The Premier League has been told the Rainbow Laces campaign needs to modernise
Scotland's first out gay footballer Zander Murray has urged the Premier League to give the Rainbow Laces campaign a shake-up.
Murray came out in 2022, before retiring in the summer after spells at Motherwell, Bonnyrigg Rose and Gala Fairydean Rovers. The 33-year-old is now launching a series of anti-homophobia workshops aimed at academy players alongside Jahmal Howlett-Mundle, who came out as bisexual in 2021.
The new initiative comes as the Premier League prepares to launch its Rainbow Laces campaign for the 11th year this weekend. Top-flight bosses halved the funding handed to LGBT+ rights charity Stonewall to run the campaign last December.
And Murray believes that offers an opportunity to give the campaign a stronger anti-homophobia message. The former striker believes that after 11 years a reset is needed.
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Speaking exclusively to Mirror Football, Murray said: "From my experience, it served a purpose in the beginning, but 10 years in it's not hitting well. From a lot of boys, we get pushback. Some are saying 'I'm not homophobic, but I don't want to wear the laces'.
"I've openly said they need a new approach. We've seen the Premier League halving the funding as well. So I think there's scope to create a stronger campaign, a more together campaign. Hopefully we can latch onto that.
"I'm sick of how many players are refusing to sign Pride related shirts. We need to address what we're doing and shake it up. It will always happen. I'm also acutely aware there's a huge middle ground of people who aren't homophobic, not necessarily allies, but they're listening.
"I think we can win these people over and that's a huge proportion of the population that I want to focus on. Boys need to understand why these visibility campaigns are important. This isn't coming from nowhere, it's well-backed.
Scotland's first out gay footballer Zander Murray is adamant the campaign needs to be shaken up
"I've been in high-level academies, I'm speaking to top coaches, I'm speaking to the SFA, we need a stronger anti-homophobia campaign. It's an area where to the day we die, we'll always be fighting. We'll always be reactive, but it's about being proactive as well."
Murray is hopeful the new workshops he is launching alongside Howlett-Mundle can make a positive impact. But he is aware of the scale of the challenge they are facing to win younger players back from anti-LGBT+ influencers.
"It can be bloody powerful. I've done 30 plus workshops now in Scotland, seen how powerful that is. There's nothing quite like it happening down south. Me and Jamal got together, we're in a very unique position having played the game being out," he added.
"Last month at a workshop, I said 'boys put your hand up, who regularly watches Andrew Tate?' Nearly every single boy [put up their hand]. So we're trying to change with the times. Putting up the Rainbow flag and giving them a QR code asking for their honest opinion.
Murray is leading a series of anti-homophobia workshops alongside Jahmal Howlett-Mundle (
Image:
BBC iPlayer)
"Three-quarters are like 'woke nonsense'. But this is good, these are the people you want to sit down and speak to. We want to have an authentic conversation. I'm so passionate about this workshop because I think it can be very powerful.
"I'm speaking to them as if I'm in a football changing room, which is different to daily Zander. So they can have that connect like 'f*** there could be a boy in my changing room, struggling just like Zander'. That's where the power comes in."
Murray is adamant a different approach is needed if professional players are to engage with the Rainbow Laces campaign. He is passionate in his belief that if a clearer stance is taken, players will quickly sign up to support it.
"For the men's game, me and Jamal know, we've been in dressing rooms for 20 years. We're trying to win them over. Rainbow Laces serves a purpose. But in the men's elite, we need to be more unique in our approach," Murray said.
"Have the Pride flag, but I can tell you first hand it's a struggle year on year to explain. They get talking about homophobia, but how is this related, it's a constant struggle. That's where I'm coming from.
"The anti-homophobia campaign must be stronger, so that players can be like 'that makes sense, yes I'm getting involved with that'. Show Racism The Red Card, it makes so much sense, everyone's on board. Rainbow Laces, it's a constant struggle.
"I'm not against rainbows, I've [got] bloody rainbows in my flat, I've got rainbow lanyards when I do sessions, it's bloody important. Rainbows everywhere at the stadiums? Pull back a step I feel. Anti-homophobia should be the message."
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