“They kind of shy away from it”: Khalen Saunders, New Orleans Saints DT, is set to launch LGBTQIA+ friendly football camp on July 5

Kameron Saunders, the backup dancer for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, has been openly gay since March 2023. Now, sharing with the world about one’s sexual orientation is one thing, and sharing it with one’s family members is another - especially when that person feels welcome, warm, and comfortable in the family for having that sexual orientation.

Probably, that’s what would have happened with 32-year-old Kameron Saunders. Because his younger brother, 28-year-old Khalen Saunders, showed support not only for him but also for others who belonged to the LGBTQ community. So much so that on July 5, the New Orleans Saints DT, Khalen Saunders, will be launching an LGBTQIA+-friendly football camp for youth in partnership with GLAAD Media Awards and the NFL Pride Football Combine.

New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Khalen Saunders calls NFL male-dominant and heterosexual-dominant

Two-time Super Bowl Champion says there is no space for the LGBTQ community in the NFL. On April 4, 2025, Saunders made an appearance on the Good Morning America(GMA) show where he said, “Being an ally is more than just saying - I support, but it’s also showing up. Being in the NFL, it’s very male-dominant and heterosexual-dominant. And it feels as though there’s not really a space for the LGBTQ community.”

New Orleans Saints DT Khalen Saunders says the people of the LGBTQ community feel like they have to be hidden even if they love football

Saunders continued in the GMA show, “But working with organizations like GLAAD Media Awards, also the NFL Pride Football Combine and the Football Clinic they had during the Super Bowl week, I was actually able to go out there and get to talk to some of the people participating in it and man, it was great conversations.

These are people who feel they have to be hidden. And although they love the sport, they might love the NFL, they might love football in general as a sport, but they kind of shy away from it just because of orientations or all these other outside things.”

Two-time Super Bowl Champion Khalen Saunders wants to bring everybody together through the power of football

The former DT at Kansas City Chiefs, Khalen Saunders, says he just wants everybody to play football, irrespective of their sexual orientation. He shared in the GMA show, “That’s kind of why, that’s kind of my goal.

I actually started up an organization on my foundation, Original Element Foundation - that’s kind of my pillar - just inclusivity, bringing everybody together through the power of football.One of the events that I hold every year with that organization is Football Combine, where I’m going to be actually having one of the first LGBTQ-friendly camps - just they play in general, just to get kids out. My goal is to continue to spread positive energy around that because football is for everybody. Football is for all. We’re getting closer to that in general as a society, but I’m just trying to do my part.” Also Read: “Same game, different role”: New England Patriots hire Miami Hurricanes TE Cam McCormick as Scouting Assistant | NFL News - Times of India