More Than A Game: How Women's Football Is Creating Community For LGBTQ+ Fans

Elle

2 days ago

With the UEFA Women's Euros Final fast approaching, many of us, whether avid football fans or not, will be heading to nearby venues, pubs, and local viewing parties to cheer on the Lionesses in their final match against Spain this weekend. Indeed, support for women's football has reached unprecedented levels. Last year, the FA reported a 239% increase in Barclays Women's Super League attendance since 2021, while the Women's FA Cup Final sold out Wembley Stadium for two consecutive seasons. Among the growing fanbase is a strong community of LGBTQ+ women and non-binary supporters. Many of these fans credit the women's game with fostering a sense of belonging and community.
According to the BBC, data from the Greater London Authority revealed that over half of London's LGBTQ+ venues closed between 2006 and 2022. Further research from University College London showed a 58% decline in LGBTQ+ nightlife venues between 2006 and 2017. In light of these closures, the intersection of football and queerness, along with the spaces they create, has become more significant than ever. 'We Are Ready To Win': Lucy Bronze On The Euros
'The rising overhead costs of running a venue in London have meant that many permanent spaces have closed,' says Terri Hartshorn, co-founder of G.IRL events, an organisation created to address the lack of spaces for LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people in London. 'We tackle that by popping up and taking over venues on a regular basis, so that our community has somewhere to go.'
While G.IRL initially focused on nightlife events, Hartshorn notes the growing demand for community-oriented and interest-driven events, such as sports and music. This weekend it will host viewing parties for the highly-anticipated Euros Final in both London and Manchester.
'When we hosted our first G.IRL SPORTS screening for the FA Cup Final, people flocked to it,' says Hartshorn. 'There is a big difference between watching football in your local pub (assuming they even show women's games) and watching it in a space designed specifically for you.'
NurPhoto
The question is though: why is the connection between women's football and LGBTQ+ women so strong today, and why does its appeal continue to grow? From fostering safe, inclusive spaces to providing visible, on-pitch representation and building opportunities for connection, the reasons cited by fans are vast and varied.
'The women's football community is so used to overcoming barriers that it is even more powerful to see players being their authentic selves in a space that celebrates them for exactly who they are,' says Jess, 29, an LGBTQ+ football supporter. 'Seeing yourself and your community reflected both on and off the pitch is so empowering. Women's football has always been a more inclusive space in terms of sexuality, and that is why so many in the LGBTQ+ community come together to support it. The amount of female and LGBTQ+ spaces that have shut down over the years is so sad, but there's been such a turn with the rise of women's sports that the community sees it as an opportunity to cater to these spaces with bars and events.'
For Ash, 27, and Alia, 28, a queer couple who regularly attend UEFA Women's Champions League matches at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, football has provided not only an electric and joyful atmosphere for games but also an opportunity to connect with other LGBTQ+ fans and build new friendships. For Alia, who recently underwent cancer treatment, this new avenue for connection has been invaluable.
'Going from being isolated in cancer treatment to a stadium full of so many queer people, I've found having the space to express myself, cheer and enjoy the game liberating,' she says. 'We've slowly formed a group of avid women's football fans at our local pub. It's funny because, at each game, we would end up talking to the people next to us, and before we knew it, we were arranging watch parties, celebrating goals, and continuing the friendships outside of football. We were also eagerly messaging back and forth in the days leading up to the game, expressing our excitement.'
Catherine Ivill - AMA
Beyond this year's Women's Euros, many local teams have long drawn support from LGBTQ+ fans. Selena Chambers, co-chair of Arsenal's GayGooners, the UK's first and largest LGBTQ+ football supporters club, founded in 2013, says membership has grown to over 2,000 fans.
'I think it can sometimes be incredibly difficult, as an LGBTQ+ person, to find your place in the world,' she reflects. 'For me, and for thousands like me, football is my place. GayGooners provides a space where we feel heard and valued, allowing us to escape the challenges we face elsewhere.'
Chambers highlights the impact the group has had on the women's football community, noting that its demographics have shifted significantly since 2022. 'We're no longer a male-dominated group. Approximately half of our members now are women (both cis and trans) and non-binary people.'
The sense of empowerment and representation women's football has provided for LGBTQ+ women in London and beyond has transcended the pitch, stands and Euros watch parties, with many openly LGBTQ+ players increasingly taking on roles outside of football. For Clare, a 28-year-old football fan living in London, Nike's most recent 'Admire England. Fear the Lionesses. Scary Good' campaign with the Lionesses, which features billboards outside its flagship store staring openly LGBTQ+ player Leah Williamson is just one example of this.
SOPA Images
'These players aren't just excelling in their sport. They are being celebrated as leaders, sports personalities, and spokespeople,' she says. 'It's incredible to step off the tube at Oxford Circus and see proudly queer players towering over one of the busiest areas in London.'
'I used to watch a fair bit of the men's game with my dad, but always felt quite intimidated by, and unsafe around the culture,' she explains. 'I enjoyed playing football but always felt like it wasn't my space to enter.'
She adds that this sense of empowerment that made her enjoyment of the game feel validated. 'I didn't feel berated for lack of knowledge, I was even encouraged to play for the first time in years. The community, the acceptance, the events; as much as I wish I'd had that growing up, I feel so lucky to have found it now.'
Harriet Lander - The FA
However, while the LGBTQ+ fanbase within women's football continues to expand, Chambers says that there is still work to be done in the field, particularly regarding the FA's recent change of policy, which states only those assigned female at birth are permitted to play in FA-sanctioned women's football matches. 'I think the women's game will be seen as the blueprint for inclusivity in football, provided they reverse the ban on trans women. We can't claim to be safe and inclusive while excluding some of the most vulnerable members of our community.'
How this sense of safety and community can be transferred to men's football, where the fanbase is very different, is also a point of concern for her. 'We need that sense of belonging and safety on both sides of the game because we are one community, and we all deserve to enjoy the game we love without fear of harm.'
Like many of this tournament's recent matches, this weekend's game against Spain promises to be a nail-biter. While we anticipate the goals, fouls, and everything in between, one thing London is promising its LGBTQ+ football fans this weekend is a widespread array of welcoming spaces to enjoy, watch, and celebrate the joy of the women's game.
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Katie Withington
Beauty Writer
Katie Withington (she/her) is the Beauty Writer, at ELLE UK and Harper's Bazaar. Working alongside the ELLE UK Beauty Team, she covers all things beauty for both print and digital, from finding backstage make-up trends at London Fashion Week and investigating buzzy skincare ingredients, to unzipping the beauty bags of Hailey Bieber and Margot Robbie. Prior to joining ELLE UK in 2022, Katie studied (BA) Fashion Journalism at London College of Fashion and has previously contributed to Red, Good Housekeeping and Prima.