Rainbow Laces Day is an annual event that was started by, LGBTQ+ rights organisation, Stonewall in 2013 as a campaign to fight homophobia in all sports across the world.

This first campaign involved them sending rainbow laces to some 5,000 professional footballer within the UK. Since then, the event has become a global movement with Stonewall announcing in 2020 that they had sold over one million laces since its inception seven years previously.

After the success of this first campaign, every November / December Stonewall have continued to run Rainbow Laces Day. Dulwich Hamlet first became involved when, during the 2014-2015 season, both the men’s senior and supporter’s teams donned the laces when they both faced their Worthing counterparts on the same day.

Later that season, on a cold February evening in East Dulwich, Champion Hill hosted a ground-breaking fixture when Stonewall FC (at the time the current Gay Football World Champions) lined up against our men’s team. Despite losing 6 - 0, Stonewall FC walked off the pitch to a chorus of “we love you Stonewall we do” having taken part in a ‘first of its kind’ match.

As part of this event, two Dulwich Hamlet and Altona 93 anti-homophobia banners were purchased. The latest incarnation of this banner is on permanent display pitch side in front of the mega-container club shop, the other is ever present at our sister club, Altona 93, in Hamburg.

“Other football clubs say they’re against things, but in many cases it’s just lip service,” said the late Mishi Morath at the time. “We’re not just saying ‘we’re against homophobia,’ we’re trying to welcome gay fans to Dulwich. That sums up the ethos of the club, we try to go that bit further.

Step forward to 2023, raising awareness and celebrating our LGBTQ+ community continues to be embedded in Dulwich Hamlet’s DNA. It can be seen from the moment you walk through the turnstiles and across the rainbow crossing within our stadium, sighting the numerous the rainbow flags and stickers around to watching corners being taken by our teams next to the rainbow flags flying on our corner posts!

I am sure that ten years ago Stonewall could not have imagined that a pair of laces would become such a huge annual event. An event that has had and continues to have a dynamic positive effect on the LGBTQ+ community, creating inclusive pitches and sports fields around the world.

Today Dulwich Hamlet wears its rainbow laces with pride and continues to strive in promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion within all sports.