Softball Star Uses the Diamond to Advocate for Inclusion and Acceptance
With pride month in full swing, I started to think about what the pride flag meant to me as a gay man. I am flying it proudly this June in celebration of myself and the countless others who have fought and continue to fight for visibility and acceptance. Yet, my relationship with the cultural symbol has been tumultuous. Thus, I was curious how others viewed the pride flag. I reached out to a dear friend who is a champion in the community to ask: What does the pride flag mean to you? Enter: Morgan Nedley.
A star student and athlete, Nedley was offered a full ride to Carlow University to play softball. There, she has been recognized as one of the nation’s top performers all while pursuing a degree in nursing and staying at the top of her class. It would seem as though she has it all figured out, but there has been an internal struggle going on for years. When she was captain of her high school softball team during her senior year, she led them to win the PIAA Class 5A Championship — the first in program history. Why? “I felt like if I created success in other facets of my life that people would focus more on my achievements and have less time to question me on my sexuality,” she says.
Growing up, Morgan Nedley was ashamed of her sexual orientation. She tried to turn her back on it and reject it as a part of herself. Thinking back to the days of watching Nickelodeon and Disney shows, she was unable to see herself reflected in the media. Therefore, without seeing people like her represented in society, Nedley did not feel that she had a place in it. As soon as she addressed her inner homophobic demons — that society imposed upon her — she was able to accept herself for who and what she is: gay.
Nedley told me that she never wore bright colors as a kid. "In some foolish childhood delusion, I believed that if I wore anything other than black, people in my life would assume I was gay. I know, it sounds crazy, but it's true.” Today, she attaches a small rainbow pin on to her softball bag. She says it serves as a small reminder to always be her authentic self on the field because she has the power to inspire young girls to be any color they want to be.
Since the first rainbow pride flag was raised in the 1970's, the LGBTQ+ community and its global campaign for equal rights and acceptance has become synonymous with the colorful flag. In the flag, the complex history and beauty of homosexuality is reflected. In the original version of the flag, each color had its own meaning: hot pink was associated with sex, red with life, orange with healing, yellow with sunshine, green with nature, turquoise with magic, blue with harmony, and violet with spirit. A flag is the most potent expression of pride. In order to break free from falsehood and live in the truth, LGBTQ+ people have a responsibility to come out, be visible, and live in the truth. As a result, we can inspire others to follow in our footsteps. Flags are appropriate for this objective because they serve as a public announcement of who you are and what you stand for. It was necessary for us as a community to express our joy, beauty, and strength. Rainbows express those things.
“We must ensure that diversity and inclusion, which are the foundations of creativity, are at the center of all we do,” Nedley told me. In this respect, our differences are not flaws, but superpowers. Accepting our sexualities is the key to achieving success. Why run from what you cannot change, she questions. Once ashamed of the bright, beautiful colors of the pride flag, she realized that embracing them could help change the world. Building a reputation as a renown local softball star used to be about providing shelter from her identity. Now, Nedley says it has given her a platform to show other little girls — just like the one she used to be — that there is room in the world for them. Most of all, she has the approval of her mother, Doreen Nedley, who says she is “more overjoyed with Morgan being a leader of change than any achievement on the field.” That statement brought tears to her daughters eyes.
This conversation between Nedley and I began with one small question. She now wants to continue the dialogue by having me ask you: What does the pride flag mean to you?
