Celebrate Pride Month 2022 with Athlete Ally!
Pride has officially begun, and it’s not only a time for celebration, but also for renewed energy in our collective fight to ensure that LGBTQI+ people are safe, welcome and included in every part of our lives, especially and including in sports. We are grateful for every Athlete Ally Ambassador, coach, fan, partner organization, Board and Associate Board member, corporate sponsor and donor who makes our work possible. Here are a few different ways you can support Athlete Ally throughout Pride month:
Last week, we launched Playing for Pride, our annual campaign bringing together athletes, teams, and leagues to support Athlete Ally’s mission of making sports inclusive for the LGBTQI+ community. Players are already posting and encouraging their fans and followers to match their donations. Follow along on our Playing for Pride Twitter and Instagram feeds, and donate here to join! You can also purchase a Playing for Pride shirt (pictured below), with proceeds supporting the campaign.
Premier Lacrosse League is releasing a Pride line of “Lacrosse is for Everyone” merchandise with a portion of proceeds supporting our work, and will be spotlighting content on LGBTQI+ inclusion throughout the month. We are also thrilled to have PLL athlete Scott Ratliff join us as a new Athlete Ally Ambassador!
Just Women’s Sports, the leading multimedia platform dedicated exclusively to women’s sports, is launching its second annual Pride Collection, with 50% of proceeds to be donated to Athlete Ally.
Athleta’s “Wear it with Pride” apparel campaign was styled and created in collaboration with the company’s LGBTQIA employees. We are also grateful for the $50,000 gift from the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Power of She Fund, made possible with support from Athleta.
We’re proud to be working in partnership with DC Comics to celebrate Pride! With the publication of DC Pride 2022, a new 100+ page anthology comic, DC is turning a spotlight (the Bat-Signal, too!) on the LGBTQIA+ Super Heroes in the DC universe! DC’s 2022 Pride celebration will be available at your local comics shop, bookstore, library, and beyond this June with more stories, more characters, and more pride than ever. DC Pride 2022 hits shelves today, June 7th. Learn more here, and look for us inside the comic!
Open Invite is an Uncommon Golf capsule collection designed to be a call to action for inclusivity. It’s built on a belief that tomorrow can be better than today. It’s a story told through golf, but it’s bigger than golf. 10% of proceeds from the Open Invite collection will be donated to Athlete Ally and the OUT Foundation, and you can listen to the three part Open Invite podcast series from UnCommon Golf and Group Golf Therapy on Athlete Ally Ambassador Maya Reddy and LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports at Group Golf Therapy’s Spotify page!
Kelsey Trainor has developed a special Invest in Women. Pay Women. Hire Women.™ Pride T-Shirt with a portion of proceeds supporting our work!
Athlete-owned apparel brand Legends has selected Athlete Ally as their 2022 partner organization to receive a donation from the sales of their Pride Collection. In addition to the financial donation, Legends hopes to bring further awareness to the mission and positive impact being made by Athlete Ally in advocating and securing a level playing field for all who wish to participate in sports.
On June 4, NWSL team Gotham FC held their Pride night to celebrate the LGBTQI+ community, and Athlete Ally was selected as their community partner. During the game, Athlete Ally content was spotlighted through in-stadium activations. Proceeds from this Pride merch shirt and custom NFTs featuring players in Pride jerseys will be directed to Athlete Ally. Athlete Ally will also be joining Gotham FC to march in the NYC Pride Parade on June 25th.
Athlete Ally is proud to be working in partnership with adidas year-round to champion LGBTQI+ equality and inclusion in sport, including through the adidas x Athlete Ally Athletic Equality Index Research Fellowship. This year’s Pride campaign was inspired by the Stonewall Activists Uprising in 1969, with the street style capsule decorated with the simple “Love Unites” message. Adidas is also supporting Playing for Pride through their fundraising team.
During the month of June, charitable contributions awarded by the NFL Foundation will support Athlete Ally in recognition of Pride Month.
We partnered with MLS team NYCFC for their annual Pride game on May 22. Together with the Hetrick-Martin Institute, we worked with NYCFC to mark this celebration of self-affirmation, dignity, equality and increased visibility for New York’s LGBTQI+ community. As part of the partnership, NYCFC donated a portion of ticket sales to Athlete Ally, provided 6 autographed Pride pre-match tops as well as Captain Sean Johnson’s Pride armband for auction following the match, featured Athlete Ally video content during the game, and incorporated Athlete Ally staff into the pre-match ceremonies. Athlete Ally content continues to be featured on NYCFC’s Pride hub throughout the month of June.
On May 13, Major League Soccer (MLS) announced Soccer For All Week, an annual league-wide commitment to drive positive social change, foster more inclusive and equitable communities, and support an end to discrimination. Throughout June, the league will drive support to Playing for Pride through their league fundraising page, which many MLS players will be supporting directly as well. MLS clubs will also kick-off local activations including participation in Pride marches, educational trainings and in-stadium LGBTQ+ Pride nights during Soccer For All Week, throughout June and the rest of the year.
In celebration of Pride, USL League One team North Carolina FC will be creating player panel discussions around inclusivity, streamed live on Instagram and hosted by Athlete Ally.
Cotton On shares the belief that equality is a team sport and want to amplify organizations making a difference. Introducing ACTIIVST X Athlete Ally: A collection that calls for collective action and unity. 100% of proceeds will go to Athlete Ally to advocate for LGBTQI+ people in sport. The ACTIIVST X Athlete Ally collection will be available exclusively at cottonon.com.
Athlete Ally Ambassador and champion climber Alex Johnson introduced us to non-alcoholic craft beer company Athletic Brewing. For Pride month, they are bringing back Rainbow Wall, a collaborative Strata-hopped hazy blood-orange IPA that will raise funds for Athlete Ally’s work.
Accounting and consulting firm Wiss is Playing for Pride in support of LGBTQI+ inclusivity in sport.
The NWSLPA and Parkside Collectibles have released their first annual Pride-themed set of trading cards and will be donating a portion of proceeds to Athlete Ally.
Focused on raising awareness around the LGBTQ+ movement and encouraging diversity, equality, and inclusion in and around the pool, arena has partnered with non-profit organization Athlete Ally for 2022 with a portion proceeds from the sale of all items for Pride Month going to benefit AA’s initiatives in education and advocacy for LGBTQ+ athletes. arena’s Pride-inspired “Let it Beat” capsule collection was inspired by the statement “For whoever your heart beats, Let it Beat” and is designed to celebrate the individuality, creativity, diversity, inclusivity and authenticity of the LGBTQ+ community.
Global sporting goods retailer Intersport is honoring Pride month by becoming an Athlete Ally sponsor.
Athlete Ally is grateful for our year-round partnership with Zwift. Throughout Pride month, Zwift will be holding a series of “Pride On” events, including group rides and runs.
Athlete Ally Ambassador and Olympic mountain biker Lea Davison wore a custom Athlete Ally kit at the Unbound Gravel race on June 4. Her clothing sponsor Garneau will be selling the kits, with proceeds benefiting Athlete Ally. Leading up to the race, Lea and Athlete Ally’s Director of Communications Joanna Hoffman spoke to Cycling Weekly about the significance of Lea being an out, proud athlete championing LGBTQI+ inclusion on a global scale.
CONTRIB is a fundraising platform that empowers influencers and athletes to engage with their fans and raise money for charities. Athlete Ally is a proud partner of CONTRIB in the fight for inclusivity in sport.
Bylt Basics will be releasing a limited-edition Pride Tee, with proceeds benefiting Athlete Ally.
Added Time Outfitters has launched a Pride wristband with proceeds supporting Playing for Pride.
To celebrate Pride, evolvetogether is contributing an extra 5% of each natural deodorant sale to ending homophobia and transphobia in sport with Athlete Ally.
And finally, if you’d prefer to make a direct donation, you can do so here. Stay tuned to this page for more partnership updates throughout the month, and happy Pride!