Rainbow armbands: 5 things about football’s LGBTQ+ support campaign
- In the current Premier League competition, you will notice that the captain’s armbands have changed to rainbow colours.
- The reason is because it is a campaign about supporting LGBTQ+ in sports.
- Marc Guehi and Sam Morsy are in the spotlight over their LGBTQ+ campaigns
In the Premier League competition at the moment. You will notice that the captain’s armband has changed to a rainbow color. The reason is because it is a campaign to support LGBTQ+ in the world of sports.
However, this campaign also affects some groups of people or causes expressions that become issues. Such as the examples of Sam Morsy and Marc Guehi.
Here are 5 points we will discuss.
Is it mandatory for team captains to wear rainbow armbands?
The simple answer is no. The ‘rainbow’ armbands and other gear are provided by the Premier League and the clubs themselves. ith full support for their participation in a campaign launched to show their support for LGBTQ+ rights for footballers and to promote equality and diversity.
Captains are not required to wear rainbow armbands, but may wear standard ones.
Why did Mark Guehi receive a warning letter from the FA?
Marc Guehi has been warned since Crystal Palace’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday. After he posted the message “I LOVE JESUS”.
Despite being warned for violating the rules, Kehi wrote “JESUS LOVE YOU” on his rainbow armband in the following game against Ipswich Town.
Although the England defender faced criticism from the LGBTQ+ community for writing a message of love for Jesus on his rainbow armband. The Premier League only warned him and did not punish him, despite him breaking IFAB rules.
The rules state: “Political, religious or personal slogans are prohibited on the equipment. If the rules are violated, the player and/or team will be penalized by the tournament organizer. The national football association or FIFA.”
Why did Sam Morsy refuse to wear the rainbow armband?
The Ipswich Town captain has chosen not to comment on the decision not to wear the rainbow armband. But a club statement said the 33-year-old Egypt international, who is Muslim, made the decision based on his religious beliefs.
“Ipswich can confirm that we are a ufabet https://ufabet999.app club that embraces inclusivity. We are proud to support the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign and stand with the LGBTQ+ community,” an Ipswich statement said.
“As part of this year’s campaign, our senior team. Both men’s and women’s, will be visiting our LGBTQ Foundation on a weekly basis,”
“At the same time, we respect the decision of team captain Sam Morsy, who chose not to wear the rainbow armband in accordance with his religious beliefs.”
The Football Association cannot take action against Morsy. Even if the other 19 Premier League captains have agreed to wear the rainbow armband, as they were not required to do so in the first place..
Morsy’s story is similar to that of Nussair Mazrawi, who refused to wear a Manchester United jacket bearing the LGBTQ+ symbol. Because it was against his Islamic religion, and the club supported it by not wearing it before matches.
Has there been any discussion with the players about the armband?
While the final decision on what kit a player will or will not wear lies with the players. The scope of discussions prior to this campaign was not large.
Club players’ union representatives will be notified, but players will generally be given brief details about the campaign and expected to take part.
Players and managers wear symbols from other campaigns, such as anti-racism and health awareness campaigns.
Will the Kehi and Morsi issues prompt a rethink by the authorities?
No, but some in FIFA may question the FA’s leniency in the Guehi case.
However, Morsy’s case is delicate, as previously in the French league, several players who refused to wear shirts with LGBTQ+ symbols were banned by their clubs, such as Mohamed Camara (AS Monaco), Zakaria Aboukhlal, Moussa Diarra and Said Hamulic (Toulouse).
As for Idrissa Gueye, who used to play for Paris Saint-Germain, even though he was not punished for not wearing a supporter’s shirt, he was still heavily condemned by society there. So we’ll have to see what the Premier League plans for the future.