Gay Arsenal fan reveals he has been abused and called ‘f*ing queer*’ at matches

Matt Lucas has lashed out at players who chose not to wear rainbow-coloured armbands after several Premier League stars refused to show solidarity in the recent round of Premier League fixtures.

It comes after devout Christian Marc Guehi chose to write 'I love Jesus' on his rainbow bracelet this weekend, before wearing a second one that read: 'Jesus loves you' at Ipswich Town on Tuesday. He has since been reprimanded.

The match at Portman Road was also notable for Ipswich Town skipper Sam Morsy's decision to refuse to wear the rainbow armband altogether after doing so for the first time last weekend.

Captains wore rainbow armbands in the final two rounds of Premier League matches as part of the Rainbow Laces campaign, which provides support for the LGBTQ+ community in football and beyond.

The Athletic subsequently reported that Man United star Noussair Mazraoui, a devout Muslim, told colleagues he would not wear a rainbow jacket to show support for the LGBTQ+ community, citing his religious faith as reasoning.

United decided that no player would wear the tracksuit, so Mazraoui would not be publicly singled out – with the decision reportedly only made hours before kick-off on Sunday.

In the wake of the controversy, famous Arsenal fan Matt Lucas has criticized those who decided not to show their support with rainbow bracelets.

'I have been verbally abused twice so far this season on the way to football matches. On both occasions I was minding my own business, walking with my head down and towards the ground.

'I was called 'af***ing queer ****' by one man, and another told me that 'our club doesn't want disgusting gay fans'.

“If you're a player and it takes less offense than wearing a rainbow-colored armband for a few games, then maybe you're part of the problem.”

It was a weekend that saw numerous controversies, with Morsy refusing to wear the armband, Guehi writing about his and Mazraoui choosing not to wear a jacket, which spilled over into the midweek matches.

Despite the FA reprimanding Guehi for his decision to write on the armband, they chose not to take action against Morsy for not wearing it – which Guehi's father spoke out against.

Guehi's father – who is a pastor – has since accused the FA of double standards after Muslim player Morsy, who refused to wear the armband, was not punished – claiming they are caving to the LGBT community's demands over Christians.

He told MailOnline: 'I say: has he offended anyone? I don't think so. I really believe in what the Bible says: Jesus loves everyone, and in my opinion Marc did not offend anyone with what he wrote.

“Jesus loved everyone, so by saying 'I love Jesus' on his bracelet I really don't see what is offensive and what the problem is.

'If you look at what the LGBT community does, they try to impose what they believe on others. It's faith against faith, but ultimately everyone is entitled to an opinion.

“But if the purpose of that opinion is to offend you then there is a problem, but if my opinion is just to express what I feel then that's fine with me and I don't think what Marc on that bracelet wrote is offensive.

“He's talking about him, he loves Jesus and like I said, he refused to wear that bracelet. Like Morsy, people should pay more attention to the person who refused to wear it.”

The club and player were again reminded of the kit rules, which state that the appearance on, or incorporation into, clothing, football boots or other equipment of any religious message is prohibited under Rule A4.

In light of Morsy's refusal to wear the rainbow armband this weekend, Ipswich released a statement insisting the club 'proudly supports' the Premier League campaign.

They said: 'Ipswich Town Football Club is committed to being a fully inclusive club that welcomes everyone.

“We are proud to support the Premier League's Rainbow Laces campaign and stand with the LGBTQ+ community in promoting equality and acceptance,” the spokesperson said.

In a statement today, Manchester United said the club 'welcomes fans from all backgrounds, including members of the LGBTQ+ community', adding: 'We are strongly committed to the principles of diversity and inclusivity.

“We demonstrate these principles through a range of activities, including support for our Rainbow Devils supporters club and campaigns to celebrate our LGBTQ+ fans and fight all forms of discrimination.

'Players have the right to have their own individual views, especially when it comes to their beliefs, and these may sometimes differ from the club's position.'

United's LGBT fan group Rainbow Devils responded this morning, saying they were 'disappointed' with the summer signing.

In a post on

'This has included working with the Manchester United Foundation to spread the message of inclusivity to local schools, to a Q&A with two men's first team players, to supportive messages from many first team players men's and women's teams (including an individual from captain Bruno Fernandes).

'On this latest occasion, United's official Rainbow Laces game, the players were required to wear specially designed jackets prior to the match to celebrate the occasion. Shortly before the game, Rainbow Devils was told that these jackets would not be worn.

'The reason for this was that someone from the match selection had refused to wear the jacket based on their personal beliefs. To maintain team ethos and togetherness, none of the players would wear them.

'This was obviously a big disappointment for Rainbow Devils, but also for everyone who had worked hard at the club to make this event a reality.

'We know who the player in question is, but we feel it is not our role to single him out and risk spoiling all the other positive things that the majority of the club have done.

'We respect this player's right to have his own opinion, but are also disappointed that he put the rest of the squad in a position where they felt they could not carry their coats.

'We are also concerned about the negative effect this incident could have on players at the club who may be struggling with their sexuality.'

They signed the statement by confirming that they would 'continue to work with Man United' to 'ensure all LGBTQ+ people feel safe and welcome at Old Trafford'.

Meanwhile, The Athletic further claimed that Adidas – United's sponsor and who made the pre-match jacket – was disappointed by the situation. The club's deal with the sportswear company is worth £900 million over ten years.

Mazraoui, 27, was previously criticized for his political views after showing support for Moroccan teammate and Toulouse right winger Zakaria Aboukhlal, who had refused to take part in France's Ligue 1 rainbow campaign in May last year.

In response, fans of Bayern Munich – for whom Mazraoui played at the time – held up a banner that read: 'All colors are beautiful. In Toulouse, Munich and everywhere. Respect our values ​​Mazraoui!'

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