Brighton & Hove Albion full-back Liam Rosenior has praised the liberal, open-minded society that surrounds the club and hopes that it can play a part in combating homophobia.
The 32-year-old admits that Brighton's thriving LGBT community and inclusive spirit is one of the reasons he decided to join the Championship outfit in 2015.
On Saturday, many Premier League and English Football League players and officials showed support for LGBT inclusion in football by wearing rainbow-coloured laces as part of Stonewall's campaign.
Rosenior, who is currently out injured, told Sky Sports News: "Living in Brighton, and I've lived here only 18 months, people are really inclusive. It's a very liberal place to be and I think this club encapsulates that spirit really well. I am married with four daughters and I wanted to live in a society where they are included and appreciated for who they are.
"In terms of my career, Brighton are by far the most progressive [club] in terms of the Albion in the Community scheme, what they do with disabled football, academy football, girls and women's football, and I think that's encapsulated in the area it comes from.
"That's the massive thing about this club; it represents a wide community - a wide range of different cultures and people - and I'm really proud to represent the club in that way as well."
English football has had no openly gay players playing at a professional level since Justin Fashanu came out in 1990.
Giuseppe Labellarte
