By Jackie Garrett, Director of AO Impact
The partnership between the American Outlaws San Francisco Chapter and Pride House SF represents far more than a collaboration around soccer. It is a commitment to ensuring that the world’s game is welcoming, inclusive, and accessible for everyone.
As the countdown to the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup continues, supporters across North America are preparing for one of the largest sporting events in history. Spanning 16 host cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the tournament will bring together millions of fans from around the globe. But for many within the LGBTQ+ community, this World Cup also represents something deeper: an opportunity to reshape what soccer culture can look like.
But for many within the LGBTQ+ community, this World Cup also represents something deeper: an opportunity to reshape what soccer culture can look like.
For the past two World Cup cycles, the tournament has been hosted in countries where LGBTQ+ people faced significant hostility, discrimination, and where it was illegal to be a member of the LGBTQ community. Pride House hopes to change that narrative by creating welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ fans and allies in every host city.
Leading that effort in San Francisco is Zac Brown, who has worked closely with Zach Holman and the AO San Francisco chapter to build a partnership centered around inclusion, visibility, and community.
One of the most visible collaborations between the organizations has been the creation of a special Pride House Kolsch in collaboration with the local brewery Standard Deviant Brewing. American Outlaws San Francisco chose the Pride House Kolsch as a way to give back through AO Impact, using their chapter funds to support the project and placing the chapter’s logo directly on the can as a statement of solidarity and support.
For both organizations, it was about more than branding—it was about action.
“We are not just giving lip service to inclusivity,” said AOSF board member Jackie Choi, “We are supporting it with our money.”
The partnership also produced a split scarf emblazoned with the phrase “Hella Proud,” a distinctly San Francisco expression of pride, belonging, and soccer culture. Both Brown and Holman expressed excitement about what the scarf represents ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Choi hopes the scarf becomes something even larger than a mere piece of merchandise.
“My hope is that during the World Cup, someone will see the ‘Hella Proud’ scarf being held up and immediately feel welcome into AO chapters around the country,” she said. “That they’ll know they are safe watching soccer with us.”
My hope is that during the World Cup, someone will see the ‘Hella Proud’ scarf being held up and immediately feel welcome into AO chapters around the country.
For Choi, representation within supporters' culture is deeply personal. She spoke candidly about her Asian heritage as a first-generation birthright citizen and the importance of the American Outlaws San Francisco leadership, reflecting the diversity of the community it serves.
“I’m loud, I’m queer, and I’m Asian,” Choi said proudly.
She recalled being at matches while drumming for the AOSF chapter and looking over to see fellow AO Houston Chapter president, Erin Dallas, leading the second drum.
“I remember thinking how cool it was that two Asian women were leading the drummers,” she said.
Moments like that matter because visibility matters. For many fans, especially those attending watch parties or supporters events alone, entering a crowded soccer bar can feel intimidating. Choi said one of the chapter’s biggest goals is to create environments where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and included, especially since our own country, where LGBTQ+ protections have been slowly rolled back over the last few years, and that has caused more pain and fear for our community.
One of the chapter’s biggest goals is to create environments where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and included.
“Going alone to a bar to watch soccer can be intimidating,” she said. “We want to create spaces at AOSF that feel safe and inclusive.”
Brown believes the partnership with AOSF has already begun to help bridge the gap between traditional supporters' culture and the LGBTQ+ community.
“AO San Francisco and Zach Holman have been huge in bridging the gap between soccer fans and the LGBTQ community,” Brown said.
That partnership will continue on June 12 at 5:30 pm PST, when Pride House hosts its “Big Gay Watch Party” for USA vs Paraguay at Beaux in San Francisco’s Castro District where there will be drag, dancing, and of course, big cheers for the red, white, and blue.
You can follow Pride House SF at @pridehousesf on Instagram or their events calendar at https://pridehouseunited2026.com/sa-francisco/ for all the latest information about the events.
As Pride House SF works to establish Pride Houses in every 2026 World Cup host city, local collaborations like this one demonstrate the power of soccer to unite communities beyond the game itself. They are already going to be in 14 of the 16 cities. They will continue to update all information about times and locations on their social media page @pridehouse.
Supporter groups are often the heartbeat of soccer culture. Through projects like the Pride House Kolsch, the “Hella Proud” scarf, and inclusive community watch parties, American Outlaws San Francisco is helping ensure that the culture surrounding the World Cup reflects not only passion for the sport but also a commitment to visibility, belonging, and human dignity.
The road to 2026 is about more than stadiums and matches. It is about shaping the experience around the tournament and showing the world that soccer truly belongs to everyone.
