GAA reject Mayo’s application to wear rainbow numbers in support of LGBTQ+ community as they see playing gear as ‘sacrosanct’

30 comments

  3. Seems to be the numbers specifically, they’ve had no problem people playing with rainbow laces etc…

    Don’t even think they’d deny a sponsorship with rainbow flag and UL have a Jersey with the rainbow flag on the sleeve.

    Edit: says in the article they wouldn’t take issue with armbands either

  6. Yeah, fair it’s up to them. They allow the rainbow flag on laces, arms bands I think. Sponsorships allow for the continued growth for the organisation so are a necessary evil. No need for anyone to be upset, lets all have a good day.

  7. This is quite strange. I spent quite a bit of time in Mayo and I experienced a lot of anti-gay sentiment from a lot of the people there. More so than anywhere else I’ve ever been in Ireland.

  8. Is common sense not an option anymore? If the Ref needs to take someones number it is going to be much easier to identify a solid single colour number as opposed to a rainbow number.

    https://westernpeople.ie/2022/11/29/mayo-plan-to-display-lgbtq-support-is-denied/

    >But after a meeting of the GAA’s Management Committee in Croke Park, it was felt that the association’s ‘Where We All Belong’ manifesto was “sufficiently demonstrative” and that “**the numbering of players was too integral to the game and shouldn’t be interfered with**”.

  9. GAA HQ are going the way of FIFA. The whole intercounty setup is gone incredibly corporate and sterile over the last decade.

    League of Ireland football seems to be hoovering up fans that are looking for more aithenticity.

  11. It’s possible that Mayo GAA wanted the entire numbers to be filled with the rainbow gradient. To some extent I can understand the rejection from the GAA on this part as the numbers could be hard to make out, like this: [https://www.thesun.ie/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/oshea-rainbow.jpg](https://www.thesun.ie/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/06/oshea-rainbow.jpg)

    However they could have suggested something in the middle, much like Galway United did with O’Neills on their jerseys – a [rainbow gradient outline/trim outside the numbers](https://scontent-man2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/312339850_552068053588354_4480595172525595230_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=MfU_7qzzTxUAX_9lPBw&_nc_ht=scontent-man2-1.xx&oh=00_AfCjYuIyc9IZyKN3k2IegslNGF6yN2wNLQIrXs2dm9RCrw&oe=638BA136)

  12. I saw a story about a gay lad getting beaten up for being gay….if only the Mayo GAA gear had rainbow colours, it could all have been prevented!

  13. GENUINE QUESTION:

    Do members of the LGBTQ+ plus community need/want the rainbow symbol displayed to so that they’re welcome in a club? I’m thinking back to a piece I read a few uears ago, where someone suggested there should be a pride flag alongside the club + county flags at every club in the country.

    Would it not be just seen as “virtue signalling”?. It happen every year at Pride when companies change their online logos to incorporate a rainbow; “oh they don’t REALLY care, they’re only doing it for publicity, yada yada yada”

    The official guide outlines that GAA clubs are inclusive, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, marital/relationship status, religion, age or minority community and/or disability.

    We have the all encompassing motto: “where we ALL belong”.

    This year alone, a player survey suggested 99% of players would be supportive of a team mate coming out as LGBTQ+

    Asking as someone that is involved in GAA at club level.

  17. Absolute manure from the GAA. How often do they spend large swathes of cash on ad campaigns about inclusivity, but then won’t make a simple gesture like this? Very poor form. They’d be more than willing to do it if it came in the form of sponsorship.

  22. Unpopular opinion but I think they’re dead right to not allow it. As stated in the article the GAA is apolitical. Sport is sport and should be kept seperate from politics and political movements.

  23. But its fine to have some co op or yop yoghurt drink or a high street shop on the Jersey? The GAA can go fuck themselves.

  27. This stuff is getting tiresome, it’s just virtue signalling. Surely there are more innovative and effective ways to support communities than wearing a fkn armband or rainbow colour t-shirts

  28. Where was that support when it was needed it in the 90s?

    I remember people being mocked endlessly for possibly being gay but now that it’s easy to support they come out pretending they always cared.

    Must feel good to only raise your head above the parapet when the necks of the brave protect yours.

  30. Let players wear bands, shoe laces, hats etc if they want to, why mess with the jerseys?

    Can definitely see it opening a can of worms if they did start plastering the jerseys with different social stances and causes. Even the current LGBTQ+ acronym and flags are changing every couple months, and what happens when other movements feel excluded or segregated?

    I remember in college this happened also, where a handful of members of a sports club I was involved with wanted to change all the logos and socials to have the lgbtq+ stuff all over them. Then some other movement came up and that suddenly took precedence, followed by something else. Whole thing became a muddled mess and the college told them to stop, that the club was to focus on playing sport. Was a relief when that happened because it became less about the sport and more about portraying how virtuous we were.

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