Sports
Heat of the moment
Local gay athletic groups staying busy as summer sizzles
Andres Gomez-Pena, Seth Kalish and Claudia Gebert of D.C. Frontrunners at the 2010 Gay Games in Germany. (Photo by Kevin Majoros)
July brings all kinds of action for the local LGBT sports clubs. It’s never too late to join in the fun. Following are some highlights for the month.
The D.C. Frontrunners are looking to beat the heat. Their Saturday morning run/walks have been moved to 9 a.m. for July and August. Walkers can meet at 23rd and P streets N.W. for a 3-4 mile walk. Runners meet at the same time and location for a 3-, 4- or 6-mile run. The group also meets at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays at the same location for run/walks. More times and information can be found at dcfrontrunners.org.
Rainbow Climbing D.C. will be at Sportrock in Alexandria on July 10 from 2-5 p.m. Members will be hosting a class on bouldering and top climbing starting at 2:30 p.m. Cost of the class ranges from $10 to $18 and includes all the gear you will need to climb that day. Check out the climbers on their Facebook page under Rainbow Climbing D.C.
The Capital Area Rainbowlers Association is hosting a social bowling night on July 18 from 8-10 p.m. at AMF Alexandria Lanes in Annandale. Come with a team or by yourself. The cost is only 99 cents a game which includes those fancy bowling shoes. The bowlers can be found at carabowling.org.
The D.C. Sentinels basketball team is hosting its annual Red party on July 23 from 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. It will be held at Almaz which is located at 1212 U Street N.W. Admission is $8 in advance and $10 at the door. The night will feature a best body contest, Red shooters, raffles and giveaways. This is a fundraiser for the Sentinels as members prepare for upcoming tournaments, establishing a local basketball league and volunteer activities with local charities. They are located at teamdcbasketball.org.
Congratulations to the District of Columbia Aquatics Club for raising $21,000 for local charities at its annual Swim for Life event last month. The swimmers are currently in Honolulu competing for their ninth large team trophy at the International Gay & Lesbian World Championships. More details on the swimmers are at swimdcac.org.
Ultimate Out Frisbee continues through the summer. Practices are every Wednesday from 6:30-8 p.m. on the National Mall fields in front of the Air & Space Museum. Cleats are recommended for this sport. Contact Ben at [email protected] or check them out on Facebook under the name Ultimate Out Frisbee.
If you enjoyed the Night Out at the Nationals event, Team D.C. has two more events in July. Night Out at the Kastles will be held on July 21 at 7 p.m. as the Washington Kastles of World Team Tennis take on the Philadelphia Freedoms in the season finale. The 2011 roster for the Kastles includes Renae Stubbs, Leander Paes, Bobby Reynolds, Venus Williams and Serena Williams. Add to that the hilarious Murphy Jensen in the coaching position and you are sure to have an enjoyable evening. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at teamdc.org.
Night Out at the Mystics will be held on July 26 at 7 p.m. as the Washington Mystics take on the San Antonio Silver Stars. Tickets are $15 and ticketholders will have access to the Acela Lounge for a special gathering throughout the game. Tickets are available at teamdc.org.
For those traveling to Vancouver this summer, the North American OutGames will be contested from July 25-31. Go to vancouver2011outgames.com to learn more.
The Adventuring Outdoors Group continues its series of Arlington Evening Bike Rides on Tuesday. The ride will be 19 miles maintaining a relaxed pace and using bike trails and bicycle-friendly residential streets around the Arlington area. Arrive by 6:25 p.m. at the Clarendon Metro station elevator entrance. Free on-street parking is available. Bring a helmet, water and a $2 trip fee. You can contact the ride leader at [email protected].
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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