Saturday's home game with AFC Fylde marks Rainbow Laces Day for Darlington FC -- here's some information provided by Rainbow Laces.

Rainbow Laces: where we stand today

The Rainbow Laces campaign unites everyone who cares about sport and fitness to create a world where every LGBTQ+ person can thrive wherever they train, play or watch sport.

• In 2021, we have refreshed and re-energised the Rainbow Laces campaign. Over the last five years, more than one million people have laced up to show their support for LGBTQ+ communities in sport and fitness, from Premier League players and Olympians, to youth cricket teams and Saturday morning runners.
• But for all the progress we’ve made as sports bodies, as brands and as individuals, there are still those who bully and exclude LGBTQ+ people in sport, and gym by gym, team by team, LGBTQ+ people aren’t always supported and respected to participate or spectate.
• So many individuals feel faced with a choice. A choice between loving their sport and being their true selves. But we believe that none of us should feel unable to participate in or enjoy our passion and hold back who we are.
• Rainbow Laces have become a symbol of inclusion in sport, have raised awareness and support. But have they changed the conversation?

2021 campaign: Lace Up and Speak Up

• That’s why this year we are elevating the campaign with a more purposeful and actionable approach: to Lace Up and Speak Up. We hope that in turn this will create a broader, louder and more impactful movement for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport.
• We know that wearing Rainbow Laces alone won’t change the world, but by clarifying our focus and our messaging, we can make this a truly impactful moment for our communities, and drive forward change.
• We are moving the laces on from being a symbol of inclusion, to being a pledge of commitment; a commitment to speak up in the conversations that matter.
• By wearing Rainbow Laces, we’re asking people to not only show their support, but to go one step further and open up the conversation about why they support the cause. Speak up to friends, family, colleagues, teams and clubs because every conversation matters, and every conversation takes us one step closer to achieving our ambition; to make sport everyone’s game.

Lace Up and Speak Up: how this drives change

• By focusing on a simple action, we hope we can make it as clear as possible what we want people to learn, feel and do as a result of engaging with the Rainbow Laces campaign, whether they are interacting with their football club on social media, following coverage of the campaign on TV or getting involved in it with their teammates.
• We know that so many in our sport communities are willing to support LGBTQ+ inclusion, but lack the confidence and knowledge to do so. By focusing on supporting people to ‘start the conversation’ and providing tools to help them feel confident, we hope we can encourage thousands more people to take that leap of faith and become more confident in speaking up about LGBTQ+ inclusions with those around them.
• This is a significant step forward for the campaign, but one we know that sport fans and participants are willing to make. Encouraging people to take that step together, as part of a wider movement, will help people break through their lack of confidence.