By Wade Davis
Executive Director, You Can Play Project
Over the past few years the NFL has made incredible strides to remove the invisible barrier that exists between the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community and the sport of football. From working with LGBT advocacy organizations like the You Can Play Project to GLAAD, the NFL has become a wonderful and more importantly, a visible ally to the LGBT community.
Last year the NFL began to work with the You Can Play Project (YCP), an organization that works with high schools, colleges, and professional sports teams offering comprehensive training and workshops to educate all on how to create a safe and welcoming environment for LGBT athletes. Together we are striving to ensure that everyone regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity continues to feel like a valued and respected member of the NFL family.
As a former NFL player and the executive director of the You Can Play Project, I’ve had the privilege of speaking at the 2014 Owner’s Meeting and currently we are working with multiple teams to provide trainings and workshops including sharing my own personal story as a former NFL player who also identifies as gay. All of our work with teams has been truly groundbreaking, as athletes, coaches, and front office staff have opened their hearts to talk about such a seemingly controversial issue with great honesty and truth.
On September 14th the NFL, YCP and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers created the NFL’s first LGBT Game Day complete with tailgating to engage over 100 LGBT community members; many who were experiencing their first live NFL game. Football is a sport that is inherently about family and teamwork, LGBT individuals just want to feel as if they are welcome within that family. This event and others are helping to bring both communities together.
As an effort to continue to bridge the gap between the NFL and the LGBT community, last year the NFL partnered with YCP to launch the “High Five Initiative”. Taken from the term created by gay former MLB star Glenn Burke and Dusty Baker, the “High Five Initiative” partners with local LGBT youth serving organizations and brings former and current players to meet young people within each organization. This initiative is an opportunity to share stories and debunk many of the myths that are so pervasive and keep both communities from seeing the beauty within each other on a personal level.
The initiative was piloted in 2013 and the goal moving forward is to have 7 to 10 teams participate in the initiative in 2015 while continuing to grow every year moving forward. YCP and NFL believe that the sharing of stories allows all parties involved to see beyond their perceived differences, while focusing on how much each community has in common. We all have an obligation to take care of each other regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity because community building and family is the hallmark of the NFL and the LGBT community.
Everyone at the You Can Play Project believes we all must have a seat at the table to discuss a subject that has been so taboo for many years and we must continue to do the work to make sure all individuals feel embraced and accepted within all sports. We are thankful that the NFL continues to be a valued partner to ensure respect for all.