‘War’ over Premier League rainbow armbands: religion vs LGBTQ+ rights

There was controversy in the Premier League over the rainbow armbands worn by the Premier League captains this weekend in support of the LGBTQ+ community. The English competition held a campaign this matchday in support of the group, although two captains went off the beaten track.

The first, Sam Morsy, Ipswich Town captain, flatly refused to wear it for religious reasons. The player, an Egyptian international although born in England, is a practicing Muslim and was the only one of the 20 Premier League captains who did not wear the rainbow colors on his sleeve

His club, Ipswich Town, issued a statement saying that it “respects Morsy’s decision” but that they support the initiative in support of the group: “Ipswich Town Football Club is committed to being a fully inclusive club that welcomes everyone,” the club said in a statement. It added: “We proudly support the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign and support the LGBTQ+ community in promoting equality and acceptance.”

The other ‘wayward’ player among the captains in the British championship was Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, who did wear the armband in support of the LGBTQ+ community but wrote on it with a marker pen the phrase “I love Jesus”. The England international is deeply Christian and wanted to make this clear on the rainbow ribbon

The British press has reported that Marc Guehi could be sanctioned for writing the phrase “I love Jesus” on his armband as FA rules allow a number of “initiative slogans/emblems”, such as this weekend’s ‘Rainbow Laces’, but prohibit “political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images”.

As a curiosity, it should be noted that Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace will face each other on Tuesday afternoon in a match corresponding to the 14th round of the Premier League.

A precedent last season

The cases of Sam Morsy and Marc Guehi are not the first ‘rebels’ in this Premier League initiative to wear rainbow armbands in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Last season, Sheffield United captain Anel Ahmedhodzic was the first in seven years to refuse to wear it

The Bosnian international, who has recently retired from the national team, did not officially clarify at the time the reason why he did not want to join the initiative of the rainbow-colored armbands.