After England’s last-minute decision on Monday for Harry Kane to not wear the one-love armband in support of the LGBTQ+ community, many in Sheffield’s LGBTQ+ community have been left angered and frustrated.
The decision came after FIFA issued a statement saying any player or coach seen wearing the armband would receive an immediate foul. In hearing this, it was decided in the game against Iran, which kicked off at 1pm, neither Gareth Southgate nor Harry Kane would wear the armband in support.
Therefore, many in the community have spoken out against the choice, including chair and founder of the Rainbow Blades, Sheffield United Football Club’s LGBTQ+ community, James Laley, 36.
Mr Laley said: “They’re basically saying we don’t quite care enough. Like it’s all well and good them saying soundbites and certain headlines that may sound positive and sound like they’re with the LGBTQ plus community, but then they go and do something like this.
“At the end of the day, it was an armband; when this one love armband first got announced six months ago, I wasn’t 100% keen on it in the first place. It felt very much like a token gesture, but it was at least something. It was visibility. It was a message.”
Mr Laley said he believed that it won’t affect the positive work the community has done at home however, suggesting, although it has angered them, it will push them forward to do even more, channelling that energy in a positive way.
From the other side of Sheffield’s football community, Victoria Woods, also a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a season ticket holder for Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, said: “The last few weeks have been really difficult and triggering for the LGBTQ community and I would encourage yourself and your readers to reach out to their friends who may be struggling.
“Young LGBTQ people are already battling with feeling different, and, having their role models not visibly showing that they support their right to love who they want or express their gender in the way that they feel comfortable will be devastating.”
Outside the football community, other Sheffield LGBTQ+ sports have felt the effect from the decision.
Michael Hudson, chair and one of the founders of the Sheffield Vulcans RUFC also spoke about the effects the World Cup is having on their community.
Mr Hudson said of the decision: “To the young teenage boy who is queer, really supportive of England and wants to watch them in this World Cup, that would have been so much more important for him to see his heroes, these people that he looks up to wearing armband validating his existence, validating that they support him having human rights in every country in the world.”
The Sheffield Vulcans is part of the International Gay Rugby group and was set up in 2017, originally the 13th gay rugby team in the world. Now there are over 110 clubs who are committed to creating a safe and inclusive space for people to play rugby, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Mr Hudson said although he chose not to watch the World Cup, he doesn’t want to shame those who are, understanding it is a momentous sporting occasion.
He pointed out that many in the community can’t watch the World Cup with last week seeing the LGBTQ+ community globally under severe attack, mentioning the Colorado Shootings that occurred on Saturday 19th of November, seeing five people in a LGBTQ+ night club shot dead and 18 others injured.
He said: “I want them to recognise that for X amount or a certain part of the LGBT community, we are unable to enjoy this World Cup in any way. Because we are just consistently shown how little people consider not only our feelings and our enjoyment of it, but our safety and our lives.”
