NFL Star Khalen Saunders Is Starting An LGBTQ+ Friendly Youth Football Camp
The Saints player was called the “BIGGEST safe space” by his brother, Eras Tour dancer Kameron Saunders.
Khalen Saunders is putting in the work to make sports a safe space for LGBTQ+ kids. The New Orleans Saints defensive tackle announced that he would host a LBGTQ+ friendly football combine and day of play this summer at the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
Saunders’ allyship comes from a personal place: his brother, Kameron Saunders, is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community — and, famously, a dancer on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. (The brothers’ connections to the Taylor Swift Universe goes even deeper — Khalen played for the Kansas City Chiefs with Mr. Taylor Swift himself, Travis Kelce, winning the Super Bowl together in 2023!)
Saunders announced the initiative alongside former NFL player R.K. Russell, who made headlines by coming out as bisexual in 2019, and has since been a proud advocate for LGBTQ+ youth in sports.
Saunders shared more about his inspiration for the camp on the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football,” and spoke about the importance of allyship in sports.
“Being an ally is more than just saying that I support, but it's also [about] showing up,” he said. “Being in the NFL, it’s very male dominant and heterosexual dominant, and it feels as if there's not really a space for the LGBTQ community.”
Saunders expressed hope that creating an accepting environment will be just the thing to help kids find a love for the sport that they might never have felt safe enough to explore before.
"These are people who feel like they have to be hidden, although they might love the sport, they might love the NFL, they might love football in general as a sport, but they kind of shy away from it just because of orientations, or all these other kind of outside things," he said.
Saunders has previously hosted youth football combines through his foundation, Original Element. The organization promotes youth health and wellness and inclusivity in Saunders’ hometown of St. Louis.
“My goal is just to continue to spread positive energy around, because football is for everybody,” he said.
Saunders’ efforts to engage with the LGBTQ+ community likely came as no surprise to his friends and family. Kameron Saunders has spoken highly of his brother, calling him his “BIGGEST safe space.”
May we all have an ally like Khalen Saunders on our team!
