June is Pride month. A month-long observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ pride, commemorating the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) culture and community. And, if you celebrate and admire the life and legacy of Raiders late owner Al Davis, you know he would be a staunch ally.

Davis was known as a maverick. But only in the sense that he was an unapologetic trailblazer. Most notably when it came to being against bigotry in any form. A quality that was only viewed as outlandish because he was ahead of his time.

This approach was so much a part of his identity, that he made it part of his Hall of Fame induction speech. And those words echo to this day. In fact, they become more powerful as we enter Pride Month. A day that is supposed to be about love and acceptance, but every year bigots use as a lightning rod for their hate.

“…stand up for principal. Defy custom at times, be right, do not hurt others.”

Pretty simple, really. Or you’d think it would be.

If you’ve followed AFL Godfather over the years as I have, you know that you won’t find many people who understood what Al Davis was about more that he does. In his post are images of Carl Nassib who played for the Raiders for two seasons, and became the first ever openly gay player to suit up for an NFL team.

This milestone was a decade after Al Davis had passed, showing the legacy he established lives on in this franchise and with his son Mark who also owns the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, which has several lesbian players who suit up for them. A team that won the WNBA championship three of the past four years.

What Al Davis did to establish the Raiders early dynasty and his legacy along with it was simply not conforming to irrational fears and hate. The legendary NFL man went against any grain he saw fit. He recruited supposed “misfits” and “bad apples” regardless of race or creed and that approach paid off in the form of three Super Bowl championships in the 70s and 80s. He didn’t care what you thought about it. By then the rest of the NFL began to finally follow the blueprint he laid down.

He hired the first minority head coach (Tom Flores), the first black head coach (Art Shell), and the first female CEO (Amy Trask). And none of these moves were ancient history. They were all in the past 50 years.

Progress always meets resistance. Members of the LGBTQ+ community are still marginalized by a large portion of society. There are still constant attacks from politicians who attempt to take the idea of equality as a threat to their constituents’ way of life. The same is still occurring with regard to ethnic groups as well. Hence the co-opting and weaponization of terms like “Woke” and “DEI” to be used in a negative connotation. As if being inclusive and seeking equality for minorities and marginalized communities makes us weak.

Al Davis was not weak. I don’t think there’s a person alive who could honestly say he was weak. Quite the contrary. It was the cowardice of the other owners that made Davis’s approach seem bold.

The moment you forget that, go back and read his words again.

This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders owner Al Davis iconic words remembered as Pride Month opens

Reporting by Levi Damien, Raiders Wire / Raiders Wire

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