NYCFC Celebrates Pride Month

The pregame festivities before NYCFC took on Philadelphia on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Photo by Jason Schott. 

In celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month, Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) and New York City Football Club 's charity City in the Community will partner to provide local teens a safe, inclusive space to openly discuss LGBTQ-specific topics through a pioneer series of HMI-led inclusivity workshops.

HMI is the nation’s oldest and largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth organization.

With the longest history in the nation in creating and sustaining practices that build competencies on integrating an LGBTQ inclusive frame into pedagogical approaches, HMI will provide the young men and women in these workshops with resources, specific guidance and practice strategies to integrate into their daily practice.

The teens are all part of CITC’s Saturday Night Lights program, a violence prevention and youth-development program, funded by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, offering soccer during times when crime levels are at the highest.

The workshops are a part of a series of Pride initiatives, under MLS’ ‘Don’t Cross the Line’ campaign to promote diversity equality and inclusion throughout the soccer community.

Saturday, June 17 will mark the Club’s first-ever Pride Day at Yankee Stadium. This will be the only time this year that NYCFC will take on the reigning MLS Cup champions, the Seattle Sounders.

Every ticket sold via this Pride link will see a $5 donation to support the HMI and CITC initiative.

An auction will be held following the match to support the HMI-led workshops, including NYCFC first team gear and jerseys, as well as the rainbow colored corner flags which will be on display at the Stadium on June 17.

Also on June 17, there will be a pregame event at Boxers, the first gay sports bar to become part of NYCFC’s pub partnership program. Boxers will host a pre-game meet for the New York Ramblers, the very first organized openly gay soccer club, who NYCFC have supported for four the last four years, as well as the general public. This event follows the Club’s away match viewing party at Boxers back in May.

Additionally, the NYCFC street team will be out at the 21st Brooklyn Pride Festival on June 10.

President of NYCFC, Jon Patricof, said, “NYCFC is committed to using soccer to promote equality, inclusivity and respect. We work hard every day to make sure that New York City FC is a welcoming place for all, ensuring that our soccer Club reflects our diverse city.”