The Patriots Sponsoring Gay Bowl 17 Officially Makes Them "Gay America's Team"
Outsports – The New England Patriots will be a sponsor of Gay Bowl 17, the event’s organizing committee announced Saturday night. Boston’s LGBT Flag Football group shared the news during its spring season awards banquet. …
The Gay Bowl was created in 2002 as an annual national championship tournament for LGBT flag football teams. About 40 teams are expected to compete in several divisions, including a women’s division, from across North America. The San Diego Bolts are the five-time defending champion.
Boston previously hosted the Gay Bowl in 2003. That year the Patriots send former player Andre Tippet to the event; Tippet officiated the tournament’s ceremonial coin toss.
The Patriots have been one of the most LGBT-inclusive NFL teams, signing an amicus brief several years ago in support of same-sex marriage.
This is just further proof of one of the most under-discussed aspects of the Bradichick Epoch: That at the same time the Patriots have been reviled across the country, they have been embraced by the LGBT community. The Cowboys might claim to be America’s Team, the Patriots ARE Gay America’s Team.
Whether it’s Bill Belichick, who treats the local press like a roach infestation, sitting down for an interview with Boston Spirit magazine about five years ago:
Or my Life Coach Johnny Weir saluting them on his Instagram in the run-up to Super Bowl LI:
The Pats are the team of choice for the football loving LBGTQIAPK people everywhere. The same writer who reported about this Gay Bowl sponsorship said as much when he described the eight reasons it’s easy to be a gay fan of the Patriots. Granted, he spelled Andre Tippett’s name wrong. And while messing up one of the only two career Patriots in the Hall of Fame is not a good sign, I’ll question his spellcheck and not his sincerity. Because it makes perfect sense. If any two groups have made huge strides in the 21st century in the face of resentment, controversy, hostility, hatred and questions about their morality, it’s gays and this team.
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So no big deal. When the Pats aren’t dominating on the field, they’re winning hearts and minds off it with their pioneering work in civil rights. The other owners talk a good game about social justice, Mr. Kraft puts his Gay Bowl sponsorship where his mouth is. I’m not saying these revered First Families of the Game are homophobes, but they’re probably homophobes. Afraid that if they become involved in the Gay Bowl they’ll get the gay themselves. But not our guy. He’s making proud sport of flag football great again for twinks, otters, bears, cubs, jocks and lesbians of every stripe, and both the gay and straight communities have come to expect nothing less.
P.S. I think I just stumbled onto the next Barstool t-shirt with this “Gay America’s Team” thing.