Rainbow Laces
Lace Up and Kick Prejudice out of Sport.
One of the main reasons that I decided to run for my position at the Student Union was my love for our team atmosphere here at Winchester. For such a small University, we are so very mighty when it comes to the Team Winchester family and the amazing experiences that one can gain from being a member of it. We should be so thankful for the many opportunities and friendships that joining a team can offer us, however, for some people the prospect of entering a team sport may not be quite as appealing…
According to studies undertaken by both NUS and Stonewall UK, over 63% of LGBT+ students would feel uncomfortable in joining a sports team environment, 40% of gay and bisexual men and 30% of lesbian and bisexual women would expect to experience some level of homophobia within team sports, and gay men are 4x less likely than their heterosexual peers to participate in a team sport. These kinds of figures are sad to see, but in a University with such a strong team environment, this is something that we can work towards changing.
From today, you will be able to purchase Rainbow Laces from the Student Union reception and offices, these cost £3 and all proceeds will go towards the Stonewall UK foundation. Please grab a pair of these if you can and wear them to your training sessions, fixtures, or even just around campus if you want, to show your support for those students and young adults out there who may not feel as comfortable in joining a team as you are. Remember to tweet us a picture @WinchesterVPact/@Winchestersu with #LaceUpWinch
On Wednesday 30th November, Team Winchester will be lacing up and kicking prejudice out of team sport. There will be laces on sale at your fixtures and we will be looking to get as many players sporting colourful laces for their BUCS matches as we can. So please grab a pair either beforehand or on the day!
Remember to tweet us a picture of you or your team wearing your laces to - @WinchesterVPact/@Winchestersu with #LaceUpWinch
Your involvement as a sportsperson in a campaign like this may mean the world to another student, so please do get involved if you can and get your teammates on board. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give me a shout – Jordan.Rudge@winchester.ac.uk
Jordan Rudge - Vice President, Activities 2016-17
