Nottingham Forest LFC report on how they are working with the University of Nottingham and Stonewall on Rainbow Laces Awareness.
NFLFC are proud to be raising awareness of homophobia in football in partnership with The University of Nottingham.
Claire Henson, a good friend of Forest Ladies, and Equality and Diversity Events Co-Ordinator at The University of Nottingham, has organised events that will run next year focusing on sexuality, gender, race and disability in sport. 
To launch the event series, the University of Nottingham presented fifty pairs of Rainbow Laces to Nottingham Forest LFC at Sunday’s Premier League game, which was attended by our special guest, directly from Stonewall, Juliet Chard (Campaigns Officer).
Juliet explains about the Rainbow Laces campaign: “Rainbow Laces is an anti-homophobia in football campaign – encouraging footballers to wear multi-coloured laces to send out a message that anti-gay abuse will not be tolerated.”
The initiative is backed by Stonewall, the biggest charity in Europe campaigning for lesbian, gay and bisexual equality, and the Gay Football Supporters’ Network, the national membership organisation of LGBT football fans, teams and supporters’ groups. 
Juliet says: “I am delighted to have been invited by Claire Henson and all at NFLFC to help promote the awareness and gift the club use of the laces and hope the long term thinking on this subject continues to be progressive”
Claire Henson adds: “NFLFC were a huge support to the University of Nottingham 2014 Diversity in Sport events, so I am delighted to be able to present them with the laces as part of the 2015 event series. The University of Nottingham values inclusivity for all and we are happy to support the Stonewall Rainbow Laces Campaign.”
Club Chairperson, PJ Andrews fully endorses the initiative and has worked with Steve Gray (Club Operations Manager) to ensure awareness is maximised. “It can take time to change peoples mind-set on many things and for different reasons for what you hope is for the better and greater good. Nottingham Forest Ladies gifts football to so many and has done over many, many years. Team Sport brings about its own diversities and understandings and if we can continue to promote an equal and welcome environment in Nottingham Forest Ladies Football Club, and on a wider scale, then we will do whatever we can to support that initiative.
The FA’s message is simple: homophobia, like all forms of discrimination, is unacceptable. Click here to read more.
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Players’ Photograph—courtesy of Alexandra Johnson Photography
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