Rainbow Laces campaign promoting LGBT+ inclusion in sport receives support from Ross County manager Malky Mackay
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Ross County manager Malky Mackay has voiced his support for the Rainbow Laces campaign.
Rainbow Laces is designed to promote LGBT+ inclusion across sport, often most visibly seen in men’s football because of the greater coverage it receives.
Justin Fashanu became the first professional British male player to come out as gay while still playing 31 years ago, but nobody else has done it since.
The likes of former Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlesperger only did so after he retired, but in Australia earlier this month Josh Cavallo became the first openly gay top flight footballer in the world.
Seeing Cavallo’s video on social media seems to have struck a chord with Mackay, who has given his full backing to Rainbow Laces.
“It is important,” former Scottish FA performance director Mackay insisted.
“Over the last couple of days I was looking at the young lad from Adelaide, Josh Cavallo, and he’s done the cut about five times before he can get to what he wants to say.
“You swallow watching that, because you can only imagine what’s going through his mind to be ready to do it.
“With the way society at the moment is, it’s interesting with his age, because I think you find that the youth are quite happy to just be them.
“It was tough for Josh, but I think the youth embrace it very quickly and easily, and now you’ve got the first top flight player.”
Sport, and particularly football in the UK, has an immense power on the public, all the more reason for it to promote inclusive messages with Mackay adding: “I know the power of what football can do for people in the world, it can change things.
“You think of what the World Cup or the European Championships do for Scotland in terms of the nation getting behind one thing, there are very few things that can do that, so the inclusivity of everyone makes a huge difference.
“It allows people to be themselves, and I think seeing all the different aspects of Scottish life gives people the confidence to say ‘I am me, and I want to be involved’.
“Whatever your sexuality or your beliefs, everybody should just be able to play football together.”
Listen to the full interview with Ross County manager Malky Mackay on Rainbow Laces in the latest episode of our sports podcast, Balls & Whistles.
