Free Rainbow Laces distribution boosts ongoing campaign for inclusion in sport

Grassroots and community sporting clubs as well as individuals are invited to wear #RainbowLaces when playing their sport next month as part of the ‘Rainbow Round of Sport’.

SKINS partners with rebel, rebelfit, AMART SPORTS, Medibank and Dentons to help Pride in Sport kick LGBTI prejudice out of sport

By wearing rainbow laces and promoting the initiative, players can raise awareness about homophobia in sport and show their support for the LGBTI community – meeting the #RainbowLaces objective to develop a safe and inclusive environment for players, administrators, coaches and spectators to participate and engage in sport regardless of their sexuality.

Individuals can collect free laces from any Medibank Branch, rebel, rebelfit or AMART SPORTS store from this weekend.

Teams wishing to order multiple pairs of free laces, can place their orders online at rainbowlaces.net where laces are available in packages of 25 pairs or more.

The second ‘Rainbow Round of Sport’ will take place from Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th April as a way of athletes, administrators and fans showing that LGBTI prejudice has no place in sport.

The initiative is the brainchild of Australian sportswear company SKINS, inspired by a similar campaign in England. SKINS partnered with Pride in Sport, a sporting inclusion program that helps national and state sporting organisations and clubs with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) employees, players, coaches, volunteers and fans, to bring the concept to Australian sport for the first time last year.

The Australian #RainbowLaces campaign embraces all major sporting codes, with SKINS making laces available for free to grassroots and community sporting clubs and individuals.

As well as distribution partners rebel, rebelfit AMART SPORTS and Medibank, Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, has partnered with SKINS and Pride in Sport kicked-off the #RainbowLaces campaign at a gala dinner and auction in Sydney on 24th March.

SKINS Executive Chairman, Jaimie Fuller, says sport should be a place where people feel safe and welcome whether they are a player, volunteer, administrator or fan.

Fuller (pcitured) explains “through #RainbowLaces, we want to show that LGBTI prejudice has no place in sport. The only thing that matters is what happens on the field.

“If we extend the issue of LGBTI prejudice in sport into broader society, we are confronted with one of the significant moral injustices of our time – marriage inequality.

“Sport doesn’t have to merely reflect society. We can rise-up and help lead it.”

Clubs already committed to #RainbowLaces include the ACT Brumbies, Essendon Bombers, GWS Giants, NSW Swifts, Giants Netball, North Queensland Cowboys, Penrith Panthers and Sydney FC, together with elite individuals such as Johnathan Thurston, Robbie Farah, Andrew Fifita, Rostyn Griffiths, Dylan Shiel and Alex Wilkinson.

The ‘Rainbow Round of Sport’ involves all AFL, A-League, NRL, Super Rugby and Super Netball matches taking place from 6th to 9th April, as well as other levels of semi-pro, amateur, grassroots and community sport.

For more information go to www.rainbowlaces.net

1st December 2016 - SWIMMING AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES INCLUSION FRAMEWORK

1st April 2016 - AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION AND SKINS SUPPORT ‘RAINBOW ROUND OF SPORT’

31st March 2016 - RAINBOW LACES CAMPAIGN AIMS TO KICK HOMOPHOBIA OUT OF SPORT

16th March 2016 - MAJOR SPORTING CODES SIGN UP FOR NEW SYSTEM TO MEASURE LGBTI INCLUSION

28th June 2015 - ANTI-HOMOPHOBIA IN SPORT CAMPAIGN WINS INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

11th May 2015 - MAJOR AUSTRALIAN SPORTING CODES PLEDGE TO COMBAT HOMOPHOBIA IN SPORT

10th April 2014 - AUSTRALIA’S MAJOR SPORTS ADVANCE ANTI-HOMOPHOBIA FRAMEWORK 

6th November 2012 - SKINS FILES LAW SUIT AGAINST UCI OVER ARMSTRONG SCANDAL

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