The Premier League has decided to stop participating in the Rainbow Laces campaign which supports LGBTQ+ inclusion in football, after ending its partnership with the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall.
Since 2017, the Premier League and Stonewall had worked together to promote equal rights and acceptance for LGBTQ+ people in the sport.
According to a report from the Daily Telegraph, the Premier League plans to introduce its own inclusion campaign which will launch during LGBTQ+ History Month in February.
Sources told BBC Sports, that the Premier League is still working with football clubs to emphasize that discrimination of any kind is not acceptable.
They also confirmed that educational materials promoting inclusion and equality are still being used to support this message.
Upon the end of its Rainbow Laces partnership with the Premier League, a Stonewall Spokesperson said in a statement, noting, "Rainbow Laces has benefited from a wide range of partners with a natural ebb and flow reflecting cultural and sporting changes."
"Alongside other sporting bodies the FA has been instrumental in advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion at the grassroots level and more recently the Women's Super League has taken up the mantle as the women's game has grown - enabling Rainbow Laces to reach more diverse audiences," it added.
On top of that, players in football will still be allowed to take the knee as a symbol of protest against racism and discrimination.
This decision was made even though the England women’s team, the Lionesses chose not to take the knee during their winning campaign at the Euro 2025 tournament earlier this summer.
