On Wednesday, the Jacksonville Armada had a "Star Wars"-themed night, giving away toy lightsabers to its fans. Later matches will honor military members and teachers.

The theme for Saturday's game, though, is the only one people really want to talk to him about, says team owner Mark Frisch.

That's Pride Night, on which the Armada will give away 1,000 rainbow scarves to show the soccer team's support of the area's LGBT residents. Frisch said he's received much support for the idea, and scattered complaints as well.

"I'm doing it because it's a group of people who feel left out in many ways, in many cases," he said. "We have the opportunity to show inclusion, to show support, to show solidarity. I have a gay family member, and it's just - he's not a gay family member, he's my brother in law."

Coach Tony Meola voiced his support too, in no uncertain terms. "I'm 100 percent behind this night, no trepidation whatsoever."

Meola went to three World Cups as goalie for the U.S. team, is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and has worked as a soccer analyst on TV and radio. The sport's history with issues of discrimination, among players and fans in the stands, is far from perfect, but in recent years soccer teams and leagues have been making concerted efforts to counter that, he said.

"No doubts there have been some instances probably that doesn't make our sport proud, but there have been more things that make us proud, that we've been on the forefront of this," he said. "Soccer has been a trailblazer in a lot of ways."

The Armada's Pride Night is not unprecedented.

Indy Eleven, another NASL team, held similarly themed games, as have teams in Major League Soccer, the first-division league in the U.S.

Several Major League Baseball teams have also hosted pride nights in recent years. In 2014 MLB hired former player Billy Bean, who came out as gay after he retired, as the sports official ambassador for inclusion.

LGBT issues and sports are big news lately.

The NCAA's Board of Governors recently voted to require all sites hosting NCAA events to "demonstrate how they will provide an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination."

The move was in reaction, the NCAA said, to state laws "allowing residents to refuse to provide services to some people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity."

The NBA is threatening to move its all-star game next year out of Charlotte, N.C., unless that state's law limiting protections to LGBT people is changed. NASCAR has spoken out against the law as well.

"It's unfortunate that it's even is an issue that should be voted on, or legislated, whatever," Frisch said. "We're talking human rights, and it wasn't too long ago where there was a different group of humans that didn't have rights. To me this is the civil rights issue of the day. It's not acceptable."

Kristi Sweeney, assistant professor of sport management at the University of North Florida, said the Armada is making a wise decision.

"One of their pushes in terms of their market are millennials, who have grown up with more inclusion than other generations," she said. "I do think that soccer has a younger fan base. Then you also think abut their future fans that are growing up in soccer fields that are diverse. I think they've made a great move."

The city's most high-profile sports team said it backs the soccer team's effort.

"We are in support of what the Armada is doing and we work with and market to anyone who is a potential customer," Jacksonville Jaguars spokesman Dan Edwards said in an email. "We market locally/regionally/nationally and now internationally to everyone who is or could become a Jaguars/NFL fan.

Several representatives of the Armada, including Frisch and assistant coach Jim Rooney, a former pro player, ran in last month's Stride for Pride 5K organized by the Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network. The Armada is donating seats to JASMYN youths, board members and supporters for Saturday's match against new expansion team Rayo Oklahoma City.

Bruce Musser, chairman of the group's board, will be at the game with youth leaders from JASMYN, some of whom will take to the field for halftime events.

"It's very motivating," he said. "Some of these kids are adrift, so when they have a positive role model they really latch on. It's like, 'Wow, they want us come?' "

It's smart, too, he thinks, for sports teams to reach out.

"There are a lot of gay men and women who love sports," he said. "There a lot of gay men and women who have season tickets to the Jaguars, to the Armada."

For his part, Frisch said he's not backing the event for financial reasons. In fact, it might even hurt the bottom line.

"I have no clue," he said. "It doesn't even resonate with me for a financial reason. And you might put yourself out there in some risk with some season ticket holders. You never know."

Matt Soergel: (904) 359-4082