49ers PRIDE was launched in 2019 as the first-ever fan club started by an NFL franchise to directly engage and support LGBTQ+ fans and allies. Ever since, the club has spearheaded year-long inclusion efforts in the 49ers Faithful community and gone all out with June Pride month celebrations. This year was no different.
The 2021 49ers PRIDE campaign was highlighted by releasing a new genderless retail line in partnership with Fanatics – the first of its kind in the NFL. Two shirts make up the collection, both personally designed by 49ers Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel Hannah Gordon. The 49ers also committed to donating all club proceeds from the clothing line to local LGBTQ+ beneficiaries: San Francisco LGBT Center, Oakland LGBTQ Center, and The LGBTQ Youth Space: San Jose. As of late June, the 49ers lead the NFL in Pride merchandise sales and have sold 76% more units than the next ranked team.
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In addition to the ground-breaking retail line, 49ers PRIDE created a new video content series, “49ers PRIDE: Meet the Faithful.” These short-form videos feature members of the 49ers PRIDE fan club who identify as LGBTQ+ and asks what being “Faithful to The Bay” means to them.
The third and final aspect of the 2021 49ers PRIDE campaign is the annual Activism in Sports Panel. For the past several years, 49ers PRIDE has hosted similar live conversations discussing the normalization of LGBTQ+ athletes and their personal experiences as out and allied persons in sports. This year the panel included Sam Rapoport of the NFL, Kimmi Chex of NFL Media, Fallon Fox formerly of the MMA, and Kurtis Gabriel of the San Jose Sharks.
To date, the 2021 49ers PRIDE digital and social media initiatives have garnered over 4 million views and impressions.
Leaders Week London // 27-29 September 2022
THE REUNION: MAKE CONNECTIONS, SHAPE TOMORROW
Check out all the confirmed details for Leaders Week London as we prepare for the return of live events this September at Twickenham Stadium.
