This weekend, the greatest confluence of the professional sports world and American commercialism — the Super Bowl — will return, presenting myriad opportunities for pro athletes to continue to use their influence for product sales. But one star football player will use the chance to sell something greater than shoes, beer or Gatorade.
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendan Ayanbadejo reached out to leading LGBT advocates shortly after his team secured its spot in the Big Game to brainstorm on how to further marriage equality and anti-bullying initiatives through the publicity afforded him by his Bowl appearance.
In interviews, Ayanbadejo has said he is a longtime supporter of the LGBT community after being raised in an open-minded, diverse family. This past fall, he made a video to support the marriage-equality fight in Maryland and was even called out for his advocacy to the Ravens owner by an antigay Maryland legislator.
Regardless of whether you’re donning your purple and black or are bound by your Golden Gate loyalty, Ayanbadejo’s advocacy should be cheered by fans from both sides of the stadium. The sports world is often — whether deserving or not — thought of as the last bastion of homophobia. Perhaps it is the hyper-masculine attitudes that permeate the pro-sports industry, further reinforced on Super Bowl Sunday by commercial after commercial featuring scantily clad women, beer-slinging muscle men and all-around aggressive behavior. But Ayanbadejo and like-minded progressive athletes are showing that not all sports personalities fall under that cloak (or, even if they do enjoy scantily clad women, beer-slinging and aggressive behavior, they also have more forward-thinking, enlightened sides).
While it is yet to be seen how Ayanbadejo will use his Super Bowl trip to further LGBT causes — whether through a game-day advertisement, pre- or post-game interviews or the like — the fact that he’s willing and eager to do so, is in and of itself, an advancement for the community. His leadership illustrates to the non-enlightened sector of the football fan community that the LGBT world and the sports world do not, and should not, exist as mutually exclusive. And that advocates for LGBT equality do not all fit into the often-stereotyped boxes assigned to them.
Most importantly, visible allies such as Ayanbadejo pave the way for future generations of LGBT athletes and sports fans. Countless young sports enthusiasts may shy away from trying out for their schools’ teams, or from cheering on their favorite team from the stands, because of the perceived incompatibility with their budding orientation or identity and the sports world. But, with the backing of a major Super Bowl player, those youth may get one step closer to their goal.