First Sports | EPL's LGBTQ+ campaign sparks controversy: Is religion taking priority over inclusivity?

The thin line between religious beliefs and personal preferences like supporting LGBTQ+ rights are reasons enough to create friction and controversy, as was witnessed during the English Premier League rainbow laces program. The captains of two Premier League teams are in the spotlight for their choices as the competition celebrates LGBTQ+ inclusion in its campaign to promote equality and diversity.

Rainbow-coloured captain armbands were issued to the 20 clubs for matches last weekend and the current midweek round.

Ipswich’s Sam Morsy has been the only captain in action who didn’t wear the rainbow armband, in games against Nottingham Forest on Saturday and Crystal Palace on Tuesday. Ipswich said after the Forest game that Morsy made the decision “due to his religious beliefs.”

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Morsy, a British-born Egypt midfielder, is a practicing Muslim.

Ipswich said it “respect(s) the decision” of Morsy but is “committed to being a fully inclusive club.”

“We will continue to grow an environment where all are valued and respected, both on and off the pitch,” Ipswich said.

Palace captain Marc Guehi wore a rainbow armband bearing the words “I love Jesus” on it during the match against Newcastle on Saturday. A heart was used instead of the word “love.”

The England defender, who is a devout Christian, and Palace were contacted by the Football Association reminding them that the appearance on, or incorporation in, any item of clothing, football boots or other equipment of any religious message is prohibited under Rule A4 of the governing body’s regulations, Britain’s PA news agency reported Tuesday.

For the game against Ipswich, Guehi’s message on the rainbow armband read, “Jesus loves you” — again using a heart sign. It raised the prospect of the player being sanctioned by the FA for defying its rules but the football body has decided against it.

Addressing the issue after the match, Palace manager Oliver Glasner said: “We respect every player and especially Marc. He is our captain. Everyone knows he is a great guy, very humble, and I don’t think we should make it bigger than it is. In football we are all against discrimination and it’s a great campaign.

“We spoke about it. He’s no child, he’s an adult, he has his opinion and we respect it.”

If you are wondering why only Guehi faced the threat of sanction and not Morsy then it is because the English FA does not make it mandatory for captains to wear a rainbow armband. It’s a personal preference of a player. But in both cases, religious sentiments have taken precedence over an awareness campaign that is all about a larger issue, inclusivity and equality.

The two instances also raise some serious questions. Should the English FA stick to its ground and take stern action against both Guehi and Morsy because just recently, we saw Serbia’s Judoka Nemanja Majdov was suspended for five months for showing a sign of the cross while walking into the ring at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Should the English FA do the same and tell its players to separate religious faith from everything else?

The other question that the FA needs to answer is, why is Morsy’s reluctance to wear an arm band any different from Guehi scribbling a religious message? If the rules are not to show any religious message, shouldn’t the two actions be treated equally?

The biggest question here, however, is religious beliefs may forbid its practitioners from certain things, but given it was a combined awareness mark for LGBTQ+ inclusion, a move that symbolized inclusivity and equality, something we all believe in, was it really so difficult to endorse it?

With agency inputs