Premier League Ends Rainbow Laces Campaign Ahead 2025-26 Season

The Premier League has ended its eight-year partnership with LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, discontinuing the Rainbow Laces campaign ahead of the 2025–26 season. This decision, made after consultation with all 20 club captains, will see the league launch its own LGBTQ+ inclusion initiative during LGBTQ+ History Month in February while maintaining education through community programs. The Rainbow Laces campaign, which featured rainbow-colored laces and armbands to support LGBTQ+ rights and combat homophobia, faced challenges recently, including controversies involving players Marc Guehi and Sam Morsy related to religious beliefs and messaging. Despite the campaign's end, homophobia and transphobia remain significant issues in football, with recent data showing rising discrimination at both professional and grassroots levels. Alongside this, the Premier League agreed players will continue taking the knee as a symbolic gesture against racism, amid concerns about increasing racial abuse in the women’s game, highlighted by incidents involving England defender Jess Carter and calls from Lucy Bronze for social media companies to act against online trolls. The league’s move reflects a shift toward creating tailored campaigns while striving to uphold commitments to inclusion and equality in football.