Premier League Footballer Avoids Ban For ‘I Love Jesus’ Messages on LGBT Armband

Footballer Marc Guéhi will not be charged by the sport’s governing bodies after he wrote messages about Jesus on his Captain armband, which were rainbow as a part of an LGBT inclusivity campaign.

The armbands were a part of a campaign called Rainbow Laces — an initiative from UK LGBTQIA+ organisation Stonewall to promote inclusivity and LGBTQIA+ representation in football. All Premier League clubs were given an armband for team captains to wear during the campaign, which has been running from 29 November to 5 December.

Guéhi is the captain of Crystal Palace Football Club. During the Premier League matches against Newcastle and Ipswich Town, he wrote messages reading ‘Jesus Loves You’ and ‘I ❤️ Jesus’ on the rainbow armbands. 

Guéhi could have faced fines or suspension from Football Association

The Football Association (FA) could have charged Guéhi under its religious material guidelines. FA’s regulations allows initiatives that promote ‘respect and integrity’ in football (like the approved Rainbow Laces campaign) but not “political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images.”

Instead, the player and his club, Crystal Palace, have have been reminded about their obligation to adhere to the FA regulations, and will not receive any suspensions or fines.

Why the religious messages could be viewed as ‘aggravating’

According to ESPN, the messages that Guéhi wrote on the armbands could have been viewed as an “aggravating factor”. 

This means that, since the armband was specifically part of an LGBTQIA+ campaign, it potentially could have been considered ‘aggravating’ or intentionally antagonising the queer community to write messages about a religion that many view as having anti-LGBTQIA+ beliefs.

While, of course, not all Christians agree with or believe that anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments are a key part of being a practising Christian, unfortunately many do. For example, some Christians believe that homosexuality is a sin, mostly based on the passages from Leviticus, such as Leviticus 18:22, ‘You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination’.

Others strongly believe that Christian ‘conversion therapy’ practices – which often includes forms of psychological and physical torture and other traumatic practices, and is now illegal in most states in Australia — will remove the ‘sin’ of same-sex attraction and turn people straight.

Other players have refused to participate in Rainbow Laces campaign

Other players have refused to participate in the Rainbow Laces campaign, based on religious grounds. 

Sam Morsy, who is the Ipswich Town captain refused to wear the rainbow armband. Ipswich Town confirmed that Morsy, who is a practicing Muslim, had refused on religious grounds. 

He was the only Premier League captain to refuse to participate in the Rainbow Laces campaign.