JanineMick Ward emailed through this fantastic story about Marching Out Together, a LGTB+ Supporters group for Leeds United. It fell between releases, but we wanted to bring you this fantastic story as the major football season draws to a close.
Marching Out Together is the Leeds United LGBTQ+ supporters group, open to all LGBTQ+ Leeds fans and their allies. We have over 400 members and are officially recognised by the club.
Our core aims are to:
- Work with the club to make Leeds United inclusive and supportive of the LGBTQ+ community
- Work with other fan groups nationally and internationally to support this aim across football
- To use the reach of football to support LGBTQ+ inclusion and Equality more widely
- To act as a support group for LGBTQ+ Leeds United fans
Key to this work is the positive relationship we have developed with Leeds United. This means we are recognised by them as the official LGBTQ+ group and have a seat on the Supporters Advisory Board. Crucially, it also means we can work in partnership with the club on a range of initiatives. Over this past year (despite the problems on the pitch!), this has been particularly productive.
Highlights have included:
Our flag remains in its prominent position at Elland Road, highly visible at home games and when we are on TV. This year we have added to this by having a permanent hoarding at the ground where Leeds United women play their home games.
2022 saw the completion of the MOT mural, just off York Road, seen by 60,000 people a day, adding to Leeds’s rich set of LUFC murals. It plays with the idea of being ‘Proud as a Peacock’ reflecting the club’s historic nickname.
We have worked with Stonewall to deliver LGBTQ+ awareness training at Leeds United Academy for players of all ages, including the first team (the only premiership club to have done this for the first team squad)
We had a very successful series of events around Rainbow Laces last year (the annual week of focus nationally on LGBTQ+ awareness in football), with the club publishing an article in the club programme, our logo on the big screen, Patrick Bamford working with us to create a video for Sky Sports, taking part in official Leeds United Podcast, and the players wearing our t-shirts as they warmed up pre-game.
The club also have produced a fantastic ‘Pride Range’ of sports leisurewear, available at the store and online all year, which not only has the LUFC badge in rainbow colours, but each item also includes the MOT ‘smiley rainbow’ logo.
And not only did Leeds United sponsor Leeds Pride, but Luke Ayling also became the first ever current premiership player to attend a Pride march (Alongside club legends Jermaine Beckford and Noel Whelan). This was an incredible moment for all of us at MOT, and it was fantastic to see the amazing reaction from the many thousands watching and on the parade. Though we are very aware that the fact that this was such big news shows how far we still have to go.
That work includes working with the club and other fan groups to stamp out homophobic chanting, which, fortunately, is rare but needs to be totally eradicated. Developing improved signage at the ground and continued training for stewards etc. And engaging more with the local communities in Leeds, particularly showing how much Leeds United has changed and is committed to this work.
And, of course, preparing the ground to support any other players who ‘come out’ across the game – still extremely rare, but again, starting to change, though at a painfully slow rate.
We have a strong social media presence – you can find us @MarchingOutTogether on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
And for any further information, including joining MOT and getting some great merchandise, go to:
https://www.marchingouttogether.co.uk/
We look forward to marching on – and out – together.
