Sports
‘Front’ of the line
Local gay running group boasts 300 members
The usually do more running than dancing but here the D.C. Front Runners perform in the Capital Pride parade in June. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
One of the larger LGBT sports group in the D.C area is the D.C. Front Runners. About 300 members strong, they can often be seen running or walking in groups throughout different sections of the city.
Founded in 1981, the group offers a variety of options for people looking for a regular schedule of exercise. They belong to an extensive network of Front Runner clubs that have representation around the world. Currently there are about 100 Front Runner chapters, representing 36 states and 10 countries.
Annual member dues for the group are $25 for individuals, $40 for households and $10 for students. Members receive weekly e-mail updates, a quarterly newsletter, running store discounts, entry into an intra-club race/walk circuit competition, access to race training programs and invitations to club social functions.
The walking circuit is hosted on Saturday mornings, Tuesday evenings and on federal holidays in the morning. The group either meets at 23rd and P streets N.W. or at Union Station. The walk is between 3 and 4 miles with the path taken varying between several different loops. The pace of the walkers can be brisk or just a leisurely stroll. The group will make sure you are not walking alone.
The run circuit meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, Saturday and Sunday mornings and on federal holiday mornings. These are non-competitive runs and depending on the day, they run along Rock Creek Park, the National Mall and the Potomac River. They also meet at either 23rd and P Street N.W. or Union Station. The distance and pace is at the discretion of each runner and the leaders will help you find someone with similar needs. It is common for Saturday morning runs to have about 50 in attendance.
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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