On the opening weekend of the new Ladbrokes Premiership season, Scottish Football send message of welcome to all LGBT+ football fans.
The message published in all Premiership matchday programmes, is a joint initiative between LGBT+ charity the Equality Network, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and is supported by SPFL title sponsor Ladbrokes.
Scott Cuthbertson, Development Manager of the Equality Network said: “We want to send the message loud and clear that LGBTI fans, players and officials are welcome in Scottish football, and that we are working for a more inclusive game.”
“We don’t yet have any openly LGBT+ professional players in the men’s professional game in Scotland but we know there are plenty of LGBT+ fans, so we want to put out the welcome mat and encourage fans to help remove any barriers, so that footballing talent are welcome to come out in future.”
Hala Ousta, Diversity & Inclusion Manager at the Scottish Football Association, added: “The Scottish Football Association is committed to ensuring football is accessible to all and we support this initiative to welcome all supporters. We want to create an inclusive environment and ensure all are treated fairly and will be working with groups such as the Equality Network to support our work towards better diversity and inclusion.”
David Macdonald of Ladbrokes, said: “We are delighted to be supporting this initiative to reinforce our view that Scottish football is, and always will be, open to all fans who love the sport as much as we do”.
The partners behind the advert are encouraging football clubs to sign up to the Scottish LGBT Sports Charter which was launched at Hampden Park last year as a tool to better include LGBT+ people in Scottish Sport. They are also looking for LGBT+ football fans to help support their own clubs to become more inclusive and welcoming to LGBT+ fans, players and officials.
To sign up, click here:
Scott Cuthbertson continued: “We think the best people to make football more inclusive are the fans themselves – clubs care about their fans and fans care about clubs. We hope that LGBT+ fans will sign up, and that clubs will take some time out to listen to their LGBT+ fans.”
The initiative is the first of its kind in Scotland, the hope being it will encourage more LGBT+ people to get involved in football.
A study by the Equality Network launched in 2012 showed that 57% of LGBT+ people would be more likely to participate in sport if it was more LGBT+ friendly.
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