June is Pride Month. Around the world, we celebrate equality for the LGBTQI+ community with parades, festivals, awareness protests, and parties. Professional soccer players, including Locomotive Defender Matt Bahner, celebrate Pride with the annual Playing for Pride initiative.
Playing for Pride began in 2017, with former USL Championship midfielder Austin da Luz. In the five years since, the initiative has spread across the nation, including players from Major League Soccer, the United Soccer League, the National Women’s Soccer League, and the US Women’s National Team.
In the first week of June, Matt announced his part in the annual fundraiser, donating $10 per Locomotive game, $5 per clean sheet, with a win doubling the total for the game throughout the month of June. So far, the Ohio-native has featured in Locomotive’s Pride Night match against Hartford Athletic, a 1-1 draw, and against Phoenix Rising FC, a 1-0 win.
“I felt like it was important for me to join and be a part of and support,” Matt said. “It’s an issue that is really important to me. I have a few relatives that are part of the community, specifically my older brother. I’ve seen the struggles that he has had to endure throughout his entire life and is continuing to endure. For me, it was an opportunity to be an ally, to show support for him and everybody else who is part of the community and the struggles and just to lend the hand and help in any way I could.”
This year, 50 percent of Playing for Pride proceeds will be split between 11 organizations that directly support those within their local LGBTQI+ community – including the Trans Education Network of Texas (TENT). The remaining proceeds go to Athlete Ally, who will support efforts to bring LGBTQI+ education to coaches and athletes at all levels to support inclusivity.
For Matt, it was an easy decision to support Playing for Pride. More than just supporting his brother and relatives who are part of the community, Matt sees the June fundraiser as just being a good human being. Actions like donating to Playing for Pride or Yuma wearing the Captain’s Armband donned in the pride rainbow are subtle things that help build inclusivity and safe places. His goal is for one day to get to the point where the LGBTQI+ community is commonplace. He hopes for a day when it’s not controversial for people to be who they are. Until that day comes, Matt will always bring about awareness and showing support however he can.
“Just treat human beings with respect and allow them to be who they want to be,” commented Matt. “In this day of age, we have made some strides upwards into 2022, but also at the same time I think now it looks like we could be going backwards. There is a lot of hate in the world. I think, me as a player, using my platform as best I can to show support, give a safe space, be an ally for people in the community to feel safe and feel like they have a place in this world.”
Supporting Matt, his family, and others in the El Paso community is important to El Paso Locomotive. In honor of Pride Month, El Paso Locomotive FC is supporting local LGBTQI+ communities in big ways. Throughout the month of June, El Paso Locomotive players are wearing a pride themed warm up jersey that will be auctioned to fans during the home match on Saturday, June 25. The proceeds from the auction as well as proceeds from Locomotive pride merchandise sells goes directly to supporting El Paso’s LGBTQI+ communities. El Paso Locomotive will also be matching Matt’s donation to Playing for Pride to Athlete Ally.
“The support from the club has been great this month,” Matt said. “The Pride Jersey and any other pride merchandise, there will be proceeds that will be going to local organizations here in El Paso which is great to see. I appreciate the support from the club.”
Matt Bahner will continue Playing for Pride with El Paso Locomotive FC against Detroit City FC on Saturday, June 18. Kickoff from Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, Michigan is set for 10:00 a.m. MT and will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN. The Locos will return to Southwest University Park on Saturday, June 25 to host New York Red Bulls II with a post-match firework show. The match is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT with tickets available for purchase online here or by calling 915-235-GOAL.
Fans who want to know more about Playing for Pride, or would like to support the initiative, can do so by clicking here. Fans can also learn how to support local El Paso organizations through Borderland Rainbow Center and Sun City Pride.