Soccer was my first true love and, honestly, it has been the only lifelong love that I’ve known. It hasn’t always been the healthiest of relationships. I had to quit playing at 16 after a doctor told me that I would be facing a full knee replacement in my 20s if I didn’t stop. When I coached a U4 team, I had fun until I dealt with parents that didn’t understand why I wouldn’t force their crying 4-year-old to play. As a fan, I frequently encountered toxic masculinity and homophobia freely displayed by the most vocal of the fan base. That left me a fan with no team to truly call my own and feeling like there was no longer a place for me in the sport I loved.
I resigned myself to watching World Cup and Premier League broadcasts, reading about how the Aztex (and then Bold) matches went, and occasionally making the trip to Dallas or Houston for a match. When I first heard rumblings about an MLS team in Austin, I was worried. Our city climate isn’t always as welcoming as people perceive, especially after the 2016 election. I feared that having a local team would also mean seeing the worst fan behaviors from people in my own town. For someone who has experienced overt homophobia in Austin, I didn’t want more proof that being who I am isn’t always welcome. I kept an eye on what was going on from a distance. I just waited and hoped that by some sort of gift from the universe, things would be different. From the messy nature of Precourt trying (and thankfully failing) to move the Crew from Columbus to the supporters’ group implosion that was observable in bits and pieces on the internet, it felt like proof that I should keep my distance.
In an unexpected twist, I felt welcome at every home match I attended that first season. I spent the last home game in the supporters’ section for the first time and was welcomed like a friend into the sea of verde and black. I still wasn’t sold on joining a supporters’ group until January of 2022. Los Verdes posted a scarf collaboration with the Fighting Leslies that proceeds went to The Other Ones [Foundation] and a supply drive to support the local unhoused population, then they posted a photo of a group volunteering for Meals on Wheels, and then they released their fundraiser shirt for the Laundry Project. The group wasn’t being performative; it was backing up their statement of “Futbol y Comunidad” with action. I joined Los Verdes on February 14, 2022, which feels fitting since soccer has been my love for so long.
In the short seven months I have been a member, a lot has happened both within the organization and in the world. Since February, Los Verdes has been directly involved in fundraising for organizations supporting trans kids, domestic violence survivors, abortion access, and most visibly Uvalde after the tragedy at Robb Elementary. We raised nearly $270,000 that was donated to the Uvalde Together We Rise Fund. Through this group I have been able to see true support for causes that are so important to me. I was able to give lived experience and insight into drafting the statement against domestic violence, I was able to help paint a banner to support the Workers Defense Project, I walked in the Pride parade with fellow supporters and my girlfriend, I created art for a fundraising jersey, and I have watched this group actively choose to create a space that embodies “Y’all Means All.”
In the 24 years that I have been a soccer fan, I never felt like I found a home within the sport. I never found a group [where] I could be authentically myself. For the first time I can openly be a polyamorous, queer, nonbinary fan and not only find acceptance but find found family that chooses me the same way I choose them. Verde Hasta la Muerte.
Harley Hightower is a typical queer millennial that enjoys iced coffee, speaking up for social justice, and challenging the societal expectations of gender. When not arguing with internet trolls, they are an avid Austin FC fan, ride motorcycles, travel, wander bookstores, and enjoy visiting Austin’s green spaces. Harley is a native to Central Texas and calls Austin home. Their goal above all else is to provide the best life possible for their dogs and find adventure when possible.
This article appears in September 30 • 2022.