(personal underlines)
Marc Guehi has exposed the flaw in football’s Rainbow Laces campaign
Is the Football Association’s Rainbow Laces campaign about inclusivity or not? The FA doesn’t seem to be able to make up its mind.
When Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi wrote ‘I love Jesus’ on his rainbow-coloured armband during his side’s draw against Newcastle United on Saturday, he was ‘reminded’ by the FA that religious messaging on kit is banned. Last night, Guehi called the FA’s bluff by writing another message – ‘Jesus loves you’ – on his armband in Crystal Palace’s game against Ipswich.
His messages seem to be a sensible way of taking part in a campaign showing support for inclusion in sport, while expressing his own Christian faith. If the point of this initiative is about making people feel included, is there a more welcoming message than telling people that Jesus loves them? You might think that Jesus isn’t real, but even if you do there’s nothing offensive about Guehi’s scrawled words.
Perhaps Guehi would have been better off adopting the approach of the Ipswich captain Sam Morsy, a Muslim who refused to wear the rainbow armband altogether. The FA is understood to deem that a matter for Morsy and his club and does not view his decision as a breach of its regulations. But it isn’t clear if that same soft approach will apply to Guehi, who could face a ban if he is deemed to have broken the rules.
By the letter of the law, Guehi could well find himself in trouble: Rule A4 of the FA’s kit and advertising regulations prohibit the ‘appearance on, or incorporation in, any item of clothing, football boots or other equipment of any religious message’.
Guehi’s message is undoubtedly religious. But if the Palace captain is breaking the rules, is the FA also guilty of double standards? The rules also state that: ‘Players must not reveal undergarments that show political…slogans, statements or images’. The Rainbow Laces campaign is backed by Stonewall, an organisation that has led the charge on transgender rights. Is that campaign not a political one? Stonewall’s approach has certainly alienated many lesbian and gay people – as well as plenty of women – who do not share its views on gender issues. Back in 2021, a number of organisations even abandoned Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme following an argument about trans rights. The FA, though, has stuck with Stonewall. This unseemly row might lead them to reflect on whether that is a partnership that should continue – and whether it might be sensible to make this year’s Rainbow Laces campaign the last.
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário