Football has the power to bring us together.
The Premier League and clubs have a longstanding commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ communities, and carry out year-round work to embed equality, diversity and inclusion in everything they do.
LGBTQ+ inclusion and allyship are encouraged among children and young people involved in community and education initiatives such as Premier League Primary Stars and Premier League Kicks, and within Academies. Coaches, teachers and leaders are equipped with bespoke resources and programmes which promote positive attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community.
Focused campaign windows each season shine a spotlight on the year-round activity of the League and clubs. This includes a range of activity and content with players, managers and fans, as well as highlighting community and education initiatives designed to encourage discussion and promote allyship with LGBTQ+ communities.
The Premier League Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard (PLEDIS) is mandatory for all Premier League clubs and plays a key role in creating inclusive environments across all areas of their organisation. This includes providing staff training and building a culture in which LGBTQ+ people feel welcome and can thrive.
The League and clubs will not tolerate any form of discriminatory abuse, including the use of homophobic, transphobic and biphobic language and chants. Measures and sanctions are in place to ensure anybody found guilty of discriminatory abuse – whether it occurs online or within grounds – faces punishment, including stadium bans.
The League provides specific training for matchday stewards to help them identify and respond to discriminatory abuse, and assist in gathering evidence to ban perpetrators.
Fans who experience or witness discrimination while at a Premier League match should contact the nearest steward or police officer, or report it by using the relevant club’s confidential text service, which can be found here. This also includes information on how people can report abuse they see online.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “We have worked closely with our clubs for many years to create inclusive environments, ensuring equality and diversity is embedded across everything we do.
“This includes making football a welcoming place for the LGBTQ+ community and we are determined to continue the progress made in this important area. We all have a role to play in promoting inclusion and demonstrating there is no place for discrimination of any kind in football.”