Liverpool Football Club will “proudly lend its support” to the city’s Pride celebrations in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
LFC staff and supporters are taking part and “standing side by side in solidarity together” at LCR Pride Foundation’s March with Pride, which is due to take place on Saturday, July 30, starting at 12pm from St George’s Plateau. This is the first in-person Pride in Liverpool March since 2019, with the club having taken part in the charity’s flagship event in a virtual capacity for the past two years.
However, as a result of schedule clashes - with the men’s team having the Community Shield on the same day and the women’s team in training for their fixture the next day - no big names will be in attendance from both teams.
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Rishi Jain, equality, diversity and inclusion senior manager at Liverpool FC, told the ECHO : “Liverpool Football Club has been involved in the city’s Pride celebrations for ten years and we are proud to have been the first football club to join the Pride march back in 2012. It’s important that we continue to come together, demonstrate our support and help to raise awareness of the many issues that the LGBT+ community continues to face. Our support plays an important part of our Red Together work which details our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion as we strive to ensure LFC is a place where everyone can be themselves and feel welcome.”
The club is hosting a series of activities as part of their ongoing Red Together campaign, LFC’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. The LFC Foundation will be holding its biggest ever Pride football tournament at Anfield Sports and Community Centre this weekend. The tournament, which will include both a fun and competitive element, will consist of 20 five-a-side teams with some of the city’s LGBTQ+ football teams set to take part including LFC’s Kop Outs and Mersey Marauders.
The club’s iconic Liver Bird crest will be displayed in full Progress Pride colours across its digital platforms and a new and extended LFC Pride range is also available for “Reds to show their colours.” The range features nine different items available for fans to purchase including three new t-shirts, hoodies, and a pride flag. Proceeds raised from the collection will be donated to an LGBT+ inclusion charity that the Club is working with.
Andi Herring, CEO and co-founder of LCR Pride Foundation, added: “It is great to once again have LFC joining our annual March with Pride, continuing its many years of support. The club’s work through its Red Together initiative and in its approach to tackling homophobia, transphobia and biphobia both on and off the pitch makes the club a visible and influential ally, making it clear that hate towards the LGBT+ community has no place in football or in our city. We look forward to coming together to celebrate our community after a long, pandemic-induced wait.”
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