Pride Month: Open letter from Marching Out Together

Pride Month: Open letter from Marching Out Together

A message from our LGBTQ+ supporters to mark Pride Month.

Leeds United’s official LGBTQ+ supporter group ‘Marching Out Together’ have a special message for our fans worldwide as the club helps to mark Pride Month throughout June.

The message written to supporters and allies discusses what Pride means to members of Marching Out Together. It reads:

June marks Pride Month and Pride is much more than just a fun parade with face-paints and rainbows everywhere; it is much deeper than that for the LGBT community, and the clue is in the name.

For decades, LGBT people have felt the need to hide their true nature and feelings. They can be discriminated against and victimised in society, work – and sport. Yet LGBT people are all humans that continue to achieve wonderful things, whether it is Alan Turing cracking the ‘Enigma Code’ or becoming an Olympic champion like Tom Daley and Nicola Adams.

Pride Month and Pride parades acknowledge and celebrate the wonderful role of LGBT people in our society, with the opportunity for us to say, “I am not going to hide, I am proud to be me, just as I am.” Whilst the event also offers the chance for our allies to say, “We are proud to stand beside you.”

Unfortunately prejudice still exists within football with no ‘out’ player in any professional men’s league in the UK. LGBT people often feel they can’t take part in the game they love so deeply – as a player or spectator – because of the jibes and chants, and the feeling that they may not be welcome and cannot be themselves. 

So, we are delighted that Leeds United stand beside us and are happy to celebrate Pride along with our friends at the Leeds United Supporters Trust. We will continue to work hard throughout our own organisation and with the club to support awareness events such as ‘Rainbow Laces’ and LGBT History month, to hopefully make a difference.

We are unable to have a full Pride day in Leeds again this year, but we will be back and will march on together with you soon.

All Leeds aren’t we.


If you would like more information on Marching Out Together and how you can support the LGBT community and become an ally, please visit their website here or you can follow them on Twitter @MarchingoutLUFC.

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