New York Red Bulls to host Pride event; say inclusivity is paramount for the team

The New York Red Bulls are showing their support for the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month.
But the team says that celebrating Pride is not just confined to the month of June.
“It’s something that we do throughout the year. We are a club that promotes and strives for diversity, equity and inclusion,” says Red Bulls senior director of content & communication Jayne Bussman-Wise.
Bussman-Wise is also an ambassador for Pride Live, an organization dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community via social advocacy and community engagement.
“As an out gay woman who has worked in sports my whole career, I think the 16 years I’ve been working in sports, Pride nights were not something we had when I started my career, and I think it’s really important,” she says.
Bussman-Wise says that the Red Bulls have several things planned for the club’s annual Pride Night that will take place in July.
“We’re working with our partners at Pride Live to honor their founder Diana Rodriguez. She’ll be our homegrown hero for that night where we get to recognize her and some Stonewall Ambassadors. We’re also working with our friends at the Ramblers, which is the first openly gay organized soccer club,” Bussman-Wise says.
Along with giving $5,000 donations to the Ramblers and Pride Live, the Red Bulls will also be auctioning off Pride tops that players will wear during warmups.
“For us it’s important that we show our community, that we show our fans, that we show our kids that our players are role models,” Bussman-Wise says.
She says that she hopes that sports leagues continue on a path of promoting inclusivity and equal rights for all.
“For it to be so commonplace that you see rainbow letters on the back of a Jersey, that you see players coming out in sports. That you see athletes speaking out, like Meghan Rapinoe and other athletes. So for me, it's a continued conversation and there's lots of progress to go but it's really great to see Pride nights happen throughout all leagues and teams,” Bussman-Wise says.
Pride night at Red Bull Arena is July 17. Tickets can be purchased at the New York Red Bulls website.