Indy XIs Brickyard Battalion show their support for the LGBT community at a match with Minnesota on October 11, 2014
Indy Eleven/Trevor Ruszkowski
Earlier this year, Indiana Governor Mike Pence made national and international headlines when he passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The law allowed business owners to refuse to serve gay customers and generally discriminate if they can claim their discrimination is grounded in religion.
While Pence may have garnered praise from social conservatives in his state and beyond, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce was among those normally conservative business interests who saw dollars leaving the state as boycott threats grew. This forced Pence to back down slightly and ask the Republican-controlled state legislature to add a bill that clarified its intent to mollify business interests.
One business which has nailed its colours firmly to the mast on the side of tolerance and equality is Indy XI, the NASL soccer club. Indy Eleven’s name is significant. The club took the name from the 11th Indiana Regiment, a Union regiment during the US Civil War which fought against the secession of the southern states who wanted to perpetuate slavery.
As soon as the bill was passed, signs were going up that they welcomed everybody. However the step announced this morning is courageous and goes beyond mild defiance.
Today the club announced a new Community Partnership with Indy Pride, Inc., centered around the squad’s May 30th home contest against the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the Circle City IN Pride Fest & Parade celebrations to be held in the weeks following.
As part of the new partnership, Indy Eleven is selling special individual, family and group ticket packages to its May 30th game. The club has been working with Indy Pride for some time and one group Circle City IN Pride, which will have an information booth in the Fun Zone during that night’s game to promote the various initiatives surrounding the Pride Fest activities taking place from June 5-13.
Portions of the proceeds from Special Group Tickets sales to the Match will benefit the local LGBT Organizing Not-for-Profit Group.
Indy Eleven president and general manager Peter Wilt said in a club release:
“The Indy Eleven organization is proud to show our support for and give back to the LGBT community through this partnership with Indy Pride, Inc.
Our supporters have gone out of their way to show that Carroll Stadium has been and will continue to be an inclusive environment for soccer fans of all stripes, and we look forward to reinforcing that message during a wonderful night on May 30th.”
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In addition, Indy Eleven will join up with another new Community Partner, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB), to have a presence on KIB’s float in the Cadillac Barbie Pride Parade.
Indy Eleven will also have an information booth at the Circle City IN Pride Fest at the American Legion Mall in downtown Indianapolis that day.
A club spokesman said the timing of their support for the local LGBT organization was not in response to Governor Pence’s bill, but understands why some might refute that conclusion given the national attention and controversy it stirred up in recent months.
That this positive support for inclusion has come from the heartland of homophobic legislation makes a statement of its own that Indianans will not stand back and be stereotyped as bigots and are prepared to risk the ire of those bigots by sending out a very supportive message.
Correspondingly, at a time where supporters of gay rights may be tempted to make sweeping statements against the State and its inhabitants, it is important to remember that not everyone in Indiana is on board with RFRA.
For Indy Eleven however, being quietly tolerant was not enough and they have made a very public statement of support for equality – and put their money where their mouths are.
Prost would love to see MLS clubs and even US Soccer follow.
The recent MLS “Don’t Cross the Line” campaign was very PR conscious and they did dish out fines for players using homophobic insults on the field.
However Indy Eleven have set a new bar for using the power of soccer to defy bigots and bigotry, and their courage is to be commended.
If they can make such a bold move in Indiana, there is no excuse for clubs in the heartlands of tolerance such as Cascadia, New York and Los Angeles not to show their support.
Related articles:
Equality is Here to Stay. Gay Rights Flag at Philly Opener
FA launches homophobia toolkit
Sigi: MLS should ask why some players are often retaliated against, cites gay slurs on Will Johnson
Robbie Rogers , Please come back and play – Huffington Post
A Club is Born – Indy XI – soccerly.com
