Post on Manchester United’s Facebook page received more than 43,000 negative reactions
Premier League football teams including Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea have received thousands of homophobic responses on social media for showing solidarity with Stonewall’s pro-LGBT Rainbow Laces campaign.
Over the past two weeks the clubs have been posting pictures on social media of rainbow-striped logos and messages to back the annual campaign, which was launched by Stonewall in 2013 to kick out homophobia in football.
A post on Manchester United’s Facebook page in support of the campaign received more than 43,000 “angry” responses.
Fans’ comments including “Say No to LGBT”, “God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Lukaku” and “Gaychester United” each received more than 10,000 likes.
Similar homophobic messages were left on the pages of Arsenal and Chelsea after they updated their profile pictures to include rainbow-coloured logos and messages of support for the campaign.
The gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said the responses were “shocking” and a wake-up call to the FA and clubs.
“Quite clearly, the existing campaigns [to curb homophobia in football] have not been sufficient,” he said. “Even so, I suspect that these bigoted comments are coming from a hardcore minority and do not reflect the views of most fans. Unfortunately social media does tend to attract and give a voice to people with extreme views.”
Kirsty Clarke, Stonewall’s director of sport, said: “It’s great to see so many sports associations across the UK proudly championing LGBT equality as part of our Rainbow Laces campaign. The backlash from a small minority online is a reminder of just how vital it is for all of us to do our bit to help make sport everyone’s game.
“This year’s campaign is about giving people confidence to be active allies and show their visible support for LGBT people, either on or off the pitch. It’s been heartening to see that allyship in action, particularly on social media, where we’ve seen countless messages from people who aren’t LGBT calling out abuse from fellow fans and highlighting why their attitudes have no place in sport.
An Arsenal spokesperson said the club’s policies made it clear that discriminatory behaviour would not be tolerated.
“We are very proud to be supporting the Rainbow Laces campaign and do a great deal of work to promote equality across all levels of the game,” the spokesperson said. “As Facebook is the platform where these views are being shared, we are ensuring that all of our Arsenal for Everyone initiatives and messages, plus ways to report anti-LGBT language on a match day, are posted via this platform.”
Wildcat05
257
The biggest problem is... what clubs like manchester united, chelsea, arsenal are doing is almost like they are promoting the LGBT. Its going way over the top. Ok if you want to be homosexual then fine, be it, but stop acting like your promoting it to other people because afterall it is a matter of opinion whether you are gay or not. For example changing captains arm bands, corner flags, logos, lases on football boots etc to rainbow colour or featuring rainbow colours is just going to far. Showing tolerance of Homosexuals should not go so far as to changing the image of football in such a way. Awareness as to peoples feelings is one thing, but displaying it everywhere as if to advertise it to others is not right!
DaveedAllsports
249
You don't have to shove your sexuality down our throats for us to accept it by co-ercing clubs to support this crazy trend. If u say gay is more than sex then why did God create women with a womb, breasts and all? Men with Pe**s and all? Sex plays a major part of it whether you like it or not. You guys can be gay and stay on some island or continent that's your problem but don't come to my neck of the woods and tell me it's ur right and we gotta live with it. Next you'll tell me Sex with animals is anyone's right as long as the animal's theirs. Y'all need Jesus men.
Keyenopuy
108
I don't understand this madness from clubs, what's the meaning of rainbow flag. this has to stop, they shouldn't contaminate the beautiful game in support of a taboo
masterfor
88
Even though there was plenty of positive and supportive posts regarding the Rainbow Laces thing, it was still surprising to me how many people had a big problem with it and that there is obviously still a way to go as far as progressive attitudes within football. I always thought homophobia and racism in football, at least English football, was a tiny minority that gets exaggerated by the crowd environment drawing in others who ordinarily in their personal lives don't really believe those kind of things. Even in 2018 it is obviously still a bigger issue than I thought. Have a hard time understanding why some people take such big issue with things that rarely have any effect on their own lives whatsoever. Just weird init.