Buffalo Bills Announce Sponsorship of National Gay Flag Football League

BUFFALO, N.Y. (TND) — The Buffalo Bills announced Tuesday that the team will sponsor an expansion of the National Gay Flag Football League (NGFFL) to Buffalo, New York.

The team, which presents the bio on social networks “Stop Hate. End racism. Choose love,” the announcement made via Instagram. This ad included an image of the Bills logo colored after the Progress Pride flag.

“We are proud to support the National Gay Flag Football League by sponsoring the launch of a league in Buffalo! » the team wrote.

NGFFL is a nonprofit sports league founded in 2002 that hosts more than 250 teams in 26 leagues across the United States. The league “seeks to promote the positive social and sporting enjoyment of American flag football,” according to its website.

The league says it is inclusive of all identities and does not discriminate “on the basis of sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, athletic ability, physical challenge, HIV status or gender identity. »

This collaboration is a game-changer for bringing LGBTQ+ organized football to Buffalo,” the league said of its partnership with the Bills. “The Buffalo Bills join other NFL supporting teams like the New England Patriots, Giants, Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals, Bears, Commanders and Seahawks to make our growing league even more inclusive.”

The NGFFL plays under standard flag football rules and incorporates aspects of the college football rulebook, such as receivers needing only one foot inbounds to make a catch. In its latest rulebook update, the league replaced language referring to markers as “chains” with “line beanbag marker to win.”

The NGFFL’s annual championship tournament is called the Gay Bowl. A document on preparation for the Gay Bowl asks teams to determine a “philosophy” of the game based on questions such as “will only the best players on the team get playing time?” and “Is the team going to the Gay Bowl to compete for a championship or just to have a good time?”

The New York Times reported that in 2011, the league capped the number of heterosexual players at 20 percent of a team’s roster.

Representatives for the Bills’ media relations team did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment from the National Desk.

Follow Jackson Walker on X at @_jlwalker_ for the latest national trending news. Do you have a current tip? Send it to [email protected].