But we also remember that LGBTQ Pride began to commemorate a civil rights movement fighting back against the forces of oppression.
#Gay pride shirts spencers pro#
We at Outsports make it a point to acknowledge pro sports teams for celebrating Pride and making sure our community feels welcome in their fanbases. Photo by Joe Petro/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Ashlyn Harris honors the Pulse massacre victims at a 2017 Orlando Pride match. It was an argument for LGBTQ existence, which should have been especially powerful in a stadium with a section of 49 rainbow seats to honor the Pulse massacre victims. Seen in this light, the banner was not merely taking a political side.
While the banner was undeniably a political response to the bill, the incident and its aftermath demonstrate the importance of paying attention to context when enforcing this particular stadium policy.Ĭonsidering the bill in question would curtail discussions about the LGBTQ community among younger students, the “gay” banner functioned as the Black Swans’ assertion that if government tries to erase us in one setting, we will announce our presence everywhere. Joint Statement from the Orlando Pride and /MNAyF2ZPiE- Orlando Pride March 22, 2022 According to a tweet posted on the Black Swans account, Pride staff told the club that the banner was removed for “political reasons.”Īfter pushback from their players and a meeting with the fan group, the Pride and Black Swans issued a joint statement on Tuesday acknowledging that taking down the banner was a “mistake” and “the organization wrongly focused on signage policies and procedures, instead of allowing the important meaning of this message.” The banner was created as a response to Florida’s new controversial legislation pertaining to the discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools. So it was a bit of a surprise when the Pride ran afoul of their LGBTQ fan group, Black Swans Drinking Club, during last week’s Challenge Cup opening match when Exploria Stadium security confiscated a banner from their section with “gay” written in giant letters. Original Report: As a team that has employed luminaries like Megan Rapinoe, Ashlyn Harris, and Ali Krieger, the Orlando Pride are one of the most LGBTQ-friendly teams in all of sports.
As the above-mentioned tweet indicates, it appears players, team, and fans are all on the same page. #AdAstra /1rjXvdq2eU- Orlando Pride March 26, 2022īased on the players’ support for the Black Swans immediately after the incident, there was no doubt they’d be on board.