AIBU to be so upset my child has to wear rainbow laces to play rugby?

[Rainbowlaceshelp]

Just as the title says.

My child came home today and says they have been given a set of rainbow laces for thier rugby boots for the game at the weekend. To show that they are inclusive.

I'm very very upset and angry that I am now being forced to confront this issue.

I have no objection to showing solidarity for gay and lesbian people. It is precisely for this reason I object to being strong armed into rainbow compliance by Stonewall who grow more homophobic by the day.

What can I do? Should I just get over it, conform and keep quiet? I don't want to make my child appear as though they 'hate the gays' when it's in fact the total opposite.

How old is your child? Are they old enough to have their own view on the issue? If so, it's doesn't really have much to do with you.

Either way, this seems a very strong response to a fairly minor thing

I don't want to make my child appear as though they 'hate the gays' when it's in fact the total opposite.

So what's the problem?
They are shoe laces.
Stop being OTT

It's just rainbow colours, FFS. You're not giving money to Stonewall or being forced to announce you're super down with trans women. Rainbow colours are a universal symbol of Pride and of a safe space for gay, lesbian and bisexual people, and rugby is not yet exactly a bastion of acceptance.

It's unlikely to have anything to do with Stonewall and Stonewall don't own rainbows. No one is going to read it as a Stonewall protest. Not wearing the laces isn't going to be striking a brave blow for being gender critical or whatever you're imagining, it's just going to make you look ignorant.

It's not really the laces or the message they endorse is it? It's that not wearing them would leave him open to accusations of being hateful. It's coercive which means it's possible that even the people who do wear them are not actually inclusive.

How old is your DC?

I’m GC, and I wouldn’t get in a tizzy about this.
I think it makes look as mad as the TRAs.

YABU and your reaction is over the top. They’re shoelaces.

It might be a Stonewall 'thing'. Premiership football have announced they are working with Stonewall, and players are wearing rainbow armbands and laces to represent this alliance.

The reason I ask is because to endorse the cause they need to have an understanding and a want to do so...otherwise the thought behind it is meaningless isn't it?

Rainbow colours are a universal symbol of Pride and of a safe space for gay, lesbian and bisexual people
@stalkersaga for many lesbian women it now represents the opposite.

The fact you object so strongly to rainbow laces suggests might be less tolerant than you say you are, despite how you dress it up as 'forced inclusion'.

I think you are probably unreasonable to be ‘very very upset’. I’m not clear why it would be so upsetting?

I think rainbow laces are a positive gesture in team sports. If I see a team wearing them I assume they are showing support for LGBT friends or teammates or the wider community, not for one particular organisation (although I know the original concept came from Stonewall).

There isn't a single out gay male rugby player in the UK that I know of. Rainbow Laces is a good campaign in itself. The daft sideshow about sex not being relevant in sport will die away in time and males who've transitioned will be accepted in the male teams, as they should be. Talk to your son about that.

* It's not really the laces or the message they endorse is it? It's that not wearing them would leave him open to accusations of being hateful. It's coercive which means it's possible that even the people who do wear them are not actually inclusive.*

^This. I don’t like how these things are being enforced

@stalkersaga

It's just rainbow colours, FFS. You're not giving money to Stonewall or being forced to announce you're super down with trans women. Rainbow colours are a universal symbol of Pride and of a safe space for gay, lesbian and bisexual people, and rugby is not yet exactly a bastion of acceptance.

It's unlikely to have anything to do with Stonewall and Stonewall don't own rainbows. No one is going to read it as a Stonewall protest. Not wearing the laces isn't going to be striking a brave blow for being gender critical or whatever you're imagining, it's just going to make you look ignorant.

This with bells on.

One of my children is gay and would refuse to do this on the grounds that all people should be free to choose how and when to express their support for any particular cause. They would regard compulsion as the very opposite of the freedom that they are trying to espouse.

Well if just laces then there's no issues with not wearing them then.

They're 12, they're too young to have an opinion on this which isn't coloured by my resistance to allowing them to be used as a political pawn by Stonewall.

The rainbow as a symbol LGBT rights is not exclusive to Stonewall. You're making a mountain out of a molehill.

And from a purely practical perspective there's no way for you to kick up a fuss about this without appearing to be a bigot, so decide carefully if it's a hill you want to die on.

It’s a universal symbol showing support for those who have been invisible in sports such as rugby and football. I link 🌈 to the lgbt+ community and not to stonewall (to be honest, I hadn’t heard of stonewall until mumsnet).

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/11/30/rainbow-laces-football/&ved=2ahUKEwjFi5zbycX0AhXHSEEAHfW0CfcQFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0TpdUxcuxn87EqADOQdp1N" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/11/30/rainbow-laces-football/&ved=2ahUKEwjFi5zbycX0AhXHSEEAHfW0CfcQFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0TpdUxcuxn87EqADOQdp1N

Get a grip. YABU

And rainbow crossings are just (unsafe) crossings and rainbow lanyards announces to the world your an "alli" and therfore safe (forced into it by your employer but "safe" and "inclusive") and pronouns are just pronouns harmless of course

My point is its all totally harmless but it's also enforced and coerced if they gave them out and said wear them if you like that would be ok it's the "must" factor for me that makes me question why? Why "must" I? It makes zero difference to me and my character my daughter is gay she has a lot of gay friends who all know they can count on me if they need to I don't need a rainbow to support them

From the link: "Footballers, rugby players, jockeys and more have united for LGBT+ inclusion in sport for Stonewall’s annual Rainbow Laces campaign."

Why doesn’t your 12 year old have an opinion?! That’s unusual in my experience (my Dd is 13 and it’s been a topic of conversation for a few of years). I mean, with regards to the rainbow, any opinion other than it’s important to be inclusive and kind isn’t okay so surely you’d be teaching your dc that?

Get a grip before you have an aneurysm.