Did Clark Hunt, the CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, Ban LGBT Merchandise from Arrowhead Stadium? No, that's not true: There is no official announcement from the Chiefs on this question. The quote circulating on social media attributed to Hunt about "protecting the integrity of our fan experience," cannot be found in any public statements in writing or on camera.
The story appeared in a post (archived here) published by the Facebook page 'Chiefs Nation Unite' on Aug. 18, 2025. The post caption included a link to a recap.topnewsource.com article (archived here) :
Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt Bans LGBT Merchandise at Arrowhead Stadium
Full story: https://recap.topnewsource.com/.../chiefs-ceo-clark-hunt...
#GoChiefs #ChiefsKingdom #kansascity #Missouri
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Image Source: Lead Stories screenshot of Chiefs Nation Unite post on Facebook)
A text box over the image labeled "Breaking News" contains a generic statement that does not even support the claim that LGBT merchandise was banned from Arrowhead stadium. Its position over the photo implies this quote came from Hunt, the team's CEO -- but there is no evidence he said this:
THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE, AND I STAND FIRMLY BEHIND IT. THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS HAVE ALWAYS EMBODIED A CULTURE OF TRADITION AND LOYALTY. WHILE I RECOGNIZE NOT EVERYONE WILL AGREE, MY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF OUR FAN EXPERIENCE, AND THIS STEP WAS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT.
The image of Hunt appearing in the post can be found on the Alamy stock photo website. The Associated Press contributed the image (archived here) and the image details state this was from a Jan. 26, 2025 news conference following the AFC Championship NFL football game between the Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills. This news conference was streamed live on YouTube by the Kansas City Chiefs, with Hunt taking the podium for about six minutes, starting at the 15:18 mark. Lead Stories searched the video transcript for the quote from the post and there was nothing to match it.
Lead Stories searched Google for the entire quote as well as smaller portions of the quote, "The decision has been made, and I stand firmly behind it" (archived here), "The Kansas City Chiefs have always embodied a culture of tradition and loyalty" (archived here), and "Protect the integrity of our fan experience" (archived here), and none of these produced a result indicating that Hunt said this. The search did return several instances of the false quote appearing on other social media platforms in the past day.
A page (archived here) on the GEHA Field website contains a list of items which are NOT permitted into GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (pictured below). These include items such as coolers, weapons, fireworks and noisemakers.
(Image Source: Lead Stories screenshot of post at gehafieldatarrowhead.com)
Under the graphics is a text notice which reads:
Offensive or obscene clothing, banners, or signs including the use of language or gestures: (1) concerning a person's race, ethnicity, color, gender, religion, creed, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or national origin, or (2) to instigate, incite or encourage a confrontation or physical assault. This includes headdresses and face paint styled in a way that references or appropriates American Indian cultures or traditions.
ANY OTHER ITEMS DEEMED DANGEROUS OR UNACCEPTABLE BY SECURITY ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
Nothing on this page suggests that LGBT or pride apparel is not allowed at the stadium.
Lead Stories reached out to the Kansas City Chiefs for a statement and will update this article if we receive a reply.
