Proudly supporting Rainbow Laces

The Club is proud to show its support for Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign ahead of this Sunday’s north London derby with Arsenal – a historic occasion that will see the return of fans to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time in over nine months.

The campaign aims to 'make sport everyone's game', with the focus on creating LGBTQ+ inclusive environments within football and other sports. Premier League clubs are activating around home matches being played up and down the country over the following two match weekends.

• Our stadium will be illuminated in rainbow colours for Sunday’s match, with rainbow branding visible on our LED signage, big screens, and the matchday programme.
• Sunday’s N17 Live broadcast will feature content dedicated to Rainbow Laces, including a live interview with Helen Richardson-Walsh – patron of Proud Lilywhites.
• Earlier this week, Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg took part in a virtual Q&A session with Proud Lilywhites members.

The Club was one of the first to establish a LGBTQ+ Supporters’ Association, with Proud Lilywhites launched in February, 2014.

Since then, Proud Lilywhites has worked closely with the Club on a range of initiatives to engage Tottenham Hotspur’s LGBTQ+ fanbase, its staff and partners.

The group’s signature flag is regularly seen at home matches, LGBTQ+ awareness training has been held for Club staff and matchday stewards, and football sessions for its members have been delivered by the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.

Throughout the pandemic, the group has organised virtual quizzes and pre-match meet-ups to keep its members in regular contact through challenging times.

One of the group’s members, Robert, commented: “In addition to serious medical conditions, COVID brought a sense of isolation to many of us. Finding Proud Lilywhites has been a real bright spot in an otherwise weary slog for me. Being able to share the return of Premier League football with such a devoted, supportive and enthusiastic group has been great fun.”

Another member, Craig, said: “At a time when some of us were at our most vulnerable, Proud Lilywhites were there. Being away from the football environment I love for months at a time is tough, but having the WhatsApp group means I always feel connected.”

You can find more about Proud Lilywhites at www.proudlilywhites.uk or by following them on social media:

The Club won the Professional Game Award at the Football v Homophobia Awards held in February, recognising professional football clubs who have shown dedication to improving the landscape of football for LGBTQ+ people and who have worked in numerous ways to create better inclusion and participation of LGBTQ+ people at all levels of football.

For the first time, the Club has this year launched a range of merchandise dedicated to celebrating our LGBTQ+ fans and allies.