Throughout Pride Month, we’re celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in Nashville and within the Nashville SC family. As a part of that, we’re spotlighting a few of our supporters and front office staff members that are in the community.
Next up is Bailey Rasmussen, a Nashville SC staff member.
What is your name and what are your pronouns?
My name is Bailey, and my pronouns are she/her.
What is your role at Nashville SC?
I work in digital marketing at the club. Most of my responsibilities include advertising, creating content for social media, and overseeing the digital aspect of our corporate partnerships. Every day is different, which is one of my favorite parts of the job!
Tell us a little bit about the LGBTQ+ community in Nashville, and within the Nashville SC organization and fandom.
I was surprised to find such a vibrant LGBTQ+ community when I moved to Nashville. There are many spaces and groups that are welcoming and affirming. The shared experience of being queer in a state with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has forged a community that supports each other, cares for each other deeply, and always shows up for each other.
I’ve always been inspired by and proud of how many Nashville SC supporters have been staunch advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, offering a safe space for queer people that can be hard to find in professional sports. Being able to confidently invite my queer friends to matches and assure them that they’re safe and welcome in our space means the world to me.
Why is LGBTQ+ representation important, especially in the context of professional sports?
Understanding and coming to terms with your identity can be so isolating, especially with the dangerous rhetoric that often surrounds the LGBTQ+ community. In my experience, seeing LGBTQ+ people thrive openly offered so much hope and reminded me that I wasn’t alone. We have a long way to go in how we welcome and platform LGBTQ+ people in sports, but I think we’re making progress.
We’re all reflections of what we’ve lived through and experienced. It’s so important to have diversity in the voices we surround ourselves with, so we can make decisions with more than our own experiences in mind.
What does Pride Month mean to you?
I’ve always seen Pride Month as an opportunity to reflect on the fullness I’ve experienced when I’m able to show up as my authentic self. I’m better for who I love and the friends I surround myself with, all of whom support me and my identity fully. Not everyone is lucky enough to have that sort of community around them. Pride, for me, is a chance to practice gratitude for all the ways in which I’ve been lucky to have such a robust support system.
There’s still plenty of work to do, and Pride is also a time to recognize and reflect on that. Many generations of LGBTQ+ people came before my generation and laid the groundwork for us to live the free, full lives many of us enjoy. We have so far to go until we are truly equal, especially with the recent legislation and rhetoric attacking the transgender community. Pride reminds us that equality is intersectional, and those of us who are in places of privilege can and should stand in the gap for the rest of our community.
Ultimately, Pride is a time for the LGBTQ+ community to come together and rest in each other’s understanding. There is so much power in knowing you’re not alone, and Pride is a great reminder that you’ll always have someone in your corner.
