The CT Sports Proud Jersey:
Embodying Unity in Connecticut

When the Hartford Gay Men’s Chorus (HGMC) was double-booked to sing the national anthem at Pride Night games for both the Hartford Athletic and the Connecticut Sun in June of 2025, John Vincent Pica-Sneeden, executive director of the Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CTGLC) and a member of HGMC, knew he had to step in. With the chorus unable to perform at both games, Pica-Sneeden saw an opportunity to ensure Pride Night wasn’t split in two, while also searching for a way to create a greater sense of unity across Connecticut’s sports community.

The result was the CT Sports Proud jersey and T-shirt collection, a unifying symbol of what it means to come together regardless of which team they supported. 

During the yearlong process of making the jersey and T-shirt, Connecticut’s professional and minor league sports teams came together to support CT Sports Proud, a message Pica-Sneeden says is centered on being “proud of the teams, proud to live in Connecticut and proud of the state’s sports history.” The creation of this jersey brought together teams including Hartford Athletic, the Hartford Yard Goats, the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Bridgeport Islanders and the Connecticut Sun, along with the efforts of the CTGLC.

The jersey’s design celebrates Connecticut’s sports history, both past and present, while incorporating the state’s colors and emblem, as well as the arenas and stadiums where they play. The jersey features a pattern reminiscent of Connecticut’s quilting tradition, with “CT Sports Proud” across the center. 

The three stars on the “T” in “CT” represent teams that are no longer active here in CT, including the Hartford Whalers (1974 to 1997) the Connecticut Defenders (2003 to 2019) and the New Haven Ravens (1994 to 2003). The jersey also features “1874,” the year Connecticut’s first professional sports team began playing, the CTGLC logo on the left sleeve, and an empty space where fans can add the patches of their favorite CT Teams.

The five additional stars in the logo represent Connecticut’s active professional teams who collaborated on the Jersey: Hartford Athletic, Hartford Yard Goats, Hartford Wolf Pack, Bridgeport Islanders and the Connecticut Sun. 

Additionally, this year, the teams successfully avoided double-booking Pride Night events this year, allowing each celebration to receive its full attention. Pica-Sneeden and the organizations involved hope that the same approach can extend to other cultural and heritage observances, ensuring each receives the attention it deserves.

Pica-Sneeden hopes the jersey and T-shirt will serve as a starting point for bringing people together, with the idea eventually inspiring other states in the U.S. to create similar ways to unite and build community. For now, he hopes to see a “wave of blue” in the stands at games across Connecticut. “If everyone is united by the jersey, it can prove everyone can get along,” Pica-Sneeden said.

Jerseys and T-shirt’s can be purchased online directly through the CTGLC Store or the Hartford Athletic Apparel Shop.