme — and last year, the club were given the Kick it Out Promoting Inclusion award at the 2021 North West Football Awards.
The club has also previously been given the Advanced Level of the Premier League Equality Standard (PLES) — the highest equality accreditation available to an English top-flight club. This standard is only awarded following an assessment where the panel commended Everton’s “commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and how it is embedded in everything the club does”.
Stonewall provides expert consultation for club staff, which includes reviewing policies, practices, and staff training.
One thing is certain — the club will continue to play its part in supporting the LGBTQ+ community — including rainbow laces.
(Top Photo: Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images)
