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Tee Sanders loves repping her favorite team.
A proud product of Chicago’s South Side, Sanders has amassed more than 1.5 million followers on Instagram and TikTok with her endearing brand of humor. Whether she’s poking fun at her heavy Chicago accent or her experience on a “skinny people excursion,” the queer influencer makes audiences laugh easy. Her gravely guffaw is unmistakeable, along with her attire.
“You’re always going to see me in a White Sox hat,” Sanders tells Queerty. “Or a Bulls hat. Or a Bears hat. I’m a Chicago girl!”
This week, that proud Chicago girl lived one of her dreams at White Sox Pride Night. A year after throwing out the first pitch, Sanders teamed up with organization to design a special a Sox Pride hat. On one side, it features a Freedom Day patch representing the Stonewall Riots and a “2015” decal to commemorate Obergefell.
On the other side, as an homage to Sanders’ South Side roots, it has a Black Power fist and the slogan “I’m from da crib.”
For Sanders, there was never a doubt that the hat would honor her intersecting identities.
“I’m a black lesbian from Chicago,” says Sanders. “The hat needs to represent that.”
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From the start, Sanders says her dealings with the White Sox have been great. When she pitched the idea of creating a special Pride hat, they were all-in.
On Wednesday, Sanders’ day began with interviews on local TV and radio at 6:00 a.m. and culminated in seeing a 2-1 White Sox victory. After two straight last-place finishes, the White Sox are leading their division.
At Guaranteed Rate Field, the first 700 fans in attendance received Sanders’ hat. She says she wanted to create a product that White Sox fans of all stripes could enjoy.
The feedback that she’s received proves she’s succeeded.
“Everyone can enjoy the hat,” she said. “It’s huge to have your ally rocking the rainbow and being proud to rock the hat, because that represents me.”
An NAACP Image Award winner, Sanders was born on Chicago’s West Side before moving South. Though “98%” of her family cheers for the Cubs, she’s always loved the Sox.
South Side residents take pride in the team’s gritty identity, compared to the yuppified Cubs up north. “There’s a different amount of pride here,” she says. “The White Sox are non-negotiable.”
With Wrigley Field located a block from Boystown, the Cubs boast a large LGBTQ+ fan base. But for Sanders, cheering for the White Sox has always felt like home.
This week, they returned the favor, welcoming Sanders and her closest friends and family. In addition to the game, she enjoyed a generous supply of vegan hot dogs and jackfruit sliders.
It truly was an inclusive event!
“From the time I walked in, it was all smiles and love,” Sanders added. “I said, ‘OK. This is a safe space for us.”
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