Katie Sowers, Lesbian NFL Coach, Departs 49ers
First out LGBTQ person to coach Super Bowl will not return to San Francisco
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
Katie Sowers, the trailblazing
49ers coach
who became the fi rst
woman and fi rst out
LGBTQ individual to coach a Super
Bowl, announced she is not
returning to the team next season
after her contract expired.
“Dear faithful, We have been
through so much together over
the last four years and words will
never express how much your love
and acceptance meant to me,”
Sowers wrote in an Instagram post
on January 8. “I will forever cherish
the memories and hearing your
stories throughout the years. Together,
we made a difference in this
world. You were there every step
of the way… from my fi rst day at
Levi’s, to the Super Bowl, and even
when my Dad passed away. You all
supported me through it all.”
Katie Sowers on the fi eld ahead of last year’s Super Bowl in Miami.
Sowers is the franchise’s fi rst
female assistant coach and the
NFL’s fi rst out gay coach. She received
a signifi cant amount of media
attention at early last year due
to the historic nature of her rise to
KIRBY LEE/USA TODAY VIA REUTERS
the NFL’s biggest stage.
Sower’s rise to the Super Bowl
was also signifi cant at a time when
anti-LGBTQ forces have engulfed
the sports world in an effort to
push transgender athletes off the
SPORTS
playing fi eld.
With this role behind her, the
outlet reports she is seeking new
opportunities.
Sowers kicked off her NFL coaching
career as an intern with the Atlanta
Falcons before she took on a
new coaching role with the 49ers
that was tied to the Bill Walsh NFL
Coaching Diversity Fellowship.
She was subsequently elevated to
an offensive assistant.
Prior to ascending to the professional
stage, Sowers faced adversity
early in her coaching career
when she was denied a volunteer
coaching opportunity at Goshen
College simply because of her sexual
orientation.
“I was told, ‘Because of your lifestyle,
we ask that you do not come
around the team,’” she recalled in a
2017 interview with Outsports.com.
The college later apologized for
rejecting Sowers.
➤ GALLERY, from p.22
Watermark Retirement Communities
and the Watermark at Brooklyn
Heights.
Michael Adams, CEO of SAGE,
said these images will showcase
LGBTQ elders who are kept in the
dark.
“Over the span of decades, LGBTQ
NYC, masks and
social distancing
are working!
elders have proven what it
means to be resilient and live vibrant
and full lives, even in the
WHAT’S NEXT
IN THE COVID-19 FIGHT?
face of discrimination,” Adams
said in a written statement. “Too
often, the achievements of LGBTQ
pioneers are pushed aside or hidden
back in the closet as they get
older.”
Due to either rampant discrimination
or fear, the exhibit notes
that seniors have lost a whopping
400 or more years not being their
true selves. These numbers are located
NOW, WE ALL NEED TO GET TESTED OFTEN,
even with no symptoms, to keep reducing the spread.
TO FIND EASY AND SAFE TESTING AT NO COST TO YOU,
VISIT NYC.GOV/COVIDTEST OR
CALL 212-COVID19
alongside the portraits.
German photographer Karsten
Thormaehlen — who is known
for shooting aging populations —
shot the exhibit before the pandemic
hit. His award-winning
series, “Happy at 100,” focused
on the personal journeys of centenarians.
Richard Prescott, a Navy veteran,
is featured in the exhibit
alongside his husband, Ray Cunningham.
“In the ’80s and ’90s, everybody
was scared to death to
come out. They didn’t know who
to trust,” Prescott said in a written
statement. “I think I lost
a lot of years not being myself.
That’s why this campaign is so
important. Not only do we get to
share our stories, but give courage
to younger generations who
are still scared of being their authentic
self.”
Free, socially distanced viewings
can be scheduled on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays
from January 19th through March
2021 at The Watermark at Brooklyn
Heights at 21 Clark Street. Reservations
are available on the project’s
site.
Visitors can also experience the
exhibit virtually as well as through
Augmented Reality or AR. Curators
at nAscent installed the project.
The art show plans to tour the
country with stops in Los Angeles,
Napa, and Tucson.
NASCENT
Navy veteran Richard Prescott and his husband, Ray Cunningham, on display at the exibit.
GayCityNews.com | January 14 - January 27, 2021 27
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/Outsports.com
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/GayCityNews.com
