Celebrate Pride 2024 with Athlete Ally!
Happy Pride Month! This Pride, we reflect both on all we have to celebrate, and the fight that still lies ahead to make sports safe, welcoming and inclusive for all LGBTQI+ athletes and fans. None of it — the celebration or the fight — would be possible without our global network of support, including Athlete Ambassadors, coaches, fans, partner organizations, board of trustees, corporate sponsors, and donors who make our work possible. When we come together to call for sports to be truly for all, nothing can stop us.
Join us throughout June in Playing for Pride, sporting some great Pride merch, and supporting exciting partnerships with the NWSL, adidas, UNINTERRUPTED and more.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store:
Playing for Pride
Last month, we kicked off our Playing for Pride campaign, our annual campaign bringing together athletes, teams, and leagues to support Athlete Ally’s mission of making sports inclusive for the LGBTQI+ community. This year, anyone can join the campaign, whether you are an athlete, coach, or an ally! Don’t forget to follow along on our Playing for Pride Twitter and Instagram feeds! You can also purchase Playing for Pride gear (pictured below), with proceeds supporting the campaign. All Playing for Pride supporters will get a special 10% discount code on merch.
Athlete Ally is grateful to adidas for their year-round partnership and support on essential projects and programs, including the Athletic Equality Index and the Athlete Activism Summit. This Pride, adidas is contributing to Athlete Ally through the power of the socially conscious consumer in two ways. First, instore consumers will be allowed to donate at time of their purchase to Athlete Ally May 30th – July 31st in Canada and May 30th in USA. Second, adidas will run their adiClub activation of Pride and position Athlete Ally for membership point donations. Consumers will be able to “donate” their points to adidas, all points donated will be matched by adidas up to 50k. Athlete Ally will also be featured in store and online throughout all of Pride month. adidas continues to demonstrate its commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport and we’re excited about the exposure these initiatives will bring to adidas consumers about our mission.
UNINTERRUPTED, the athlete apparel brand founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, and Athlete Ally are partnering on Q & Athlete, a safe space online where queer athletes of all ages, from youth sports to the pros, can ask questions without fear of judgment. The platform launched June 1st with Athlete Ally Ambassador and WNBA star Breanna Stewart, and will continue in October during LGBTQ+ History Month. Learn more here!
Athlete Ally is tremendously grateful to Gillette for their year-round support, specifically in growing our Campus Chapter program. Gillette Game Changer Grants have been equipping Athlete Ally Campus Chapter with resources to maximize their work for LGBTQI+ inclusion on campus and in their local communities.
New York City-based strength and conditioning athletic training facility Tonehouse is donating a portion of Pride classes and retail collection proceeds to Athlete Ally. Learn more.
For the second consecutive year, New York City FC will Play for Pride during the month of June, and the team will feature Athlete Ally during their 6/28 pride game. In partnership with artist photographer Myles Loftin, the team will create a Pride merch line and donate portions of the proceeds to Athlete Ally.
With Pride month on deck, the NWSLPA and Parkside Collectibles will be producing round 3 of their Pride themed set of NWSL trading cards. All proceeds from this trading card collection will go to Athlete Ally! Last year’s deck flew off the shelves – don’t miss your opportunity to get your own set this year! Check out the set here.
Athlete Ally Ambassador and Olympic Cyclist Lea Davison continues to be a champion for equality! Lea is teaming up with cycling company Louis Garneau to sell a custom Athlete Ally cycling kit, with proceeds supporting our work! Also, on May 30, Lea led Pride Ride at Unbound Gravel, one of the biggest gravel races in the country. During the ride, she spread the word about her support for Athlete Ally and why she’s proud to be an Ambassador. Buy the kit here!
For the 3rd consecutive year, the global Italian-based swimwear brand arena has partnered with Athlete Ally during pride month. 50% of all profits from the sale of the “Let it Beat” collection will be donated to Athlete Ally. Last year, arena raised over $30,000 for the organization – furthering Athlete Ally’s mission in LGBTQI+ advocacy and education in and through sport.
Hawthorne is a self-care product brand committed to building confidence that allows you to own your individuality. On June 13th, Hawthorne will partner with queer owned brand Lalo Spirits and host an intimate dinner for Pride Month benefiting Athlete Ally. Hawthorne will also donate in-kind products to the Athlete Activism Summit.
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is Playing for Pride as a league throughout the month of June. The league will donate $150 per goal and assist across every team over the entire month. Collectively, they decided to include assists in the campaign because no one reaches their goals without the assistance, or allyship, of others. This is the second consecutive year the NWSL is participating in Playing for Pride. The NWSL will also donate 10% of sales from the Pride merch line to Athlete Ally. Play for Pride with the NWSL here.
Racing Louisville and Louisville FC are partnering this month on Playing for Pride. LouCity player Sam Gleadle is leading efforts, suggesting fans can opt in through Athlete Ally to make a general donation or pledge around predetermined parameters such as wins or goals scored in June. Racing Louisville head coach Bev Yanez and assistant coach Carmelina Moscato will also speak at the 2024 Athlete Ally Activism Summit at the University of Louisville.
[solidcore] is a boutique fitness studio with over 115 locations nationwide. During June, all [solidcore] trainers will promote Athlete Ally and our mission during their classes. People who take classes will be prompted to donate to Athlete Ally through signage within the studio. Learn more here.
In honor of Pride month, the NBA family is excited to collaborate with Athlete Ally and Fanatics on this exclusive line of Pride T-shirts featuring NBA/WNBA team logos. The NBA will donate all proceeds from the sale of each NBA/WNBA Pride t-shirt directly to Athlete Ally. In support of this important initiative, Fanatics will donate $25,000 directly to Athlete Ally. Visit the NBA store here and the WNBA store here.
Tiffany & Co will host a charitable event at the USTA’s Billie Jean Tennis Center benefiting Athlete Ally for its employees. Employees will be encouraged to Play for ride at the event.
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab specializes in formulating intriguing, compelling body and household blends. For Pride 2024, they’ve created a series of KOTINOS perfume oils to raise funds for Athlete Ally; everything above the cost of production will be donated. Learn more.
Throughout the month of June, Premiere Lacrosse League is donating a percentage of proceeds from their Lacrosse is For Everyone Collection to Athlete Ally.
For the second year in a row, MLS will make a $10,000 Pride Month Donation to Athlete Ally.
We are proud to partner with TOGETHXR – a media and commerce company founded by Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, and Sue Bird – for storytelling and content around our Athlete Activism Summit. TOGETHXR is the world’s fastest women’s sports brand and was created to set a new standard in storytelling as an unapologetic platform where representation and equality is the norm.
To learn more about TOGETHXR and join their Inner Circle for the latest content, merch drops and exclusive events, click here.
Lastly, we want to acknowledge our largest sponsors adidas, Gillette, Gatorade, CBI Brands, USTA, MLS, NBA, WNBA, NWSL and Vestar Capital for their overall investment in our work during Pride Month and throughout the year.
And finally, if you’d prefer to make a direct donation, you can do so here.
Together, we can break down barriers and build a future where every athlete feels valued and supported. On behalf of the entire Athlete Ally team, I want to express our gratitude for your continued support and dedication to our mission. Let’s make this Pride Month an unforgettable celebration of love, acceptance, and equality.
Together,
The Athlete Ally Team