Alex Kay-Jelski: “Who I’m married to, who I’m in a relationship with, who I’m attracted to didn’t affect my ability to do the job and it was never going to.”

There are not too many people that can legitimately claim to have been the first to do something – but Alex Kay-Jelski does not set any real store in his place in history. Currently the editor-in-chief at The Athletic, Key-Jelski started his career at the Daily Mail where he eventually became the first out gay …

Continue reading Alex Kay-Jelski: “Who I’m married to, who I’m in a relationship with, who I’m attracted to didn’t affect my ability to do the job and it was never going to.”

Extra Time 6 with Pride of the Terraces

A common idea when discussing progress for the LGBTQIA+ community is that things are changing generation by generation. There is definitely evidence to suggest young people are more likely to identify as LGBTQIA+ than before, despite the also increasing levels of anti-trans sentiment in particular across various different outlets. That is a sign of the …

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Stuart Bonner: “There are people at the club who credit Saltire with saving their life.”

With the Rainbow Laces campaign once again throwing LGBTQIA+ inclusion in elite sport, specifically men's football, into the spotlight it is only right to give those working for inclusive spaces year-round a platform. At Glasgow's inclusive football club Saltire Thistle, though, the last couple of weeks have been a frustrating time after their players were …

Continue reading Stuart Bonner: “There are people at the club who credit Saltire with saving their life.”

LEAP Sports Scotland announce inaugural Qeltic Games to be held in Perth in 2023

LEAP Sports Scotland have announced the launch of the Qeltic Games - a new grassroots multisport tournament which will bring together LGBTQIA+ sports teams, athletes and allies from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The first edition of the Games will take place in Perth on August 25-27 2023, alongside Perthshire Pride …

Continue reading LEAP Sports Scotland announce inaugural Qeltic Games to be held in Perth in 2023

Rainbow Laces – Ross County’s Malky Mackay: “You could see how hard it was for Josh in that interview when he kept swallowing, and then he eventually said it, and there was such an outpouring in his favour.”

There are not many people who have seen so many different facets of football as Malky Mackay. Starting out juggling a job in banking with playing as an amateur for Queen's Park, Mackay earned his career changing move to Celtic in 1993, and spent the next five years at the Glasgow giants – being part …

Continue reading Rainbow Laces – Ross County’s Malky Mackay: “You could see how hard it was for Josh in that interview when he kept swallowing, and then he eventually said it, and there was such an outpouring in his favour.”

Piero Zizzi: “I needed to give back to the community I had turned my back on for six years.”

Whenever you get an event that features countries from all around the world, there is a huge spotlight on it. That was certainly the case with the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and with those being delayed for a year because of the pandemic it suddenly does not feel like there is too long to wait …

Continue reading Piero Zizzi: “I needed to give back to the community I had turned my back on for six years.”

Extra Time 5 with Pride of the Terraces

For many LGBT+ people, the stigma and stereotypes around sport are enough to put them off before ever getting the chance to take part themselves. Already in the current football season we have seen homophobic chants coming from some fans, so it is really no wonder that some would rather avoid that world altogether. Sport …

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Extra Time 4 with Pride of the Terraces

A prevalent theme for underrepresented communities in sport is that you can’t be what you can’t see. It is a refrain often repeated in women’s sport, football especially, but it is just as true for the LGBT+ community. It was particularly pleasing, therefore, to see such a prominence of articles across several media outlets for …

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Ben Watkiss: “People are still maybe a bit fearful of crossing the line, so they just don’t address it at all.”

Examples of LGBT+ people working in men's professional football are few and far between. There are some as you go further down the tiers, with professional referee Ryan Atkin and eighth-tier side Ashford Town's manager Luke Tuffs just two vocal advocates, but between the 92 Premier League and Football League clubs it is extremely rare …

Continue reading Ben Watkiss: “People are still maybe a bit fearful of crossing the line, so they just don’t address it at all.”

Extra Time 3 with Pride of the Terraces

Trans inclusion in sport has come under a renewed microscope in 2020. World Rugby’s controversial stance that led to them implementing a ban on trans women taking part in the sport came in for serious criticism, with the RFU deciding not to adopt the policy and other nations conducting research in order to make a …

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