GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. – An Athlete Ally is any person, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, who takes a stand against homophobia and transphobia in sports and brings the message of respect, inclusion and equality to their athletic community. Athlete Allies include competitive and recreational athletes as well as coaches, parents, teachers, league officials, sports fans, other sports participants and advocates. After learning about this movement Nick Rogers, the president of Minnesota United FC, decided to approach his team about becoming Athlete Allies.
“We really didn’t want this to be pressure from the front office to do this, I understand that not everybody feels the same way about these issues and we want to make sure that our guys are comfortable playing for us first and foremost,” commented Rogers.
One long time barrier to inclusiveness in the sports community has been the fear amongst gay and straight athletes alike of how an openly gay athlete would be received in the locker room. This discussion came up when Nick was speaking with one of his players.
“The reality is if you’re a pro athlete you are going to shower with gay teammates,” explained Rogers, “You can think about whether forcing that person to keep that part of their identity hidden is going to help you in any way dealing with your anxiety.”
12 members of Minnesota United have stepped up and signed on as an ally and Nick knows that the rest of the team is supportive as well.
The club will have Athlete Ally signage at their games and will be promoting the Athlete Ally organization. The players and coaches who have signed the Athlete Ally pledge will also work to raise awareness through social media.
This statement en masse by so many members of the United’s organization is a first of its kind on this issue.
“I’m not aware of any other pro sports team doing what we’re doing,” said Rogers.
And, while Nick is excited to take this step he looks forward to the day when this type of behavior is the norm in the sporting community.
“We’re excited to be part of this growing chorus of voices saying gay and transgender people need to be treated the same as everybody else,” mentioned Rogers.
