Marching Out Together - How Leeds United are leading the way for LGBT+ movement

Since he started the group with his friend Drew in 2017, MOutT has provided social support to members and raised awareness for the club’s moves towards inclusivity, as well as advocating for LGBT+ issues through the supporters advisory board.

The happy moment of promotion was witnessed by the MOutT flag, which is still proudly draped across the empty Revie Stand and beamed onto telly sets the world over during match broadcasts.

“We’ve been able to engage with fans in a different way than we would otherwise have done,” Tilly said.

The migration of MOutT’s pre-match socials to Zoom, where members meet with LGBT+ fans of the Whites’ opponents, is one innovation which could survive lockdown, as the virtual invite extends beyond the small proportion of a global fanbase who can participate in person on matchdays.

That same desire to broaden their reach has inspired plans for LGBT+ fans to join the likes of Kalvin Philips, Marcelo Bielsa and Pablo Hernandez in being commemorated with murals across the city of Leeds.

A wall in Mabgate has been offered up by East Street Arts, who are working in partnership with MOutT and the club to deliver the project, subject to funding.

To celebrate LGBT+ history month, MOutT are focusing their efforts on a prevalent lockdown issue by raising money for MESMAC’s Sage project, which aims to combat isolation in older members of the local LGBT+ community.

On Tuesday when Leeds United tweeted out a link to the raffle, a handful of negative responses were swiftly dealt with by the club, who contacted each of the tweets’ authors.

Full of praise for their proactive approach, Tilly remarked that this is just the latest in a series of positive statements made by the club in support of MOutT’s cause which includes chief executive Angus Kinnear’s signature on football’s first ever LGBT+ best practice charter.

“Angus signing that charter was a real underpinning of his genuine commitment to what we’re trying to do as a group,” Tilly said. “In itself, a piece of paper doesn’t really matter.

“But they’re delivering on every piece of that best practice guide.”

The signing was captured by BBC cameras for a segment of Gareth Thomas’ 2019 documentary on tackling homophobia in football. The programme observed the recent progress at Leeds United, owing to initiatives like putting on diversity training for staff and academy players and the club’s sponsorship of the city’s annual Pride event.

“There was always that disconnect,” Tilly said, “between being a proud Leeds fan and a proud gay man.

“But now, through the journey of Marching Out Together, I think I can describe myself as a proud gay Leeds fan.”

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