Former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant criticized the NFL’s advertising promotion for Gay Pride Month, which began on Sunday, June 1st, coinciding with Black Music Month.
In 2023 and 2024, all 32 teams in the National Football League celebrated Pride Month by displaying rainbow-colored logos or using rainbow-themed social media messaging.
However, on Sunday, only four NFL teams made the effort to change their logos to mark the commencement of Pride Month.
Continuing our commitment to champion equality + support for the LGBTQ+ community! #PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/H85XmeoGLc
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 1, 2025
Twelve NFL teams chose not to participate in Pride Month celebrations this year, opting not to post any gay pride messages.
Former NFL star Dez Bryant, aged 36, expressed his disappointment with the NFL’s ad promotion, which featured the words “Football is gay,” “Football is lesbian,” “Football is beautiful,” “Football is queer,” “Football is exciting,” “Football is transgender,” “Football is bisexual,” “Football is power,” “Football is American,” “Football is accepting,” and “Football is everything.”
On X (Twitter), Bryant wrote, “Football is gay. Football is queer. Football is transgender… These are wild statements to make… Excuse my silliness. I’m going to proudly tell my boys that football is none of these things. I have nothing against gays, but this is far from right.”
Bryant acknowledged there are gay football players in the league, “but forcing it in people’s faces… especially children… can send the wrong message,” he wrote. “Football is a real community, like the gay community. Imagine telling gays they have to advocate for straight people… they probably would have a problem,” he added.
The NFL pride month video said, football is gay, football is lesbian, football is queer, football is transgender.
Football is none of those things. Football embodies the highest tier of strength and manhood. Football is not transgender, and it is not gay. pic.twitter.com/VPmVW6zJrj
— Armstrong Williams 🇺🇸 (@Arightside) June 3, 2025
Celebrating Pride with the Krewe 🏳️🌈
Join us at events happening this month with St. Pete Pride. pic.twitter.com/n0SpficK3V
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) June 1, 2025
Football is for Everyone #Pride pic.twitter.com/kolb4QyhTb
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) June 1, 2025
Football is for everyone 🏳️🌈 pic.twitter.com/MwWfYay7h9
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) June 1, 2025
