Gay NFL fans have another reason to cheer for Travis Kelce.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end said he would be cool with a gay teammate… way back in 2017, five years before Carl Nassib made the hypothetical a reality.
“Anybody in this world [can play],” Kelce told Outsports. “I’m comfortable with who I am and I expect everyone to be comfortable with who they are. I respect people for their views and opinions.”
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While that may not be an inspiring or magnetic statement, it doesn’t need to be. Kelce is saying he would respect an out gay teammate, just like he respects everybody else in the locker room.
It’s as simple as that.
Kelce stoked the ire of homophobes last summer, when he starred in a commercial for Bud Light in the aftermath of the beer company’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney. Then, the two-time Super Bowl champ further angered the MAGA crowd when he starred in a vaccine commercial for Pfizer.
Now, he’s dating Taylor Swift, and going to his fourth Super Bowl in five years.
The two-time Super Bowl champion is partnering with the polarizing beer company.
For whatever reason, Kelce’s relationship with Swift enrages right-wing reactionaries, who insist she’s a CIA plant, or something. The animosity makes little sense: Kelce is the quintessential All-American football jock, and Swift is the most famous pop star in the world reportedly worth $1.1 billion.
Their romance actually reads like a conservative fairy tale: Taylor Swift, alienated by the Hollywood crowd, turns her affection towards the star football player from Ohio.
Yet, right-wingers are outraged. They’ve even taken to demeaning Kelce’s manhood.
While homophobes are railing against T-Swift, the NFL is embracing her presence ahead of Super Bowl LVIII. She’s expected to attend the game in Vegas, despite playing a show in Tokyo the night before (time zones are fun)!
“Having the ‘Taylor Swift Effect’ is also a positive,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters. “Obviously, it creates a buzz. It creates another group of young fans, particularly young women that are interested in seeing, ‘Why is she going to this game? Why is she interested in this game?’ Besides Travis, she is a football fan, and I think that’s great for us.”
That last part is obvious. Swift generated an equivalent brand value of $331.5 million for the NFL this season. Her mere presence at NFL stadiums led the league to its highest regular-season viewership among women since it began tracking in 2000.
Though challenges remain, the NFL is presenting a far more inclusive image than ever before. On Wednesday night, the league hosted its third annual Night of Pride ahead of the big game.
The event was thrown in conjunction with GLAAD, and featured guests across sports and entertainment. Nassib attended the event, along with Kevin Maxen, the first out male coach in NFL history.
The Jacksonville Jaguars associate strength coach publicly came out as gay last summer. Now, he’s sharing his story.
The first out coach in NFL history, Katie Sowers, worked for both Super Bowl teams. She was on the San Francisco 49ers’ staff when they took on the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV, and joined Kansas City as an offensive assistant in 2021.
The 49ers are one of the most LGBTQ+-friendly teams in the league, with their own LGBTQ+ fan club. One of their cheerleaders, Jonathan Romero, is gay.
San Francisco tight end George Kittle is an ally, too.
As dueling tight ends, Kelce and Kittle promise to make a big impact on the field Sunday. But their words of support for LGBTQ+ people away from the field are important as well.
It’s always good to know our favorite players on our side.
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