For a professional athlete, sitting on the sidelines – unable to have an impact – can often be the most frustrating place to be.
And that’s why Khalen Saunders is all about taking action, on the field and in his personal life.
The New Orleans Saints defensive tackle isn’t content with just being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community; his mantra is “actions speak louder than words.”
One of the ways that Saunders is taking action is by running a youth football camp specifically for children in the LGBTQ+ community, the first of its kind.
The camp will be held in his hometown of St. Louis on July 5 and Saunders will be joined by his older brother, Kameron, who he credits with opening his mind to inclusivity.
Kameron, a dancer and choreographer who has featured on Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour,” is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and Saunders says he is a big reason for wanting to “create a safe space within sports to have everybody feel welcome to be who they are.”
“I think (Kameron) has been to almost every single game that I’ve had, from when I was eight to ‘til now, so he’s always been there,” Saunders told CNN Sports. “So my intention with this camp is to unify everybody and just promote positivity and empathy amongst others as far as just being accepting of everybody and showing everybody love.
“But also, with my brother, being able to come to all my events and feel comfortable being himself, I would want anybody who has a brother or family member in general that comes to their sporting events to feel safe and welcomed when they when they attend that.”
‘Ability is ability’
Saunders was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs out of Western Illinois in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
During his time with the Chiefs, Saunders won two Super Bowl rings before signing with the Saints in 2023.
The youngest of four brothers, Saunders explains that he learned a lot from his elder siblings and, in particular, an empathy he tries to take into all walks of life.
“I learned very quickly from Kameron to be accepting of people and let people be comfortable with you and that’s how you’ll get the genuine best out of people,” Saunders said.
Creating a place for youths to discover their love for football – a game which has given so much to him, Saunders says – and to spend time with likeminded individuals is one of the main reasons for organizing the camp.
The camp – the third one he’s run with his foundation, “Original Element Foundation” – is the first one he’s directly advertised to the LGBTQ+ community to welcome them in. And he uses his experience with his brother, who he calls “one of the most prevalent male beings in my life,” and whether he would feel comfortable as an example of the kind of environment he wants to create.
Besides making a safe space for children of all orientations to come and play the game, Saunders is hoping he can help knock off any stigma around members of the LGBTQ+ community’s involvement in sports.
A Gallup Poll released earlier this year found that the proportion of American adults who identify as LGBTQ+ rose to 9.3% of the population, an increase of more than one percentage point from 2023’s estimate.
According to a report from The Trevor Project – a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ youth – a number of LGBTQ youth reported “choosing not to participate in sports due to reasons related to discrimination or fear of LGBTQ-based discrimination.” In the same report, The Trevor Project found that nearly one in three members of the LGBTQ community participate in sports.
Saunders describes having experienced “very toxic heterosexual climates” in football locker rooms during his time in the game, something he puts down to “ignorance.”
He remembers hearing anti-homosexual slurs being used in an NFL environment, something he puts down to individuals not knowing “how offensive some things can be to other people.”
Saunders takes it upon himself to attempt to change those “toxic cultures” and credits a lot of his teammates with becoming much more accepting.
Even the defensive tackle admits it’s difficult to know exactly how to make everyone feel welcome all the time, but says that if you’re trying to be more open-minded, then that’s all you need to do.
No matter who you are, for Saunders, “ability is ability” and that’s something he hopes his camp can foster.
“If you run a 4.5 second or less 40-yard dash, you’re fast. If you jump a 35-inch vertical or higher, you jump high. If you can bench press 225 more than 20 times, you’re very strong,” he said. “I think that the space within sports for LGBTQ+ members, it’s very limited and I understand that which is why I’m trying to hold this camp and try and promote positivity around that.
“If you got it, you got it. And I’ve seen great athletes be shied away for several reasons. I would just not want gender identification or sexual orientation to be one of those reasons.”
A variety of comments
Saunders has received an array of feedback following the announcement of the camp, ranging from the extremely positive to the other end of the spectrum.
He’s received messages from kids expressing their gratitude for making a place they can feel comfortable playing football as well as adults reaching out to him saying: “I wish that something like this had been done when I was coming up in sports.”
And while that positive feedback makes him feel “really happy,” the negative comments have also stuck with Saunders.
He has received comments such as “youth and LGBTQ+ shouldn’t be in the same sentence.” Saunders says those come from a lack of understanding of the reasoning behind the camp.
“This is not an attempt to sway any child to be of any sexual orientation or gender identification or anything like that,” he said. “This is just teaching children to be accepting of those who are.”
Saunders also recognizes that much of people’s ignorance comes from “learned traits and learned behaviors,” something he doesn’t fault them for. But he says, as an ally, he does what he can to open people’s eyes to the possibilities.
The 28-year-old said he’d like to talk to those who have given him negative feedback face-to-face and explain why he believes having an open mind can lead to a “better society,” especially when it comes to teaching kids from a young age to have an accepting way of thinking.
“Let’s break that (cycle) and educate our children. That way they know the differences, they know the feelings, they know everything,” he said. “And then we can progress towards a better society, instead of creating division and hate amongst things that could easily be out ruled by simple education.”
And he is hoping that through the camp and through the impact Kameron has had on him, he can help reinforce that acceptance is vital for a more progressive society.
“This is an opportunity to kind of just showcase the thinking pattern that I have, just as far as being empathetic and treating people how you want to be treated and all those quote unquote ‘golden rules’ that we learn as children, we kind of stray away from when we get to adulthood,” Saunders said.
“And it’s just a great way to remind this generation to stick to those golden rules and a way to make sure that everyone knows that they have a place in this world and everyone knows that they have a place specifically within sports because that’s what this camp is all about. It’s just showing acceptance and really just doing all of this for the love of the sport itself, not for anything else besides.”