Editor’s note: This is a guest article by Stephanie Yang, the the co-manager of Stars and Stripes FC and a contributor to The Athletic.
For fans, women’s soccer has come to be a fairly safe space for all kinds of minority communities. The LGBTQ community in particular has carved out its own niche in the United States. There are openly gay players on several NWSL teams, and most clubs have a yearly Pride Night. The woso community has worked hard to keep its fandom a more open, accepting place, particularly for people who may experience discrimination away from the pitch.