from The Christian Institute
The Football Association (FA) has ended its association with Stonewall’s politically partisan ‘Rainbow Laces’ campaign.
Launched in 2013, the FA-backed campaign expected players to wear Stonewall-supplied laces and armbands as an expression of their “commitment” to the LGBT cause.
Both the Premier League and Premiership Rugby also announced their departures from the scheme this season.
Last year, Newcastle United fan Linzi Smith threatened the FA with legal action for unlawfully “encouraging, authorising, or directing players in the Premier League to wear equipment including boot laces and armbands in rainbow colours during the ‘Rainbow Laces’ campaign”.
A letter to the FA from Smith’s solicitors, Sinclairslaw, stated: “Such equipment is prohibited under the rules as constituting or conveying a political message, statement or image, including because it demonstrates support for a contested political viewpoint, namely that gender ideology should be accepted and influence policy or law-making.”
During the 24/25 season, the FA censured England player and Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi for writing ‘I love Jesus’ on his LGBT-promoting armband.
Sinclairslaw criticised the FA for taking “exactly the opposite approach to a similarly prohibited political message, statement or image, namely rainbow laces and armbands”.