After the city of Houston voted to legalize discrimination against all things LGBTQ this week, questions immediately arose as to whether or not the NFL, which had been planning to hold the 2017 Super Bowl there, would remove the honor from the city.
Well, that question has been answered.
A spokesman for the NFL announced that everything will go ahead as planned, despite calls from several gay rights advocates and a change.org petition urging it to do so.
“This will not affect our plans for Super Bowl LI in 2017,” Brian McCarthy told Pro Football Talk. “We will work closely with the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee to make sure all fans feel welcomed at our events.”
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
McCarthy added: “Our policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness, and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time the NFL has found itself wrapped up in politics involving LGBTQ rights.
In 2014, the organization said it was considering moving the 2015 SuperBowl out of Arizona if lawmakers there passed a “religious freedom” law designed to legalize discrimination against gay people. That law ended up being vetoed by then-Governor Jan Brewer, which proved to be a win-win for the NFL. Not only it get to look like the good guys for sticking up for equality, but it didn’t have to lift a finger.
Well, looks like that won’t be the case for Houston, where it was voters, not a gaggle of right-wing legislators, who okayed the discrimination, based on false claims by antigay activists.
Evidently, the NFL isn’t actually willing to put its money where its mouth is. Let’s hope this is not the end of the game.
Related: Beyoncé Accused Of Abandoning Gays In Their Time Of Need
h/t: Pro Football Talk
