NFL Partners with LGBTQ Group to Host ‘A Night of Pride’ Ahead of Super Bowl LVIII
The National Football League (NFL) has announced a collaboration with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to present A Night of Pride with GLAAD in Las Vegas leading up to Super Bowl LVIII on February 7.
According to a press release by the NFL, the event aims to celebrate LGBTQ inclusion and features music, cocktails, and interview-style conversations with GLAAD. The night includes a red carpet event covered by CBS Sports and NFL social channels, along with a panel discussion addressing how inclusion in sports contributes to acceptance for the LGBTQ community.
“GLAAD’s partnership with the NFL is committed to creating spaces where all fans can celebrate and to growing important visibility for LGBTQ fans at the Super Bowl and all season long,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “The third annual A Night of Pride at Super Bowl LVIII will spotlight LGBTQ leaders in sports as we work to create safe and inclusive sports environments for our community.”
GLAAD is a non-profit organization dedicated to LGBTQ issues. Notably, it garnered attention last year for criticizing the Los Angeles Dodgers for initially uninviting the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a drag group that mocks Catholicism, from its Pride Night. But following public pressure from LGBTQ activists and groups like GLAAD, the Dodgers re-invited the group, presenting them with a Community Hero Award.
“Our Third Annual A Night of Pride with GLAAD is yet another strong step to accelerating acceptance and demonstrating the NFL’s unwavering support of the LGBTQ community,” said NFL’s Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Jonathan Beane. “We look forward to continuing and strengthening our efforts to ensure football is for everyone.”
The NFL will also conduct its second annual Pride Flag Clinic at Super Bowl Experience earlier in the day, collaborating with a local center supporting LGBTQ youth.
