Sports
Pride season play time
Local gay sports groups have bounty of summer activities planned
The Rainbow Spinnakers in action on a recent sailing expedition. Its members have activities planned every weekend throughout summer. (Photo by Kevin Majoros)
Pride month is upon us and the D.C. sports clubs are all in full summer swing. Following are some highlights of activities for the coming weeks.
June is a great month for sailing in the Delmarva area. The Rainbow Spinnakers head out every weekend and some weeknights. You can learn to skipper or just relax as a passenger. For more info, visit rainbowspinnakers.org.
The Lambda Divers have two scuba diving trips lined up for fall. Join them in Grand Cayman or Cozumel for either the whole week or just the weekend. You can meet the divers every third Sunday at Nellie’s Sports Bar between 5-7 p.m. for happy hour. The next happy hour is June 19. They can also be found at lambdadivers.org.
The District of Columbia Aquatics Club is hosting the 20th annual Swim for Life event on June 25 at Rolph’s Wharf on the Chester River. There will be 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-mile swims contested that day. Proceeds from Swim for Life support a number of small local organizations assisting individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as the Chester River Association, which advocates for the health of the Chester River. Visit swimdcac.org for details. On a side note, the swimmers will be heading to Honolulu, Hawaii from July 6-10 for the International Gay & Lesbian Aquatics Championships. Good luck swimmers.
The D.C. Gay Flag Football League is currently between seasons but members are keeping in shape by cross training in Ping Pong. The fourth Thursday of each month this summer they will be paddling away at Nellie’s Sports Bar at 7:30 p.m. Entry fees are $15 for singles and $25 for doubles. The next paddling is June 23. Contact Master JJ at [email protected] as spots will fill up.
The Lambda Links Golf Club is hosting its second tournament of the season on June 11 at the University of Maryland golf course. Members have room for 40 golfers and tee times start at noon. Cost of the event is $80 which includes green fees, prizes, range balls, gift and cart. Contact Matt at [email protected].
The Adventuring outdoors group is hosting another ride in its series of Arlington Evening Bike Rides on June 14. Using bike trails and bicycle friendly residential streets, the ride is a 19-mile loop and will visit the swanky Lake Barcroft neighborhood in Fairfax County. At the end of the ride an optional social dinner will be held at Rocklands Barbeque. The group will meet at the Clarendon Metro station elevator entrance (Wilson Blvd. and Highland St.) and the ride will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. Bring a helmet, water and the $2 trip fee. Contact Lee at [email protected].
Not convinced all these summer sports are for you? The D.C. IceBreakers will skate on Wednesday at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Cool off on the ice with the skaters starting at 8:15 p.m., then join them for a social after the skate. Details are at dcicebreakers.com.
On Sunday, head over to the sports row at Capital Pride where you can mingle with the athletes from the various LGBT sports clubs. During the course of the day, different teams will be tending bar in the beer gardens at the west end of the festival. Join them as they do their best to coax a tip from your wallet to benefit their team. Happy Pride!
Iran and Egypt on Friday faced off during the World Cup’s “Pride Match” in Seattle.
Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death. Discrimination and persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity is commonplace in Egypt.
Friday’s match coincided with Pride weekend in Seattle. The Egyptian Football Association and the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran both objected to playing in the “Pride Match.”
Egypt and Iran tied 1-1.
FIFA, for its part, allowed Pride flags inside the stadium during the match.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds,” a FIFA spokesperson told the Washington Blade in a statement. “Fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome at matches and events. General statements of human rights, including rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity, are permitted under the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Stadium Code of Conduct and may be displayed inside stadiums provided they are used in a manner consistent with the code.”
Human Rights Watch welcomed FIFA’s decision to allow Pride flags inside the stadium. Outright International, a global LGBTQ and intersex rights group, distributed Pride flags in Seattle on Friday, which was Pride Match Day.
“Visibility matters,” said Outright International Executive Director Maria Sjödin. “Pride is now being celebrated in more than 100 countries, including this weekend in Seattle. For many LGBTIQ people, seeing a Pride flag in public is a reminder that they are not alone, and that their rights and dignity are recognized.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino earlier this year told Die Weltwoche, a Swiss magazine, that “there will be no ‘Pride Match’ at the (FIFA) World Cup.”
“There will be a FIFA World Cup match in Seattle, and on the same day, events organized by external organizations will be taking place in the city,” said Infantino. “But that has nothing to do with the match itself.”
Peter Tatchell, a long-time LGBTQ activist from the U.K. who is director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, was among those who traveled to Seattle for Friday’s match. Tatchell accused FIFA of not vetting World Cup teams — specifically Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Senegal, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Uzbekistan, and Algeria — over whether they would allow gay players.
“FIFA is protecting LGBT+ visibility in the stands while failing to protect LGBT+ players on the pitch,” said Tatchell.
The Baltimore Orioles will take on the Washington Nationals on Friday, June 26 at 7 p.m. for Pride Night at Oriole Park.
The first 15,000 fans will receive an exclusive Pride Night Orioles jersey. The Washington Blade is a media sponsor of this event.
To purchase tickets, visit Orioles.com/Tickets.
Sports
Minor league team in York, Pa., forfeits Pride Night game after some players refuse to wear special jersey
City is roughly 20 miles north of Md. border
An independent minor league baseball team says it is forfeiting a game because some of its players refused to wear a special Pride Night jersey.
The Atlantic League Pro Baseball’s York Revolution were planning to hold their 11th annual Pride Night event Thursday for a game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.
But the Revolution announced the day of the game that it wouldn’t be played. York is about 20 miles north of the Maryland line. The Blue Crabs play in Waldorf.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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