The Portland Timbers recently devoured the Chivas USA at home by a score of 3-0 but a campaign against homophobia launched by the Portland fans is what took the headlines by storm.

The Portland Timbers recently devoured the Chivas USA at home by a score of 3-0 but a campaign against homophobia launched by the Portland fans is what took the headlines by storm. A huge banner that read "Football Fans Against Homophobia" was hanging down from the stands throughout the entirety of the match, displaying two men kissing with a rainbow behind them.Ever since Robbie Rodgers announced his retirement from soccer due to the fact that he is gay, the MLS has attempted to kick homophobia out of the game. Rodgers stated that it was impossible to be a professional soccer player while being gay but the support of many MLS colleagues brought Robbie back to the game that he loves . With great fans that tolerate the fact that everybody is different and that promote equality for all, it's no wonder why the ex-Colombus man is making his way back to MLS play.

The fans did not stop at the banner to show their respect for all sexual orientations; the Portland Timbers took a page from the Borussia Dortmund handbook and made a tifo of a rainbow to encourage everybody to accept each other. Although the tifo was nothing close to the quality of the Germans, the message behind the actions is what makes the tifo so special. Fans received little flags of different colors before the match and waved them to make a beautiful scenery for everybody at the stadium.

Along with racism, homophobia is one of the most talked about problems in the world of professional sports but with courageous players like Robbie Rodgers showing the world that they will be who they are despite not being accepted, it seems as if we are evolving to cope with these issues better. The MLS has even launched a campaign that tells every player and fan not to cross the line between what they might think is funny, and what others might see as an insult. Soccer fans look up to the players from a very young age so if a player promotes respect for everybody, the fans will follow the example. Respect doesn't mean that you need to agree with another person's ideas but like the Beatles so famously said, just "Let It Be".