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Behind The Stripes

Atlanta United's 2023 Pride match

By Atlanta United FC

June 16^th, 2023

Among the supporter section at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, moving with supporters as they raise their hands and chant their cheers, waves a rainbow flag. It never wavers, never drops. It’s bold, proud and beautiful – and a welcome sight at Atlanta United matches.

The flag signifies LGBTQ+ rights on a night, part of a month, that recognizes and celebrates queerness, allyship, and community. June is National Pride Month, the annual time to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a key point for gay rights in the United States. Atlanta United honored Pride month on June 10 at the club’s home match against D.C. United.

The Atlanta United supporter group All Stripes is built for such a big, bold, colorful night. Prior to the match at the supporters’ tailgate, the group served a specialty cocktail focused on Atlanta United’s opponent for that match. This year also marked the second time All Stripes planned and hosted a drag show for the supporters’ tailgate.

“We are for the LGBTQ plus population to enjoy the beautiful game, create community and have fun,” said Ryan Keesee, internal experience for All Stripes.

All Stripes is one of six official supporter groups of the club. The group’s foundation is to support Atlanta United and eliminate discrimination by engaging members of the LGBTQ+ community to create an inclusive atmosphere in the soccer culture. All Stripes is dedicated to creating a fun matchday experience for a group often marginalized in the sports world. Members fill the Gulch, engage in community events and participate in the customary pre-match festivities such as the supporters’ march. They also host watch parties for away matches, including a Pride watch party at CODA Tech Square scheduled for the upcoming road match against Red Bulls on June 24.

“All six [official supporters] groups tailgate together, so we're able to mix and mingle in that way,” said Andrew Berardi, Vice President of All Stripes. “And anyone's welcome to join any group. You don't have to identify with any identity to join any group.”

Details and more information on the All Stripes PRIDE Watch Party on June 24 can be found here.

Atlanta United celebrated Pride with the first home match of the month. Players wore official MLS pre-match tops during warm-ups as part of the league’s activation to promote awareness and inclusivity. Malik Brown, the city of Atlanta's Director of LGBTQ Affairs, served as the Golden Spike hitter. Prior to the match, supporters lifted a Tifo that read: “We’ve always been here. We’ll always be United.” The last word showed the rainbow associated with Pride with each letter painted a different color.

Also on sale in the Team Store at the stadium was the Pride-inspired retail collection designed by Atlanta United. The club released a special pink tank top for the match and the club’s scarf of the month also honors Pride. Both items display the phrase, “Pride Unites Us,” the club’s mantra for Pride. The design is extremely joyful and colorful with people depicted from various races and backgrounds. A range of flags are also shown to signify the different identities of the LGBTQ+ community.

Learn more about the LGBTQ+ flags that are represented in our scarf of the month for Pride.

The President of All Stripes, Norbert Birman, had a hand in the process of producing the Pride retail collection. Presenting the design to All Stripes ensured that voices part of the LGBTQ+ community were being heard and considered. Birman was able to provide feedback with the idea that the design should truly reflect the community because of the diverse group of people it represents.

“It should look like what Atlanta looks like and we wanted to make sure that that was the case because our community is not just cis white gays, so we wanted to make sure that that was reflected in the art,” Berardi said.

"We wanted to convey that this team is for you. We’re here for you."

Atlanta United also collected feedback from another supporter group. Kira Pike, director of membership and communications of Resurgence, also provided input on the Pride retail. After receiving the design proofs, Pike made several suggestions on ways the club could increase visibility and representation for various groups. And together, the three – Keesee, Berardi, Pike – served as the models for the collection in all the club’s messaging and marketing images.

“We talked about how to get disabled people in there, for example, and how to get representation that is more than just blue hair and pronouns because that's what everybody knows,” she said. “Some of that is why we have the myriad number of flags reflected in Pride this year, where we have people with actual trans symbols on them. Talking to the team about and stressing the importance of people seeing symbols and people seeing themselves in merchandise.

“It makes it more than merchandise,” Pike added. “It's easy to criticize rainbow capitalism, but when you really sit down and you see something that reflects your experience as a supporter of the team, it draws you in a lot more. That was what I mainly tried to convey was by showing a diversity of identity and a diversity of ability, we’re able to reach out to people and say, this team is for you. We’re here for you.”

Resurgence, the group where Pike is a member, is welcoming of all people and new members as are all the official supporter groups of Atlanta United. Though their mission is not directly tied to the gay community in the same manner as All Stripes, Resurgence is a significant ally. The group wants to invite people in the same way and makes an effort to invite whoever wants to join and be a part of the group.

“For Resurgence, we have always prided ourselves on our tailgates being open and free to everyone,” Pike said. “You don't even have to be a member. Just show up and have a good time. We love welcoming new folks in. We love making sure that all people, no matter where you're at – queer, black, Hispanic, Latino. Everybody is welcome under the Resurgence banner.”

All Stripes and Resurgence have often partnered to raise awareness for the queer community and celebrate Pride. For the Pride-themed watch party on June 24, there will be an inter-supporter group drag contest. The supporter group that wins will choose where the funds raised during the event are donated. And the partnership between the two groups goes beyond matchdays. Every first Friday of the month, the groups host a joint First Friday event at Urban Tree Cidery.

Like All Stripes, Resurgence also participates in Pride and has their own Pride traditions. Pike, a queer activist for the group, helped run a section for flag-waving called “Queertopia” focused on inviting queer people into the supporter section and getting them engaged with match day traditions. The goal is to provide a vehicle for any LGBTQ+ person new to Atlanta United to feel more connected and not feel siloed as queer supporters.

As a member of the local trans community, Pike has been working on bringing more trans people into Atlanta United. She hosted a small section of local trans and non-binary people to help the community grow more interested and invested in soccer. She said that it’s important to show trans people that United games, and Atlanta in general, can be a safe space, which is an important message given the rise of discrimination the trans community has faced nationally in recent months.

“I've been coming [to Atlanta United matches] since 2017, and I actually started transitioning a few years ago after already being known in United spirits and stuff,” she said. “I feel safe. I feel loved. It’s definitely one of my safe spaces being in the supporter section. I don't ever feel like I'm at any risk in the stadium.”

"I feel safe. I feel loved. It’s definitely one of my safe spaces being in the supporter section."

For the LGBTQ+ community, June signals the first of two significant months of the year. While the official national Pride month is June, the city of Atlanta celebrates Atlanta Pride in October.

All Stripes and Resurgence will continue their local outreach even more during that time and take part in city-wide events like the Atlanta Pride parade scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14. Atlanta Pride might mean more work for these groups as they go out and host more local events, but they welcome the opportunity to double the celebration of the richness and diversity of Atlanta.

“We look at it as this month is Pride month for everybody, but then Atlanta Pride is more about what are we in Atlanta doing in Pride and how do we reach out to black, Hispanic, people of color, anybody who maybe will feel othered during regular Pride month and making sure that we really do the most to celebrate both,” Pike said. “To make sure that it's not just white queers from affluent parts of the city who can take the day off and go out and celebrate, but also making sure that we hold space for, make space for, and use our voices to champion other people and other parts of the community throughout not just this month, but also especially during Atlanta Pride.”

To learn more about All Stripes, find them online at AllStripesATL.com and @AllStripesATL on social media. If you’re looking for their tailgate on matchday, they’re the ones with the colorful flag that features rainbow and trans colors.

To learn more about Resurgence, find them online at ResurgenceATL.com and @ResurgenceATL on social media. To find Resurgence at the supporters tailgate on match days, look for the group with a triangular shaped bird in the crest.