Sports
A busy season for Federal Triangles
From Gay Games to new summer league, local soccer team thriving
The Federal Triangles Soccer Club expanded with new men’s and women’s teams in the spring. Find out more at federaltriangles.org. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Majoros)
Editor’s note: This new local sports column will appear twice each month and feature profiles of D.C.-area LGBT sports teams as well as news from around the leagues. Send your sports-related tips to [email protected].
Washington, D.C. is home to one of the largest and most organized LGBT sports communities in the world. Team DC, the clearinghouse organization for D.C. metropolitan LGBT sports, is currently listing 30 teams/clubs on its roster.
One of the most visible clubs on the roster is the Federal Triangles Soccer Club (FTSC). After reaching a pinnacle in 2009 by hosting the highly successful IGLFA World Championships, the team has continued to grow and evolve. Last spring, the club fielded a new men’s and a new women’s team bringing their total to four men’s league teams and four women’s league teams. They also fielded five coed teams in the spring.
Some of the 2010 highlights for the Triangles:
FTSC Summer of Freedom League Presented by DC Councilmember Jim Graham
The D.C. area’s first ever LGBT soccer league kicks off on July 6, 2010 at the Metro-accessible Bell Field in Columbia Heights. Nick Napolitano, communications director for the FTSC stated, “There are only a handful of LGBT soccer leagues in the world, so this is a noteworthy milestone not just for the Triangles, but for the LGBT sports community in D.C.”
This is essentially an intra-club league, but registration is individual and the players will be placed on one of eight teams. The league organizers are forming rosters that are balanced by skill, gender and positions. Registration for this groundbreaking league is nearly full; however the league is still accepting substitutes and replacement players.
Rehoboth Beach Classic XII Coed Tournament, July 3
If you are at the beach this weekend, check out the FTSC as they host this annual coed social soccer extravaganza. There is an opening night party at The Double L on Friday, July 2, and tournament play is scheduled for July 3 at Rehoboth Beach Elementary School.
Night Out with the DC United
The FTSC has organized the first ever Night Out with the DC United at RFK Stadium on September 25, against the Houston Dynamo. Premium individual tickets are $20 (almost half the usual $36 price). Ticket prices decrease to $18 each for a block of 10, and to $16 each for a block of 25 or more. Stay tuned for more details of this event.
Women’s Winter Indoor Wrap-Up Cup
This tournament represents another first for the FTSC. In late March this year, the FTSC organized an all-ladies indoor event at the Rockville Sportsplex. Eight teams from D.C. and Philadelphia clashed and the event was considered a huge success. It will likely be repeated in 2011.
Pick-Up
Pick-up play near the National Mall is the Triangle’s baseline activity. Sunday pick-up happens year-round and Wednesday pick-up starts in the spring and ends in the late fall. Pick-up play is open to people of all genders, skill levels and orientations. Bring a dark or white shirt as teams are divided in that manner. No gray or pastel color shirts. Cleats and shin guards are strongly suggested. A map showing the location is available on the website. For more information, contact Tom at [email protected]. (Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. and Sundays, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Charitable Outreach
The Triangles have been involved with several local and international charitable causes over the years. Two recent efforts involve the Building Bridges program in South Africa and the Remote Villages Project in Honduras. Through fundraising efforts, the FTSC has helped to provide soccer supplies to impoverished communities in both South Africa and Honduras.
2010 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany
The FTSC is sending nine men and one woman to the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, which begin July 31, 2010. Jim Ensor, president of the FTSC stated, “The men will partner with an Irish team, the Dublin Devils FC to form the Devil’s Triangles. The woman, Sami Holtz, will play with the Chicago team.” Go Triangles!
Kevin Majoros has been a member of the District of Columbia Aquatics Club since 1996 and a Team DC board member since 2006. Reach him at [email protected].
Sports
‘Heated Rivalry’ stars to participate in Olympic torch relay
Games to take place next month in Italy
“Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will participate in the Olympic torch relay ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics that will take place next month in Italy.
HBO Max, which distributes “Heated Rivalry” in the U.S., made the announcement on Thursday in a press release.
The games will take place in Milan and Cortina from Feb. 6-22. The HBO Max announcement did not specifically say when Williams and Storrie will participate in the torch relay.
The Washington Capitals will host Pride Night on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they host the Florida Panthers at Capital One Arena. A special ticket offer featuring a Pride-themed Capitals rainbow jersey is available at washcaps.com.
Fans are invited to a pre-game Block Party at District E beginning at 5 p.m. The event will feature a performance by the band NovaKane. Specialty happy hour food and beverages will be available, as well as giveaways. There will also be a presence by several local LGBTQ+ community organizations.
Egypt
Iran, Egypt object to playing in Seattle World Cup ‘Pride Match’
Game to take place on June 26
Iran and Egypt have objected to playing in a “Pride Match” that will take place in Seattle during the 2026 World Cup.
The Egyptian Football Association on Tuesday said it told FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström in a letter that “it categorically rejects holding any activities related to supporting (homosexuality) during the match between the Egyptian national team and Iran, scheduled to be held in Seattle, USA, on June 26, 2026, in the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.” Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran President Mehdi Taj told ISNA, a semi-official Iranian news agency that both his country and Egypt “protested this issue.”
The 2026 World Cup will take place in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The draw took place at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 5.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death.
The State Department’s 2023 human rights report notes that while Egyptian law “did not explicitly criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, authorities regularly arrested and prosecuted LGBTQI+ persons on charges including ‘debauchery,’ prostitution, and ‘violating family values.’” Egyptian authorities “also reportedly prosecuted LGBTQI+ individuals for ‘misuse of social media.’”
“This resulted in de facto criminalization of same-sex conduct and identity,” notes the report.
The 2024 human rights report the State Department released earlier this year did not include LGBTQ-specific references.
Soccer has ‘unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs’
The June 26 match between Iran and Egypt coincides with Seattle Pride. The Washington Post reported the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organizing Committee decided to hold the “Pride Match” before last week’s draw.
“As the Local Organizing Committee, SeattleFWC26’s role is to prepare our city to host the matches and manage the city experience outside of Seattle Stadium,” said SeattleFWC26 Vice President of Communications Hana Tadesse in a statement the committee sent to the Washington Blade on Wednesday. “SeattleFWC26 is moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament, partnering with LGBTQ+ leaders, artists, and business owners to elevate existing Pride celebrations across Washington.”
“Football has a unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs,” added Tadeese. “The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and rich communities representing all nations we’re hosting in Seattle. We’re committed to ensuring all residents and visitors experience the warmth, respect, and dignity that defines our region.”
The 2034 World Cup will take place in Saudi Arabia.
Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death in the country. The 2022 World Cup took place in neighboring Qatar, despite concerns over the country’s anti-LGBTQ rights record.
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