Sports
Longtime male cheerleader joins rigorous Ravens squad
W.Va. native was scheduled to cheer first pre-season game this week
Luke Jackson (front and center) says his work with Cheer D.C. was a good launching pad for a slot on the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleading team. (Washington Blade photo by Kevin Majoros)
Luke Jackson has been involved in every aspect of competitive and recreational cheerleading. Originally from West Virginia, Jackson was a varsity cheerl eader with West Virginia University for four years, cheered internationally in co-ed competitions and has coached throughout his career.
After moving to the D.C. area with his husband Andy, Jackson stepped into a leadership role with Cheer D.C., which utilizes cheerleading to promote spirit and elevate acceptance and equality for the LGBT community. He is also coaching at South County High School.
The only aspect missing was professional cheerleading and earlier this year, Jackson was selected to the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleading team. The Ravens remain as the only NFL team to have a co-ed stunting team. The squad consists of 35 women who perform stunts and dances along with 23 men who perform stunts.
The Ravens Cheerleaders perform multiple types of stunts that range from three bases and a flyer to individual partner stunting. To get back into top shape, Jackson put himself through intense training leading up to his tryout.
“A typical session was running on the treadmill, throwing a training partner, running back to the treadmill and then throwing her again,” Jackson says.
The tryouts for the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders are a four-step process. On day one, Jackson threw one stunt with a female cheerleader and was invited back.
On day two he was paired with a veteran cheerleader for safety reasons and performed more stunts, tumbling and an interview session. He highlighted his work with Cheer D.C. during the interview and received positive feedback. Day three was another 20-minute interview.
The final tryout took place at the Under Armour practice stadium and was a grueling session of throwing stunt after stunt with every girl on the team. Jackson made the cut and was sent for the group picture.
“I have cheered for so many cheer organizations and the Baltimore Ravens are loving, kind and supportive of everyone on our team,” Jackson says. “From the moment you walk in until the moment you leave, it is serious but also so much fun. Practices are hard and safety is a focus. After each training session, we do two-and-a-half hours of CrossFit.”
The Baltimore Ravens had their first preseason home game against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, the first game for Jackson as a Baltimore Ravens Cheerleader. He was hoping the moment brought back the same feelings he had in college.
“The Ravens have a marching band and I am looking forward to hearing the band music blowing, throwing stunts and that feeling of doing something you love in front of thousands of people,” Jackson says. “I am hoping for the same chills I got when I was a West Virginia Mountaineer.”
Iran and Egypt on Friday faced off during the World Cup’s “Pride Match” in Seattle.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death. Discrimination and persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity is commonplace in Egypt.
Friday’s match coincided with Pride weekend in Seattle. The Egyptian Football Association and the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran both objected to playing in the “Pride Match.”
Egypt and Iran tied 1-1.
FIFA, for its part, allowed Pride flags inside the stadium during the match.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds,” a FIFA spokesperson told the Washington Blade in a statement. “Fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome at matches and events. General statements of human rights, including rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity, are permitted under the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Stadium Code of Conduct and may be displayed inside stadiums provided they are used in a manner consistent with the code.”
Human Rights Watch welcomed FIFA’s decision to allow Pride flags inside the stadium. Outright International, a global LGBTQ and intersex rights group, distributed Pride flags in Seattle on Friday, which was Pride Match Day.
“Visibility matters,” said Outright International Executive Director Maria Sjödin. “Pride is now being celebrated in more than 100 countries, including this weekend in Seattle. For many LGBTIQ people, seeing a Pride flag in public is a reminder that they are not alone, and that their rights and dignity are recognized.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino earlier this year told Die Weltwoche, a Swiss magazine, that “there will be no ‘Pride Match’ at the (FIFA) World Cup.”
“There will be a FIFA World Cup match in Seattle, and on the same day, events organized by external organizations will be taking place in the city,” said Infantino. “But that has nothing to do with the match itself.”
Peter Tatchell, a long-time LGBTQ activist from the U.K. who is director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, was among those who traveled to Seattle for Friday’s match. Tatchell accused FIFA of not vetting World Cup teams — specifically Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Senegal, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Uzbekistan, and Algeria — over whether they would allow gay players.
“FIFA is protecting LGBT+ visibility in the stands while failing to protect LGBT+ players on the pitch,” said Tatchell.
The Baltimore Orioles will take on the Washington Nationals on Friday, June 26 at 7 p.m. for Pride Night at Oriole Park.
The first 15,000 fans will receive an exclusive Pride Night Orioles jersey. The Washington Blade is a media sponsor of this event.
To purchase tickets, visit Orioles.com/Tickets.
Sports
Minor league team in York, Pa., forfeits Pride Night game after some players refuse to wear special jersey
City is roughly 20 miles north of Md. border
An independent minor league baseball team says it is forfeiting a game because some of its players refused to wear a special Pride Night jersey.
The Atlantic League Pro Baseball’s York Revolution were planning to hold their 11th annual Pride Night event Thursday for a game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.
But the Revolution announced the day of the game that it wouldn’t be played. York is about 20 miles north of the Maryland line. The Blue Crabs play in Waldorf.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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