Pride Month every year has a new initiative to bring together a community and amplify voices that need to be heard. The Los Angeles Sparks guard Layshia Clarendon is one of those voices. Adidas tapped the renowned WNBA star for its latest Pride campaign to highlight the fluidity and vastness of the LGBTQIA+ community. Clarendon’s presence in this campaign was important and vital to the storytelling as they are the first non-binary player in WNBA history.
While this comes as a huge responsibility for the basketball star, they’ve been taking it in with graceful strides. Often we’re told the honor of being the first comes with a weight to carry. “I’ve carried that throughout the years as well and I would say resolve and look back to people who have been the first through various things, whether there was the first non-binary player or the first black woman doing something, the first surgeon, there always has to be a first,” they shared with ESSENCE. Clarendon is happy to be the first and even more ecstatic to know they won’t be the last. They know their existence is the most powerful thing.
The Adidas Pride campaign was co-created with Brazilian artist Pabllo Vittar. Clarendon, other athletes and allies, Tom Daley, Stonewall FC London player, Jo Kokkinopliti, and Athlete Ally founder Hudson Taylor star in it. This collection aims to inspire others to embrace body confidence, allyship with the LGBTQIA+, and gender fluidity with “Love Unites” as its catchphrase.
Currently, Adidas reported that 43% of the LGBTQIA+ community doesn’t participate in sports while 50% want to. This collection is also an encouragement to feel comfortable enough in your body to do so with its longtime brand partner Athlete Ally since 2020. The classic three stripes are featured on a zip-up track jacket as well as a long-sleeved T-shirt. Other pieces in the collection include a cutoff sleeve tank top, an abstract printed tight top, and athletic shorts.
Clarendon recalls being told years ago that their gayness would stop them from getting brand deals. Fast forward to the present, which is the furthest thing from the truth. They share that they’ve been being authentic to themself for quite some time–and they’re unafraid to showcase all the facts that make them who they are. “To see how far being authentic has taken me in my life is pretty remarkable,” they exclaimed.
The beauty of the community reminds them why they are in this fight for equality and rights. The WNBA star gives themselves the space to evolve with their gender identity in regard to getting dressed. The yin and yang between masculinity and femininity is where they’ve found the essence of home in their body. Clarendon said that for some time femininity was something to run from as it caused them dysmorphia at times.
But, now with this balance, they’ve been able to find comfort in wearing a skirt after 15 years of never reaching for one. They added that Janelle Monáe is their style icon as the musician embraces every part of themselves, inspiring Clarendon to do the same.
Shop the Adidas and Pabllo Vittar Pride collection, on adidas.com, in stores, and via the Adidas app.