BY: DM
Published 4 hours ago
The NFL hasn’t always been the most welcoming space for queer folks. For years, rainbow flags stayed out of stadiums, and openly LGBTQIA+ players remained in the shadows. Over the past 15 years, the league has tried — sometimes awkwardly — to rewrite that playbook.
“The LGBTQIA+ community is an important audience for our sport and a critical part of the NFL family,” Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s chief diversity officer, told ESPN. “We continually strive to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.”
Since then, the league has taken visible steps to become a more inclusive sport. Pride campaigns and the rainbow shield now sit at the center of its messaging on diversity and acceptance. Here’s a look at the league’s efforts.
The NFL shield turned rainbow in 2021.
The NFL’s branding stayed the same for decades — red, white, and blue shields, helmets, and team logos. The league showed almost no public sign of LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Out players were rare, and its image stayed conservative. That started to shift in the late 2010s. The league’s first visible step didn’t involve a rainbow logo. In 2017, the NFL launched an employee affinity group called NFL Pride, a staff-level effort backed by Commissioner Roger Goodell and other leaders who showed up at launch events.
By June 2021, the rainbow made its debut. To kick off Pride Month, the NFL posted its familiar shield recolored in rainbow tones. “Happy Pride Month! The NFL is proud to unveil our new NFL Pride shield to show our support and solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community,” the league wrote on Instagram. “We stand with LGBTQIA+ people this month and yearlong with a commitment to our players, fans, and staff to live proudly and authentically.”
The rainbow shield didn’t stay on the main account. All 32 team logos appeared in rainbow colors across official channels. The NFL described it as a “Pride-themed logo” tied to diversity and inclusion initiatives for LGBTQ History Month. Teams added their own touches that year as well. The San Francisco 49ers released a genderless clothing line and donated proceeds to local LGBTQIA+ groups.
Some NFL teams have taken extra steps during Pride.
After 2021, the rainbow shield returned as a staple in Pride campaigns. The NFL promoted its “Football Is For Everyone” message and leaned on its PRIDE affinity group to coordinate both internal and external initiatives. Team adoption, however, has been uneven. Some franchises changed their avatars, recolored their logos, or posted public support messages. Others stayed silent or limited their involvement to selling Pride merchandise.
According to BVM Sports, four teams — Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills — officially changed their logos for Pride Month this year. Meanwhile, according to reports, several teams did not post Pride messages on June 1 in 2025 — some later joined, others did not. Nonetheless, the NFLShop (the league’s official gear site) carries Pride merchandise for every team, even those whose franchises didn’t publicly acknowledge Pride month.
Do you think the NFL’s rainbow shield is genuine support or just marketing? Comment below!
