Today marks the launch of Premier League With Pride, a new initiative that brings together the ongoing LGBTQ+ work the League and clubs carry out across the year to help deliver long-term change.
All Premier League matches between 6 and 12 February will be dedicated to "With Pride", aligning with LGBTQ+ History Month. This period provides an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in football, showcasing the work undertaken to make the game more inclusive.
The initiative has been developed in consultation with clubs, representatives from LGBTQ+ supporters’ groups and a wide range of stakeholders, with a focus on embedding three core themes throughout the League and clubs’ work: education, celebration and action.
'Ensuring that football is for everyone'
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “Premier League With Pride demonstrates our ongoing support for the LGBTQ+ community, and our commitment to ensuring that football is for everyone and inclusivity is embedded across all areas of the game.
“I am pleased that progress has been made in recent years and we will maintain our work with clubs to ensure this continues. This includes taking action against discrimination both in stadiums and online, as well as celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
“We want everyone involved in football to feel welcome, supported and comfortable being themselves. Education is important to help people develop a stronger understanding of LGBTQ+ inclusion and the importance of showing support, challenging inequality and making the case for greater representation.”
As part of Premier League With Pride, the League is collaborating with the national LGBTQ+ listening service Switchboard. The relationship will see Switchboard promoted across League and club channels, ensuring fans, staff, players and the wider public are aware of the free, confidential support that is available.
Switchboard CEO Stephanie Fuller said: "Football has a unique power to build and strengthen communities, often creating lifelong friendships. However, every now and then, we all need somewhere else to discuss things that can feel difficult to share.
"Switchboard has been providing a safe, non-judgmental, non-directive and confidential space for the LGBTQ+ community since 1974.
"Through our collaboration with the Premier League, we will ensure LGBTQ+ people across the football community know they’re not alone and that support from our trained volunteers is on hand, 365 days a year."
You can find out more about Switchboard’s service and how to contact them on their website: switchboard.lgbt. You can call free of charge on 0800 0119 100 from 10:00-22:00 365 days a year, email them at hello@switchboard.lgbt or use their website’s chat service.
Education
New LGBTQ+ inclusion education resources are being launched this month for children and young people taking part in community programmes including Premier League Primary Stars, Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires. The resources are designed to develop practical skills and spark meaningful conversation on topics including respectful language and how to support the LGBTQ+ community by being a good ally.
Academy players from Under-9s to Under-21s receive education on identity and inclusion. Clubs are also required to deliver mandatory equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training for staff and players as part of the Premier League Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard (PLEDIS), a framework that supports clubs to embed EDI across all areas of their work. Currently, 27 clubs are supported through PLEDIS, with 18 at or working towards the Advanced level.
The League continues to offer year-round LGBTQ+ training, which is a core part of staff development across clubs. Dedicated sessions, workshops and resources are designed to build understanding, confidence and inclusive practice for players, parents and club staff.
This includes working with sector experts on webinars focused on faith and sexuality for Academy and first-team player care staff. The webinars talk through complex interactions around faith, culture, sexuality, acceptance and tolerance in a respectful and safe environment.
Former Premier League player Thomas Hitzlsperger conducted a Q&A at the League’s recent player care annual meeting. This included a discussion on how player care staff can be trusted allies to players.
Celebration
All Premier League clubs have or are in the process of establishing an official LGBTQ+ supporters’ group. These supporter groups are being celebrated during the dedicated match rounds through a series of illustrations by artist Ashton Attzs which will feature on League and club channels, as well as being utilised by clubs in matchday presentations.
A collaboration with the Gay Times celebrating LGBTQ+ fans from all 20 Premier League clubs will also be published to mark the launch of Premier League With Pride.
Action
Clear processes are in place to challenge and sanction discriminatory abuse wherever it occurs and there is a commitment to ensure there is no place for homophobia or transphobia within stadiums or online.
The Premier League Safety and Security Observer Programme operates at all 380 matches across the season. It enables the League to take a tailored and evidence-based approach to safety, security and service while developing further understanding of key risk issues and priorities at club and League-wide level. This includes all incidents of discrimination.
The League has a specialist team which proactively monitors social media platforms to identify abusive content directed at players and report it for removal. There is also an online abuse reporting system to support players, managers and their families who receive discriminatory abuse on social media.
Fans can report online discriminatory abuse they see targeted at Premier League players, managers, coaches, match officials and their families directly at premierleague.com/reportdiscrimination.