You can’t have validation without recognition.
On the official website of a marquee NFL team, genderless swag is positioned next to men’s t-shirts and women’s v-necks. There is also symbolism attached to these gestures: They show people they belong. Genderless muscle tanks are definitely hot.
After all, pro sports teams sell merchandise to make money. Of course, one gender-neutral NFL apparel line isn’t going to change the landscape. They will promote a gender-inclusive toolkit for all youth coaches, parents and administrates in Washington State. Slowly, we’re seeing other leagues and teams catch up.Įvery Seattle pro sports team, including the Seahawks, is supporting gender-inclusive youth sports. You might be sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son, a daughter any person who loves another person who happens to be gay unconditionally might wear a gay pride pin. For years, the WNBA has embraced alternative sexual and gender identities as an integral part of its Pride initiatives. Do you have to be gay to wear a gay pride pin No, of course not. This year, an increasing number of clubs are expanding their LGBTQ Pride offerings. The challenge is showing sports are welcoming to other members of the community, too. Male pro sports are dominated by cisgender men. Pride organizations across the country are undergoing long overdue reckonings about their inclusivity, and sports teams should face similar scrutiny. #PRIDE /FOgmex88Lg- SFGiants June 1, 2021 “We just get fed this narrative that sports need to be segregated by gender, which isn’t really true,” said Sports Illustrated’s Julie Kliegman, who identifies as non-binary. Growing up, we were always separated into two teams during gym: “boys” and “girls.”
And if sports haven’t been inviting to the LGBTQ community as a whole, they largely haven’t even acknowledged gender-neutral and non-binary people. “Supporting the LGBTQ+ community in sports is a priority for the 49ers organization because sport has not always been inviting,” 49ers executive and general counsel Hannah Gordon told the Los Angeles Blade.īingo. It is believed to be the only such group in the NFL. The 49ers debuted their new line of rainbow-colored tanks, tees and tops just in time for Pride Month, working in concert with 49ers PRIDE, the team’s official LGBTQ fan club. But the San Francisco 49ers are the first NFL team to unveil gender-neutral gear. These days, it’s not unusual for pro sports teams to sell LGBTQ Pride apparel.