In June of 2023, I went to a Colorado Rockies game against the Los Angeles Angels. I went with my dad, and we were both excited to see Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani for the first time.
When I got off the train at Union Station in Downtown Denver, I realized that the Denver Pride Parade was the same day. There were thousands of LGBTQ+ people walking around wearing pride shirts and all kinds of other apparel, and many of them were going to the Rockies game at Coors Field. As I walked into the stadium, I was glad that so many LGBTQ+ people could feel comfortable being visibly and unabashedly themselves. At the same time, I wished that I could show my support. As a straight, white guy, I didn’t really feel like the pride flag was for me. For one, it felt like I would be appropriating that symbol if I wore it, possibly disrespecting LGBTQ+ people who live the struggle for equality every day of their lives. And second, right or wrong, I just didn’t feel like the pride flag represented me.
That’s when it hit me: there should be a symbol that’s universally understood to represent straight allies of the LGBTQ+ community. When I got home from the game, I did a little Googling and discovered that a straight ally flag already existed. However, I didn’t really like the design, and the fact that I had never even heard of it or seen it before meant that it clearly wasn’t catching on with the general public.
I did some thinking and came up with the Ally Arrow. My design was created to represent a few things:
- Taking Action. An arrow doesn't just sit around. It takes flight and moves toward a specific target.
- Fighting Back. Arrows aren't passive. They can be used to defend when being attacked.
- A Movement. One solitary arrow won't make a difference in a battle. But when volley after volley of arrows are flying through the air, it becomes clear to the attackers that this is a losing battle. We dream of seeing these arrows everywhere, sending a collective message.
I hope that this will resonate with you, and I encourage you to show your support for the LGBTQ+ community through the small act of making your allyship visible to the world. Wearing a shirt or putting a sticker on your car obviously won’t change the world on its own, but if enough of us do it together, I believe it will have a big impact. Thank you for being a part of it!
Dan Lane
Founder
Ally Arrow Apparel