A rumor that the Kansas City Chiefs NFL team declined to host a Pride Night, claiming the alleged event would be part of a "woke agenda," is circulating on social media.
For example, on Nov. 15, 2024, one Facebook page shared the following meme featuring a split-screen image of a Pride flag alongside Chiefs Coach Andy Reid, with the caption, "The Kansas City Chiefs' unexpected decision to not host Pride Night, citing 'a woke agenda,' sends shockwaves across the NFL."
(Danielle Harris/Facebook)
In the comments section, the post's author pinned a link to a story on a separate website, claiming the following:
The Kansas City Chiefs' unexpected decision to not host Pride Night, citing "a woke agenda," sends shockwaves across the NFL.
Citing worries about what they call the "woke agenda," the Kansas City Chiefs stated that they will not be sponsoring.
A Pride Night celebration at Arrowhead Stadium, in what has swiftly become one of the season's most contentious off-field choices.
The NFL has been rocked by this surprise action, which has split fans and sparked discussion on social media.
The Kansas City Chiefs management staff made an official announcement detailing their decision, surprising even the team's most devoted supporters.
The statement said, "We think football should be about unity, strength, and perseverance." It's not about making political claims or advancing a "woke agenda."
We are here to represent our community and play the game. Therefore, there will be no Pride Night hosted by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Variations of the rumor emerged in early September, when the Facebook account SpaceX Fanclub posted a similar split-screen meme. Other
The post by SpaceX Fanclub has received over 10,000 reactions, as of this writing, with some readers seemingly interpreting the story as fact, despite no actual evidence supporting it. One commenter wrote, "Good Call - Thank you - Go Chiefs!! We appreciate your courage to go against the flow- Showing good character," to which another responded, "Play football..That is what we want to see. Let CNN do the brainwashing..."
However, a quick internet search found that no reputable outlet had covered such news, nor had there been such a decision or statement from the Chiefs organization.
Rather, the rumor originated with the website Esspots.com, which describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature:
Welcome to Esspots.com, a website that specializes in satire, parody, and humor. Before you proceed to read our content, we would like to emphasize that nothing on this website is real. All of the articles, stories, and commentary found on Esspots.com are entirely fictitious and created for the purpose of entertainment only.
Furthermore, the September 2024 meme by SpaceX Fanclub displayed a "Rated Satire" badge in its upper left corner. The Facebook page's bio reads: "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real."
These sources have a history of making up stories for shares and comments.
Snopes has debunked similar satirical claims in the past, such as the false assertion that Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin directed his team to not participate in Pride Month festivities.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.