Bills Announce Sponsorship for Gay Flag Football Section

The NFL and its teams have long promoted flag football as a way to inspire young people to develop a love for the sport. And the league and most of its teams are strong supporters of gay rights issues and events, including Pride Month.

Well, the Buffalo Bills combine both.

Gay flag football.

Bills owner Terry Pegula (L) visits head coach Sean McDermott during training camp at St. John Fisher University.

Bills pass gay flag football

The Bills announced Tuesday their sponsorship of a new Buffalo chapter in the National Gay Flag Football League.

The NGFFL is a nonprofit organization founded in 2002 that says its goals include showcasing amateur flag football “as a means to educate, change attitudes, promote self-discovery, and build esteem of oneself within the LGBTQ+ community and in communities in which LGBTQ+. people work, live and play. »

All member organizations “must adhere to and support the vision and non-discrimination policy of the NGFFL. All member organizations must serve, first and foremost, the LGBTQ+ community.”

NGFFL competitions include the Pride Bowl, Sin City Classic, Pride Cup and Gay Bowl.

View of the press box at Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, before a game in 2023. (Credit: Armando Salguero, OutKick)

(Kick)

Buffalo Bills support ‘game changer’

“We are excited to bring inclusive flag football to Buffalo with the support of the Buffalo Bills,” NGFFL Commissioner Joel Horton said in an article posted on the Bills website. “This exciting addition joins 27 other cities and more than 4,000 players, including straight allies, in the National Gay Flag Football League.”

The story goes on to call the collaboration between the Bills and the NGFFL a “game changer for bringing LGBTQ+ organized football to Buffalo.”

“We are excited to join the NFL and other league clubs in supporting the NGFFL,” said Michelle Roberts, Bills vice president of community impact. “Through our sponsorship, we look forward to expanding NGFFL’s impact in our community.”

The Bills are not the first NFL team to partner with the NGFFL. The release announcing the partnership lists the Giants, Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals, Bears, Commanders and Seahawks as partners.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen is hit while going out of bounds by Jets Hamsah Nasirildeen. The Bills beat the Jets 27-10 to win the AFC East.

NFL teams open to LGBTQ+ practices

Adding more teams is obviously a goal. And getting support from the Bills is celebrated.

“Our NFL fans have opened their facilities to LGBTQ+ football practices and warmly welcomed players, fostering a more inclusive environment in their cities,” the NGFFL said.

“Following in the footsteps of our other partner cities, Buffalo, through its community spirit, is taking an important step toward promoting inclusive, competitive seven-on-seven flag football. Together with the Buffalo Bills, we are making this vision a reality. “