The Premier League has launched a new initiative, Premier League With Pride, to bring together and build on the ongoing LGBTQ+ work of the League and clubs to help deliver long-term change.
Following consultation with clubs, representatives from LGBTQ+ supporters’ groups and a wide range of stakeholders, the Premier League has continued to build and strengthen its work in three key areas:
- Education programmes promote respect and inclusive behaviour for children and young people involved in the League’s community programmes, as well as for Academy players.
- Celebration including annual dedicated match‑round takeovers, support for clubs’ LGBTQ+ supporters’ groups, and a range of case studies and content.
- Action to make it clear that discrimination, including homophobia, transphobia and biphobia, will not be tolerated. This is supported by strengthened reporting mechanisms and enforcement.
A collaboration with Switchboard provides confidential support to members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Dedicated match rounds this season run from 6-12 February to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community in football and showcase the year-round work of the League and clubs to make the game more inclusive.
This page provides a summary of Premier League With Pride, outlining the work delivered by the League and clubs, as well as the support and action that underpins it.
Premier League With Pride
Why has the Premier League introduced its own LGBTQ+ initiative?
The Premier League has introduced its own LGBTQ+ initiative to reflect the progress it has made in equality, diversity and inclusion, and to provide support to clubs in ways that are consistent, meaningful and tailored to their communities. After more than a decade of work – which included the development of clear policies, consistent education programmes and shared standards on behaviour, as well as longstanding support for Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign – the League now has the foundation and insight to lead this area.
By launching a Premier League‑owned initiative from 2025/26, the League can bring greater coherence to this work, offer clear support to clubs and ensure inclusion activity extends beyond matchdays. Moving the campaign window to February, in line with LGBTQ+ History Month, also strengthens alignment with the wider football pyramid.
This approach enables the Premier League to lead a unified, year-round commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion, shaped by the needs of clubs, supporters and communities.
How is the Premier League supporting clubs to deliver education sessions focused on LGBTQ+ inclusion?
Education is the primary tool for long-term change. The League invests in education because attitudes are shaped early and understanding leads to more inclusive and respectful behaviour.
The Premier League supports clubs to deliver education sessions focused on LGBTQ+ inclusion by providing resources and programmes across schools, community settings and Academies.
The League relaunched its LGBTQ+ education resources in February 2026, which will be available through community programmes Premier League Primary Stars, Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires.
Education continues into the Academy system, where players from Under-9s to Under-21s receive age-appropriate learning on identity and inclusion, supported by mandatory equality, diversity and inclusion training. The refreshed Life Skills programme also enables clubs to tailor workshops delivered by experts, ensuring consistent and evidence-based learning.
The League further strengthens this work through enhanced player care. Year-round LGBTQ+ training is offered to club staff, alongside webinars exploring the intersections of faith, culture and sexuality. An LGBTQ+ toolkit, containing expert advice and inclusive language guidance, is also provided to player care teams.
These measures ensure that education on LGBTQ+ inclusion is embedded across clubs and supports inclusive behaviour throughout the game.
How does Premier League With Pride support young people and community programmes?
Premier League With Pride supports young people and community programmes by providing updated LGBTQ+ education resources through Premier League Primary Stars, Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires, teaching valuable skills about respect, inclusive language and allyship.
Premier League Primary Stars reaches more than 19,000 schools, 70,000 teachers and offers over 650 resources. A survey showed that 89 per cent of teachers agreed that Premier League Primary Stars has improved pupils’ knowledge and understanding of diversity and inclusion.
The Premier League is collaborating with Switchboard – what does this partnership involve?
The Premier League’s collaboration with Switchboard provides fans, staff, players and the wider public with access to a free, confidential LGBTQ+ listening service. It ensures anyone who needs support can speak to trained volunteers who offer non‑judgemental information and a safe space to talk, which can be particularly helpful for individuals who are questioning or struggling with their sexuality or who have been impacted by discrimination or harassment.
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 08000119100 from 1:00-22:00 365 days a year, email them at hello@switchboard.lgbt or use their website’s chat service.
How will the initiative be reflected across matchdays during the season?
All Premier League matches taking place between 6 and 12 February 2026 will be dedicated to Premier League With Pride, with matchday inventory provided to all clubs in line with other Premier League‑led initiatives such as No Room For Racism and More Than A Game.
The matchday inventory will include:
- Handshake board
- Ball plinth
- Ball assistants’ flag
- Substitution boards
- Perimeter LEDs
- Pin badges
What armbands will the captains wear?
In consultation with the Premier League, captains took the decision in pre-season to wear the standard Premier League armband for all matches this season.
How does the Premier League support clubs and players in dealing with online discriminatory abuse?
The Premier League provides a dedicated reporting system, specialist guidance and direct support for those targeted by online abuse. The League works with clubs to identify, investigate and remove discriminatory abuse, including monitoring online platforms, reporting incidents to the relevant companies and taking action where appropriate. It also offers advice and support to anyone within the game who has experienced abuse, helping clubs respond quickly and ensuring incidents are addressed in line with League processes.
What should supporters do if they witness or experience homophobic or transphobic abuse at a match?
Supporters who witness or experience abuse either inside or outside the ground should report it straight away to a steward or police officer, or use their club’s matchday text reporting service. Abuse that occurs away from the stadium, while travelling or online can also be reported, including through Kick It Out’s reporting channels, British Transport Police or directly to the Premier League if it involves online abuse towards players, managers, coaches, match officials or their families.
The Premier League is clear that discrimination of any kind is unacceptable, and fans play an important role in helping ensure stadiums remain welcoming and inclusive for everyone.
Full guidance on how to report discrimination is available at: premierleague.com/reportdiscrimination
What is the Premier League Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard (PLEDIS)?
PLEDIS is the framework that supports clubs to embed EDI across all areas of their work. It sets clear expectations for how clubs develop inclusive policies, practices and environments, and provides a structured pathway through three levels of achievement: Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced. Compliance with PLEDIS is assessed independently by an expert panel of EDI professionals.
As part of PLEDIS, clubs must deliver mandatory equality, diversity and inclusion training for staff and players, ensuring that learning is consistent and embedded across the game. All 20 Premier League clubs are engaged with PLEDIS, with 18 at or working towards the Advanced level. The Standard helps ensure that EDI is part of everyday practice, supporting clubs to create welcoming and inclusive spaces for everyone connected to football.
PLEDIS enables clubs to take a strategic approach to their work to tackle representation issues – through the framework, clubs must collect, analyse and report on workforce diversity data, including around sexual orientation and gender identity. This data is used to inform decision-making, EDI delivery plans and strategies.
Why is PLEDIS an important part of the League’s LGBTQ+ inclusion work?
PLEDIS is an important part of the League’s LGBTQ+ inclusion work because it requires clubs to create inclusive workplaces and embed equality, diversity and inclusion across all areas of their operations. The framework helps clubs demonstrate effective practice in governance, community engagement, supporter representation and education, ensuring that inclusion is built into everyday structures rather than delivered only through campaign moments. PLEDIS helps ensure clubs approach inclusion in a consistent and sustained way across the League.
Clubs are required to seek external advice from experts and those with lived experiences. This can be via advisory groups, LGBTQ+ supporter group engagement and discussion with local/national organisations and charities.