Football v Homophobia

‘Footballer’ - that’s what is written in Lars Fellows’ Instagram bio, along with Pride flags and a kiss emoji for the TV show that’s changed his life. Lars is our guest on a special episode of the FvH Podcast. The first-ever trans contestant on the BBC’s ‘I Kissed a Boy’ shares his football story in the media for the first time, and it’s an enthralling tale. As an Under-18, he played at a high level with a professional club set-up and could have pursued a career overseas. But there was a decision to make, one that took him out of football for a long time. Eventually, he'd rediscover his passion for playing with an LGBTQ-inclusive club, one that has become very close to his heart. Speaking to Jon Holmes from FvH / Sports Media LGBT+, Lars also looks back on a summer that's made him a famous name in queer households and has brought him some amazing opportunities, such as at Pride in London. He talks about his passion for the club he’s supported since childhood, and why he’s excited to be a part of Football Pride, the big FvH summer get-together event happening at The Y Theatre in Leicester on Friday 29 August 2025 (10am to 5pm). You could be there too! Read more info and grab a ticket here - https://www.footballvhomophobia.com/join-us-at-football-pride-2025-in-leicester-on-29-august/ Follow Lars on socials - https://linktr.ee/larsfellows Discover the previous episode with IKAB's Jordan Burrow - https://www.footballvhomophobia.com/jordan-b-from-i-kissed-a-boy-on-fvh-podcast/ Thank you for listening to the FvH Podcast - please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials. We're at @footballvhomophobia.com on Bluesky; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram; and you can like us on Facebook too. Our website is https://www.footballvhomophobia.com/  Me & You by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden   Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com   Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US 

The sun may have set on the masseria for another year, but don’t worry... we’ve got one of the lads from hit TV show ‘I Kissed A Boy’ season 2 right here, on the FvH Podcast! Not only was Jordan Burrow one of our faves from this latest series, but he also showed his football credentials by donning a tangerine kit to honour footballer Jake Daniels, who’s still the only out gay player in the men’s game in England since sharing his story three years ago. Jordan joins Jon Holmes from FvH and Sports Media LGBT+ for a chat about all things LGBTQ+ in the game, how he came out to his Man Utd-loving dad and brother, his thoughts on what smaller clubs can do to make gay fans feel more welcome, and his future plans… Links.. Jordan Burrow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jordanburrow  Football v Homophobia Shop - https://www.footballvhomophobia.com/shop/  Sports Media LGBT+ - https://sportsmedialgbt.com/  Thank you for listening to the FvH Podcast - please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials. Connect with us on social media - Instagram, Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and LinkedIn. Me & You by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden   Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com   Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US 

It’s party time! The Football v Homophobia campaign is in the mood for dancing because Awards Night is here once again - and this year, we’re all going to Glasgow! This is the sixth staging of the only event of its kind, recognising outstanding achievement in the field of LGBTQ+-inclusive football - from the professional clubs setting the standard, to the fan groups that are bringing folks back to the game, to the FvH Heroes going above and beyond… their moment of acclaim is here, and we just can’t wait to celebrate. To preview the Awards in this special episode, we’re joined by two guests who know the Scottish game inside out, and not least the city’s LGBTQ+ football scene - it’s Amanda Aitken and Megan Thomas from The Sideline podcast. Since it started in May 2024, Amanda and Megan’s pod has quickly become a must-listen, mixing big interviews with the likes of Tessel Middag and Elaine C. Smith, alongside truly nourishing natters with grassroots champions like Glasgow Pride Community Football, Cathkin Blazes, Glasgow Saints, to name but a few. If you’re hitting play before Awards Night on Friday 7 March, consider this your essential preview (and if you haven’t yet bought a ticket, hurry! Link below)... if you’re late to this episode, fear not, as there’s still loads to enjoy, as The Sideline duo spill the beans on podcasting, their own club Camp Hellcats FC, their dream guests, and much more. Links.. The Sideline Podcast - https://podfollow.com/1749278705  The Sideline on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_thesidelinepodcast/  Buy FvH Awards Night tickets! - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/football-v-homophobia-awards-night-2025-tickets-1216203149359  FvH Awards 2025 shortlists - https://www.footballvhomophobia.com/football-v-homophobia-awards-2025-shortlists-announced/  Sports Media LGBT+ - https://sportsmedialgbt.com/  Thank you for listening to the FvH Podcast - please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials. We're at @FvHtweets on Twitter / X; @football_v_homophobia on Instagram; and you can find us on Bluesky, Facebook and Threads too. Our website is https://www.footballvhomophobia.com/  Me & You by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden   Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com   Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US 

In the history of the Rainbow Laces campaign, LGBTQ supporters groups have been pivotal - think of Proud Hornets’ huge rainbow mosaic at Watford, fans getting to chat with first-team players, and clubs and community trusts sharing the stories of members. However, in the 2024 activation, three groups in the Premier League - Crystal Palace’s Proud and Palace, Manchester United’s Rainbow Devils and Ipswich’s Rainbow Tractors - found themselves pitched into controversies due to decisions made by players that blew up into big stories. Be it an armband or an anthem jacket, whether abstaining or altering, the impact of these situations are felt deeply by LGBTQ fans who suddenly find themselves having to handle media enquiries and negotiate with club officials under similar scrutiny. On a special Podcast episode, Proud and Palace co-chair Emma Franklin-Wright and group member Randy Boose share their reflections from a turbulent week and a half; Emma’s equivalent at Rainbow Devils, Eric Najib - who’s also first-team manager at Stonewall FC - talks us through what happened at Manchester United; and we’re also joined by Rishi Madlani, the co-chair of Pride in Football and a committee member of Leicester City’s Foxes Pride. As well as looking back, the panel also looks ahead to what a future Rainbow Laces activation might look like in light of this year’s challenges, and how the annual FvH Month of Action in February 2025 can help shift the focus onto where it needs to be. Links Football v Homophobia - https://www.footballvhomophobia.com/ Sports Media LGBT+ - https://sportsmedialgbt.com/ Read Randy’s blog - https://substack.com/@randy831/p-152601330  Proud and Palace on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/proudandpalace Rainbow Devils - https://rainbowdevils.com/ Thank you for listening to the FvH Podcast - if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, review and share on socials. We're at @football_v_homophobia on Instagram and Threads; @footballvhomophobia.com on Bluesky; @FvHtweets on X; and you can like us on Facebook too. Contact us via DM or email jon@footballvhomophobia.com  Me & You by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden  Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com   Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US