In ten seasons of play, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have made it a priority to ensure their home of Al Lang Stadium is an inclusive environment for anyone who wants to come and watch a game in downtown St. Petersburg. “Together Rowdies” has become an ethos of the club in recent years, and it only rings true if everyone in the fanbase, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity, feels equally welcomed and valued.
For the better part of a decade, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has worked in concert with St. Pete Pride on production and distribution of its event guide, and despite a pandemic that forced an all-out cancellation of Pride last year, CL and St. Pete Pride teamed up again in 2021 for a standalone guide on stands through the month of June. This piece from the Tampa Bay Rowdies is pulled from that guide.
In addition to hosting annual Pride Nights at Al Lang over the years, the Rowdies have been proud to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community in other ways.
This year, the Rowdies are honored to work with the USL Championship in the recently announced Forever Proud Project. The year-long initiative aims to increase inclusivity, education, and awareness for the LGTBQ+ community across the USL’s entire network of youth and professional clubs. The You Can Play Project, Football v Homophobia, HomeField Alliance, and PUMA x Trevor Project have all partnered with the USL to ensure the Forever Proud Project can create meaningful change in the American soccer landscape.
In 2019, the Rowdies joined the Tampa Bay Rays and other organizations in signing a landmark amicus brief tied to three U.S. Supreme Court cases determining whether LGBTQ+ people are protected from discrimination. The Rowdies signed the brief in conjunction with the Human Rights Campaign and Athlete Ally, with whom they have another connection. Longtime midfielder Zach Steinberger serves as a Pro Ambassador for Athlete Ally, which focuses on motivating and activating professional athletes across all sports to champion equal access and opportunity in athletics for all players, regardless of gender expression, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
“Soccer has opened virtually every door that I have walked through my entire life,” said Steinberger. “It has brought me countless opportunities and endless joy. To deny or simply to make difficult the mere option to experience the life-changing nature of sports is a problem that I am very passionate about correcting. That is why I have fought and continue to fight for the rights of the LGBTQ community.”
Steinberger also stood with the transgender community in criticizing the recent Florida House Bill 1475, which proposed banning transgender girls from participating in female sports in high school and college.
“No matter how you identify, sports are something that should be a safe and free environment,” said Steinberger, “and to try and take that away from somebody is appalling to me. That is so unAmerican.”
Support for the LGBTQ+ community extends past the efforts of the Rowdies’ front office and players to their fans. Homophobia on the field of play became a point of discussion in the 2020 USL Championship season after an opposing player targeted openly gay San Diego Loyal player Collin Martin with a homophobic slur. In response, Rowdies supporters took it upon themselves to use the spotlight of the Rowdies’ run through the postseason to raise funds for Metro Inclusive Health, a local organization providing valuable health and wellness resources to the LGBTQ+ community.
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This article appears in May 27 – Jun 2, 2021.