Rainbow Laces 2024 activation confirmed for Women’s Super League and Championship
All fixtures in top two tiers of women’s professional football in England will celebrate Stonewall’s LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport campaign on weekend of 16 and 17 November; charity says campaign will then run into the first week of December 2024…
Matches in the Barclays Women’s Super League and Championship on 16 and 17 November will celebrate Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign.
On what will be a history-making weekend for women’s professional football in England, the activation of the LGBTQ+ inclusion initiative will be the first to be held in the British game in the 2024/25 season.
A Premier League activation is expected to follow for two rounds of fixtures in late November and early December.
Stonewall have also confirmed the Rainbow Laces campaign dates on their website and on social media, saying that the “key message” for 2024 is ‘Lace up and make sport safer for all’.
Significantly, all 11 fixtures in the WSL and Championship in mid-November will be held at their respective club’s main stadium, for the first time in the history of the leagues.
The top-flight action will kick off on the Saturday lunchtime with Brighton hosting West Ham at the Amex Stadium (12.30pm), before the North London Derby between Tottenham and Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (1.45pm).
In the Saturday evening encounter at Stamford Bridge (5.30pm), reigning champions Chelsea will meet current league leaders Manchester City.
It’s also been announced that supporters’ collective Baller FC will be collaborating with the WSL on a ‘Ground-Hop Day Challenge’ that will see a group of fans dash from the Spurs game to the Chelsea match.
The Sunday fixtures in the WSL are Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace at Villa Park (2pm), Leicester City vs Manchester United at the King Power Stadium (3pm) and the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park (also 3pm).
Last year, Manchester United were one of the WSL teams that wore rainbow shirt numbers in support of the Rainbow Laces campaign, which started up back in 2013 as a way for players in the men’s game to show allyship and has grown into a visibility and awareness drive across British sports.
Also on the Sunday afternoon, there are five scheduled Championship games – Durham vs London City Lionesses (Maiden Castle Sports Park), Sheffield United vs Sunderland (Bramall Lane), Newcastle United vs Southampton (St James’ Park), Charlton Athletic vs Bristol City (The Valley) and Blackburn Rovers vs Portsmouth (Ewood Park).
A press release issued by the Women’s Professional Game also highlighted Stonewall’s “Hold My Hand” campaign.
The charity launched “Hold My Hand” in late September with the aim of making anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime an Aggravated Offence.
Stonewall is calling on the UK Government to take actions on recommendations that have already been made by the Law Commission, the independent body which reviews statutes in England and Wales.
The advice is that LGBTQ+ people should be offered the same protections as those facing hate crime due to racism or religious discrimination.
“Even something as simple as reaching out to hold their partner’s hand now feels unsafe,” said a spokesperson for the charity.
“Everyone deserves to go about their daily lives free from the fear of abuse and harassment, no matter their identities.
âWe want the new government to prioritise the safety of the LGBTQ+ community, and for you to stand hand in hand with us.”
Order your laces now and get them delivered in time for the Rainbow Laces activation.
To talk to us about Rainbow Laces, contact us here. For forthcoming events, see our calendar.
Check out our archive of related content and for more information on the campaign, visit Stonewall’s website.
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