Celebrating Pride: A Gymnastics Tradition Full Of Meaning And Love
The heartwarming origin of a movement of inclusion and celebrating identity.
By Brady Ruth, Staff Writer
6/25/2026
Almost every season, Maryland gymnastics dons special Pride leotards and celebrates love, identity, and community with a Pride Meet. It’s a tradition that started years ago and has since grown into one of the program’s most meaningful annual moments, blending competition with celebration and visibility. For many within the team, it has become a reminder that the sport’s impact extends well beyond the competition floor.
“It’s something that means a lot to us,” 2026 senior Maddie Komoroski said. “I think it's a good chance to bring awareness to Pride and do it in a way that's still paying tribute to the sport.”
It’s a tradition that started years ago. When putting together the season schedule and planning the themes for each meet, a touching moment found Assistant Gymnastics Coach JJ Ferreira overcome with joy.
“My favorite thing about how the whole Pride Meet tradition started is that the athletes came up to me about it,” Ferreira said. “Obviously, I am a part of the community. I support the community, but I never want to force anybody else to do anything that they would feel uncomfortable with, so the fact that they came to me wanting to do it, that was a really proud moment. It made me feel very special and seen.”
Coach Ferreira is an outspoken member of the LGBTQ+ community; his heart for others and love for life is evident in every word he speaks. He uses his platform to highlight the inclusivity and overwhelming love found within the gymnastics community. Throughout his career, he’s found that the differences between people can be the things that bond them the most.
“The sport of gymnastics is typically looked at as pretty feminine,” Ferreira said. “I think being able to look beyond just that and see a community that’s different in every way is really special. To be able to say, ‘Whoever you are, we are here for you and we're here to support you, no matter what,’ is a real testament to the student-athletes and their openness to anybody from any type of background.”
The energy and confidence that each meet and practice demands are both traits often associated with the LGBTQ+ community. Each time the athletes touch the beam, bars, floor, or vault, there’s a shared understanding of how demanding the sport is, both to the mind and the body.
“There's so much you have to think about and so much emotion and willpower that you're going through to get your body and brain to do all of these flipping elements, so there’s a lot of empathy for others around you,” Ferreira said. “We all want to see everyone succeed in gymnastics, because we all know the challenges that come along with the sport.”
That sense of understanding extends beyond the gym. For many gymnasts, the support system built through years of training creates an environment where differences are embraced rather than scrutinized. The trust required to navigate the sport's physical and mental challenges often fosters a culture of acceptance, one that Ferreira believes shares many of the same values found within the LGBTQ+ community.
“It’s the same thing,” Ferreira said. “People understand the physical, mental, and emotional barriers that exist within that community, so knowing that there are other people going through the same thing lets you have empathy for them. They absolutely parallel each other, and that's why the gymnastics community does seem to be so open and accepting.”
Being able to create an awareness that's not just in those two months makes people feel like they’re not just part of the LGBTQ+ community in June or on National Coming Out Day, but part of something all the time,” Ferreira said. “I'm a part of the community all year round, so being able to show that support in the middle of our gymnastic season is very important for the community.JJ Ferreira
While the Terps didn’t host a Pride Meet in 2026, they competed in the Temple Quad Meet. Temple hosts an annual “Cause Meet,” allowing the participating squads to support a cause of their choice while competing. Komoroski and the Terps jumped at the opportunity to don their Pride leotards — which were designed by Ferreira’s husband — and voice their support for the LGBTQ+ community.
“I think it's important that we as a team and as a family show support in any way that we can,” Komoroski said. “We didn't have our own Pride Meet, but it’s something that means a lot to us. Having the chance to let him know he’s supported, whether in our home gym or away, was really special because I’d want somebody to do the same for me.
Gallery: Gymnastics at Temple Quad
With Pride Month in June and National Coming Out Day residing in October, the collegiate gymnastics season doesn’t fall during a time when Pride is nationally celebrated. It does, however, create the perfect opportunity to remind everyone that identity and community are 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“Being able to create an awareness that's not just in those two months makes people feel like they’re not just part of the LGBTQ+ community in June or on National Coming Out Day, but part of something all the time,” Ferreira said. “I'm a part of the community all year round, so being able to show that support in the middle of our gymnastic season is very important for the community.”
Growing up, Ferreira remembers feeling “different” from his peers and carrying the weight of society’s stereotypical expectations of what a man should be, often reinforced through television and popular culture. Those expectations didn’t align with who he was, and at times it made it difficult for him to stay positive.
“I had some incredibly dark times and didn’t know if I could ever get out,” Ferreira said in 2022. “My exterior told others I was doing great, but my interior was screaming and crying for help. It took me over 30 years, but I finally realized that it’s okay to be different.”
Maryland gymnastics strives to turn XFINITY Center into a place where everyone feels welcome and where feeling “different” isn’t ostracized, but celebrated.
“When I'm walking down the street, if I see a pride flag on somebody's house, I know that that's a safe place for me,” Ferreira said. “So when people come into our crowd and they look out and they can see the pride flags that are flanking our scorers’ table, and they can see the pride flag on the leotards, they know that it's a safe place for them.”
That strive to create a space of love and inclusivity spans from the past rosters to future ones. Incoming Terp Rylee Guevara is overflowing with excitement to be a Terp and join the program and culture that head coach Brett Nelligan and Ferreira have built.
“It made me really excited,” Guevara said. “I knew they had a Pride meet, and I got to come in and take my media day photos in the Pride leotard, which I was so excited about. The Pride Meet is such a fun way to get out there and really show that everyone is welcome in College Park and at XFINITY Center. We want people to come, we want them there, and the inclusivity of the Pride Meet is just really awesome.”
Having a Pride Meet is something that means a lot to us. I think it's a good chance to bring awareness to Pride and do it in a way that's still paying tribute to the sport.Maddie Komoroski
Coach Ferreira has love for everyone, but his passion resides with the Terps. He’s a coach, a mentor, and a friend. He doesn’t view himself as an inspiration to the LGBTQ+ community, but as a reminder that anyone can be anything as it continues to impact the lives of others.
“When I'm in the moment, I'm Coach JJ doing what I love,” Ferreira said. “But a lot of times after it's over, I look around and reflect on the fact that we've done something great. We've exposed the community to more love and support in a month where it's not always as visible.
“It’s very cool to look around and know we did something great, despite what the outcome was on the mat. We could have saved somebody's life sitting in that crowd. We know that everyone there felt supported, and maybe that's exactly what at least one person in the stands needed.”
