Active allies
Royal Mail joined more than 30 other companies in competing in a ‘Rainbow Laces’ 5-a-side football tournament in Sheffield.
Sheffield Hallam University and local LGBT+ charity, SAYiT organised the games to help stamp out LGBT+ phobia in sport.
Created by LGBT+ charity Stonewall, the Rainbow Laces campaign is a way for everyone involved in sport to show their support for LGBT+ equality and inclusivity by wearing rainbow coloured shoelaces. The aim, as their slogan suggests, is to ‘make sport everyone’s game’.
National teams, leading clubs - including Manchester United and Arsenal - top athletes, fans and grassroots players have been lacing up to come out for LGBT+ people in sport. Click here to find out more.
By taking part in the tournament, Royal Mail raised more than £1,000 for SAYiT, helping to raise awareness for the need for inclusion in football as well as awareness for the charity, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The money raised from the tournament will support SAYiT as well as the Noah Lomax fund, in memory of a young LGBT+ person, who recently passed away.
Customer service advisor, Hannah Parys, from recruitment services in Sheffield, put together the ‘Royal Maildrid’ team made up of colleagues from Ponds Street, Sheffield.
‘I asked the LGBT+ & Friends steering group to provide us with Royal Mail Pride t-shirts,’ said Hannah. ‘I wanted the team to wear these while playing, to avidly show the equality and diversity at Royal Mail. They really helped us to look the part!
‘On the day, our team came third in our division, which led us to the knockout rounds. We exited on our first knockout round, mostly due to player fatigue, but the effort they put in was truly amazing. They really did Royal Mail proud, so a big thank you to all’.
Why Rainbow Laces matters
Lesbian, gay, bi and trans people can have negative perceptions and experiences of sport, whether it’s due to bullying in school sport, coming across anti-LGBT language on social media, down the pub or during live sports.
New Stonewall research finds that most people want to see action against anti-LGBT language in sport, but only a quarter feel confident calling it out. Rainbow Laces is all about giving people the confidence and the tools to be active allies to LGBT people in sport.
