London Falcons were proud to have the FA come down to training this week to celebrate the launch of the 2019 Rainbow Laces campaign.
The campaign, organised annually by the charity Stonewall, is designed for athletes to show their support for LGBT+ equality in sport.
To celebrate this launch, the FA came down to Kennington Park this week to talk to Club Chairman Will, Captain George, Secretary Matt, as well as first team members Rob and Ed, about what the Falcons are about as a team, how they came to find the club, and what inclusion means to us at the Falcons. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to share our thoughts on such an important issue. Inclusion in football is obviously an issue we are hugely passionate about and is something that we are proud advocates of as a club. We were pleased to tell the FA that we have yet to experience any instances of homophobia either on or off the pitch since our move to the Wimbledon and District League from the LUL last season, something we are hopeful will continue into the future.
However, we are aware that this is not the case across the board and LGBT+ discrimination remains a real issue in sport. 43% of LGBT+ people say they do not feel welcome in a sporting environment. Many have lost their love of their sport for this reason. It was for this exact purpose that London Falcons was established. Since 2006, over 350 gay and bisexual men have rediscovered their love of the game at the club. Our inclusivity is something we are incredibly proud of and will always be at the heart of the club. We hope to welcome many more players through our doors and for all sport to become more inclusive and LGBT+ friendly in the future.
If you’re looking to join an inclusive game, why not come down to training? We meet every Tuesday night at 7:45pm at Kennington Park and your first session is free!
Here’s the article in full for you to check out:
http://www.thefa.com/news/2019/nov/22/london-falcons-rainbow-laces-221119