New LGBTQ+ Friendly US Soccer Teams Supporters Group Rises from Still-Warm Ashes of Bigoted Group’s Demise

DM if you want to be added to the chat to help turn this idea into a reality! https://t.co/jd3lax2ypw

— Rainbow Bandits ⚽️ ️‍️‍⚧️ (@RainbowBandits) May 28, 2024

You know how it goes. People love sports. Some of those people are gay. They don't want to cover up who they are just to enter a sporting event and collectively rejoice in their team's victory, or bemoan their loss, as part of the fan base. So they show their pride in all its colors. This rankles some of the straights, so they have to take to the internet and whine and moan and start their own group to share in their own collective sense of imagined isolation. Cue the inevitable backlash!

Such is the case with the new, and quickly defunct, States United, a group proposing to be a non-political organization for US soccer fans of all stripes...as long as you leave your Pride flags at home. According to the reporting of this over at Outsports, the group's now non-existent X/Twitter and other social media launch posts included a video that only mentioned the US Men's National Soccer Team, ignoring the incredible feats of the past years of the USWNT. It was also noted that the speaker in the video was wearing a regional LAFC jersey. Polarising, to be sure, when they are trying to promote the idea of a unified supporters group!

The "launch" earned the proper amount of ire and mockery by many soccer fans who truly know what "united" means, and it generally looked something like this:

We get it.
"No Politics" = "I'm scared of anything I don't like"

Must suck going through life like that.

Also, this your HQ? pic.twitter.com/NuWvpuV0Gl

— Bonanza Cat (Marco's Version) (@bonanza_cat) May 24, 2024

And this being the internet rage machine, one commenter had this succinct opinion about that jersey:

LAFC sucks

— Josh (@joshontw1tter) May 24, 2024

Some even took it to the next level of shaming, such as this user's hilarious take on the imagined "bloopers" of the group's launch video:

Petition to make @wosocasual the official Rainbow Bandits tiktoker https://t.co/oM64UmgA2r

— Rainbow Bandits ⚽️ ️‍️‍⚧️ (@RainbowBandits) May 24, 2024

So from this short-lived debacle, we now have the Rainbow Bandits, started by Olive and York apparel company founder Michael Schafer. Huzzah! The group describes itself as such: “We are the loud, proud supporters of the U.S. women’s and men’s teams, championing LGBTQ+ rights and the ability to cheer on your team however you want! Join us for a safe, welcoming environment for all — except intolerant dicks.”

As Schafer explained to OutSports, “The appetite for something truly inclusive here in the U.S. is enormous so I hope we can play a small part in making that a reality." He stated that he'd had previous interactions with some of the people from the States United, and “In some of their replies, they talked about how they wouldn’t allow Pride flags while if someone wanted to bring a Trump flag, they would prefer they didn’t bring it, but that it wouldn’t be banned.  So you could quickly see where their values were aligned and that’s the total opposite of our values at Olive & York.”

Gee, color me shocked!

He goes on to say that while there have been LGBTQ+-related soccer supporter groups in other countries, we lack such a group on a national level here in the US. “...and there’s clearly a want for it. If we can turn this into something real, with real supporters behind it, I will be so happy.” There is, it should be noted, the American Outlaws, a national organization dedicated both to soccer team supporters across the country with over 30K members and 200+ local chapters and LGBTQ_ inclusivity.

The U.S. National Teams have never been afraid to take a stand for equality and inclusion! We are here to support the same initiatives and ensure that the AO is a supporters group celebrating diversity and inclusion. https://t.co/jtagFvNTjb

— AO (@AmericanOutlaws) May 24, 2024

But not all of those chapters are as friendly and welcoming as their umbrella organization is, which is where Schafer feels the States United group rose from. But this is of little matter since apparently...well...

Oh no! pic.twitter.com/ZFFXwYtiJg

— Rainbow Bandits ⚽️ ️‍️‍⚧️ (@RainbowBandits) May 24, 2024

Want to get involved with Rainbow Bandits? They are asking people with interest and talent to DM them on X/Twitter to help make their dreams of a national group a reality! In addition, American Outlaws is currently holding their 2024 American Outlaws Prideraiser to raise funds in support of their DEI initiatives and Play Proud!

Join our Prideraiser and pledge for every goal our National teams score in June!

This supports AO's efforts not just for the Play Proud program, but our global efforts to ensure homophobia has no place in soccer! pic.twitter.com/IFlEvlFWMU

— AO (@AmericanOutlaws) May 24, 2024

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