- James Justin and Sophie Howard met members of Foxes Pride
- The pair discussed LGBT issues faced by the Club’s supporter group as part of Rainbow Laces
- LCFC will be supporting Stonewall’s campaign at this weekend’s game
The Foxes duo were given the opportunity to learn more about the Club’s LGBT supporter group, while bettering their understanding of the subject and the importance of being an ally.
The conversation was part of LCFC’s support for Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign, which aims to promote positive attitudes towards the LGBT community in football and beyond.
Foxes Pride - who have over 200 members - work with LCFC to tackle homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in football and to promote the welfare of the Club’s LGBT supporters by ensuring that King Power Stadium is a welcoming and friendly environment for all.
Rishi Madlani, Foxes Pride group member, said: “The group were delighted to be able to have a discussion with James and Sophie, and felt it was a really positive and constructive conversation covering a range of topics, including social media abuse and the potential power of their allyship in supporting the LGBT community.
"I think I speak on behalf of the group when I say we're all super proud supporters of a Club that continues to champion inclusion to ensure everyone can love and enjoy football as much as we do."
The Club will be showing their support for Rainbow Laces at this weekend’s game against Brighton & Hove Albion, with rainbow branding visible throughout King Power Stadium and rainbow armbands available for team captains.
In addition to this, LCFC’s social media accounts have added a rainbow theme to the crest to add further support to the initiative.
James Justin said: “It was great to meet and talk to some of the group’s members and to have an open and honest conversation with them about what it is like for them to be LGBT football supporters. Being able to learn about the issues they’ve faced and the progress that has also been made over the past few years was insightful.
“Having discussions around the subject helps to raise awareness and Rainbow Laces is of course a massive campaign, but it’s important we recognise that this is something to support all-year round, not just for two weeks of the year.”
The Football Club are committed to making football a game for everyone and do not tolerate homophobic or discriminatory language.
Should you experience any form of discrimination in a Leicester City setting, please contact help@lcfc.co.uk or call 0344 815 5000 (option 4).
Furthermore, you can also report any form of discrimination or hate crime by texting the word ‘FOXES’ to 60066.
For more information about Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces, please click HERE.
Please click HERE for more information about Foxes Pride.