This Pride Month, it’s time for queer football fans to tell the world we’re here

It’s Pride month, and I’m surrounded by rainbows.

I have mixed feelings about Pride. While its roots as a protest are still vital in an era when LGBTQ+ people – and especially trans people – are under attack, the tidal wave of corporate tokenistic platitudes is grating.

In football, too often it feels like it’s treated more as an opportunity for clubs to slap a rainbow-coloured badge on their social media channels than a genuine reflection on what needs to change.

Part of the reason for that, I think, is the lack of role models driving change from within. Queer history is a story of people standing up and dragging society in the right direction. But as we’ve discussed in this newsletter before, being queer and into football feels rare, and lonely.

And so it’s hard to mobilise, to role model, and to show the world that we’re here. To show queer people that football is for them too.

It’s hard, but it’s not impossible.

This Pride is an opportunity for us all to be loud and queer and football fans. It’s a chance to show the community it can give you.

To educate others about where you can find other queer people in football.

To demonstrate that it can add to your identity, not take away from it.

To speak up about the change that needs to happen, but also to welcome our queer friends in.

Pride is a protest for change. Change doesn’t happen without people. So let us be role models this Pride month. Let’s tell the world: “we’re here”.

As the season has drawn to a close, you may have noticed this newsletter has been delivered less frequently. Over the summer, while our minds are focussed elsewhere (and we dive into the Women’s World Cup), it’ll become more intermittent. We won’t go away, but you’ll see us less regularly. We’ll pick up the pace again as the season kicks off again in August.

And we’re looking for contributions for then: if you’re queer and have something to say about LGBTQ+ identity and football, please get in touch.

Without contributions, we cannot continue this newsletter. You can message us on Twitter at @outandoutfball, Instagram at @outandoutfootball, or email pitch@outandout.football.