“I came to the game as a hater.”

As an interviewer, I love when an interview begins with such a pithy statement. Even better when the interviewee is the founder of a supporter’s group, effectively a super fan.

Ed Fox looks every bit a lawyer, as we chat via Zoom. Behind him, bookshelves hold a jumble of three-ring binders and books. One cabinet door is covered with a cluster of dog photos. He leans forward into the camera view to answer questions, probably the same way he might do with a client. Today the subject is soccer and not law, but that doesn’t slow his words or make the conversation any less significant.

Ed is the founder of Proud Owls, “an independent group of LGBTQIA+ and allied supporters of two time USL League One playoff champion and three time Players' Shield winner, Union Omaha.” Union Omaha wasn’t his first soccer love, as the game became appealing during the 2014 World Cup. He then dabbled in club soccer fandom in the EPL with Tottenham Hotspur, before the announced founding of Union Omaha in 2019.

But the Proud Owls would come to exist thanks to a carry-over Chick-fil-A sponsorship that Ed and several other Omaha fans were unhappy with. The chain is well-known for its support for organizations opposed to equal rights and recognition of the LGBQTIA+ community and having that brand’s name associated with their local club was unacceptable. Then-general manager Peter Marlette (now with the Buffalo Pro Soccer project) heard their concerns and let the sponsorship expire. During one of their conversations regarding that issue, it clicked for Ed, “I shouldn’t be the only voice for our community…I realized that something more than Ed, Union Omaha fan, would be important.”

Inspired by the Union Omaha motto, “One means All,” Ed launched the Proud Owls. It’s an affinity based supporters’ group, meaning that they draw from all the other supporters’ groups. Members of the Proud Owls come from throughout the patchwork of Union SGs. Those include Parliament, Local 119, and BHC. “We’re a group for people who are in the LGBTQIA+ community or are allies who want to promote inclusivity in soccer or hold Union Omaha to its commitment to our community.” That promotion of inclusivity extends to the leadership of all the supporters’ groups, who have monthly meetings to discuss fan concerns and issues. “We work together on everything.”

While sports events are not always welcoming for members of minority communities, Ed is quick to praise his local club. “We haven’t really had a problem with Union Omaha. We didn’t found the group because we had a particular issues with the organization.” The Proud Owls launched in 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd protests and he speaks proudly of his club’s progressive approach to backing players kneeling before matches. “I’m incredibly proud of the club supporting the players and their right to expression, to the point that they probably lost some fans.”

Ed’s love for his club springs from the fact that “inclusivity is part of its DNA.” That inclusivity is something that the Proud Owls renew and encourage through their work in the stands. “Soccer is inherently a political game, since its founding. Our vision for our organization is to provide a safe space in the stadium for people like us. We play a role with the fans to invite in and make feel comfortable people who identify themselves as LGBTQIA+ community. Beyond that, we work to hold our club and other clubs accountable.”

In a political era where regressive societal views are working to roll back acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community, visibility and representation are more important than ever. The Proud Owls stand as an example of how community can lead to strength and unity. The partnership between the SG, its fellow fan organizations, and the club front office has created a pocket of inclusion that should be the goal of every soccer community and the country as a whole.

- Dan Vaughn

Proud Owls can be found here on Blue Sky.