ST ALBANS, ENGLAND - JULY 01: Arsenal players and staff wave off the Gay Gooners ahead of Price in London a training session at London Colney on July 01, 2022 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal's Gay Gooners fan group has uged fellow supporters to get behind the Rainbow Laces campaign
Arsenal's LGBT+ fan group the Gay Gooners have urged their fellow supporters to back the Rainbow Laces campaign.
The Gunners hosts Manchester United on Wednesday for what will be their designated Rainbow Laces game of the season. The campaign works towards inclusion of the LGBT+ community in football amid a traditionally hostile atmosphere towards that community.
This year's Rainbow Laces has hit the headlines following Mirror Football's report that Ipswich captain Sam Morsy refused to wear a Rainbow armband on religious grounds.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard proudly wore a Rainbow armband in the win over West Ham on Saturday. He is expected to do the same against United, with Gay Gooners co-chair Jacob Jefferson also urging his fellow fans to show the campaign their support.
[
Sam Morsy's reason for Rainbow armband refusal as Ipswich Town issue statement](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/sam-morsy-rainbow-laces-armband-34229908)
Speaking exclusively to Mirror Football, Jefferson said: "I know from Stonewall's perspective the theme is about being comfortable in stadiums. I think what we'd like out of this is making people feel safe in stadiums and also how to report things.
"And that way to report being easy so you don't have to leave your seat for half an hour. So aligning it with that. It's not just for our members, it's for allies as well because quite often the reporting comes from non-LGBT people.
"I would say ultimately for everyone, we want that stadium to be a place we can just relax. It's somewhere we just want to be ourselves and enjoy the match. If you think about it like that.
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 27: Arsenal Gay Gooners banner before the Premier League match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at Emirates Stadium on November 27, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal's dedicated Rainbow Laces game will come against Manchester United on Wednesday
"Even if you don't think what you're saying is having much of an impact on people, it might. It's not fair for people to have to go through that when they just want to watch a football game."
Jefferson was speaking before Morsy's decision to refuse to wear an armband, but he believes player support can be crucial to Rainbow Laces' success. He added: "The Arsenal men were involved in one of the first adverts that really kicked it off.
"We don't really see that now. Maybe some people think it's achieved what it needed to achieve. That's not the case.But some people might think it doesn't need to be pushed because of the way the game has progressed.
"Groups like ours are so prominent that some might not understand that push is still needed. I also think what wasn't there 10 years ago is the way social media is now with the abuse. The way it's all set up now, you get more abuse and players probably don't want to do that.
"Which is a shame. When Arsenal actually push it themselves that we really get the exposure. When they give us a platform that's when we grow and really feel the love from the Arsenal family. It's all of these things combined.
"It's given us as a group a platform to speak. I also hope it's given the players and staff more of an understanding of us, feel more comfortable challenging homophobia in the dressing room."
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