( CNN ) -- Germany 's St. Pauli plans on further supporting the gay community by permanently flying the rainbow flag -- which symbolizes gay pride -- at its stadium from this season . `` The club has been active for many years against homophobia and discrimination , '' St. Pauli 's vice-president Gernot Stenger told the club website . `` With this flag we are giving this highly visible sign that these issues have great importance at St. Pauli and we are working hard on them . '' A member of the club 's gay and lesbian fan club , Dirk Brullau , backed the initiative and said it would be a `` quantum leap for the football world '' if a Bundesliga team followed suit . Hamburg 's St. Pauli , which enjoys a cult following due to the skull and crossbones shown on the flag of its supporters , plays in Germany 's second tier . Its move comes less than two months after American Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay male athlete to play in a U.S. professional match . Rogers initially retired from soccer in February , announcing he was gay . He unretired and signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS , making his debut in late May . Jason Collins , a pro basketball player who announced he was gay in April , tweeted Rogers good luck . `` People are just really growing and accepting and loving , '' Rogers said earlier in May . `` Those other things are just not that important to them . `` I think as the younger get older and the generations come and go , I think times are just becoming more accepting . '' But for now no soccer player from the Bundesliga or one of the other elite divisions in Europe has come out as gay , with German international teammates Mario Gomez and Tim Wiese seemingly taking different views on whether they should . Three years ago , Gomez urged gay players to go public . Wiese , however , said they would be `` destroyed '' by `` merciless fans , '' the Guardian reported . German Chancellor Angela Merkel last year said gay footballers should n't be worried about revealing their sexuality . `` Anyone who sums up the strength and bravery should know that they live in a land where they have nothing to fear , '' said Merkel .
American team U.S. to fly rainbow flag in recognition of the gay community . German Robbie Rogers was the first openly gay male athlete to play in a U.S. pro match . Robbie Rogers returned to soccer after retiring and announcing he was gay in May .