In a surprising turn of events, a notable number of NFL teams opted not to participate in Pride Month celebrations this year, diverging from the trend seen in previous years. Eleven NFL teams decided against posting Pride Month messages or altering their logos to the rainbow-themed versions that have become customary. This marks a significant shift from the previous year, where participation was almost unanimous.
Fox News Digital highlighted this development, reporting that only 21 of the 32 NFL teams posted Pride Month messages, reaching a combined audience of 42 million followers. The content of these messages varied widely. Teams like the Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, and Philadelphia Eagles not only posted supportive messages but also changed their logos to incorporate the rainbow flag. For instance, the Washington Commanders’ June 1 post, which garnered nearly 6 million views, read, “Love wins ❤️ Come out for the @CapitalPrideDC Parade & Festival on June 8-9 to celebrate #Pride2024!” Similarly, the Buffalo Bills expressed their support in a tweet viewed nearly 400,000 times, stating, “This Pride month, and always, we’re proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️”
Some teams went even further. The Minnesota Vikings revamped their X account, changing their banner and profile picture to rainbow versions and posting about Pride Month. Conversely, the Philadelphia Eagles changed their profile picture but refrained from posting a tweet about the month.
However, a significant number of teams chose to abstain entirely from Pride Month messaging. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons all decided against posting Pride messages on their X accounts.
The Detroit Lions, while not posting a direct Pride Month message, did promote a special line of Pride-themed apparel with the post, “Our special-edition Detroit Lions Pride Month apparel collection is live! #OnePridewithPride.” This indicates a level of participation, albeit not as direct as others.
The decision to abstain from Pride Month messaging was not uniformly distributed across the NFL. In the AFC East and NFC North, all teams posted about the month. However, in the AFC North, only the Baltimore Ravens participated, while the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers remained silent. Other divisions saw a more balanced distribution of participation.
The conservative response on X was largely supportive of the teams that chose to remain silent. Many expressed the sentiment that equality should mean equal treatment without the need for overt social messaging dominating their feeds for an entire month. This perspective underscores a broader cultural divide in America over social issues.
Fox News Digital noted that this shift is a significant change from previous years and reflects a growing polarization in American society. The decision of these NFL teams to stay silent during Pride Month is emblematic of a larger conversation about the role of social and political messaging in sports and other public spheres.
As the nation continues to navigate these complex social dynamics, the actions of these NFL teams may signal a broader trend towards a more restrained approach to corporate and institutional endorsements of social causes. Whether this trend will continue remains to be seen, but it certainly marks a moment of introspection and potential change in how major organizations engage with social issues.
