Sports
Getting in the game
Opportunities abound for local LGBT sports lovers
Several of the Washington-based LGBT sports clubs come to life in the spring season. There are a multitude of opportunities to become involved in this growing community.
The Capital Area Rainbowlers Association (CARA) has several bowling leagues in bloom and is looking for bowlers of all skill levels.
Ten Pin Pride is Mondays at 8 p.m. at AMF Annandale Lanes with four-person teams.
Smack is Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. at AMF Alexandria Lanes with two-person teams.
Rainbowl League is Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at AMF College Park Lanes with one-person teams.
We Are Everywhere is Thursdays at 7:45 p.m. at AMF Annandale Lanes with three-person teams.
More information on CARA is at carabowling.org.
The District of Columbia Aquatics Club (DCAC) is in training for the International Gay & Lesbian Aquatic championships, which will be held in Reykjavic, Iceland beginning on May 30. The swimmers will be gunning to defend their world title in the large team category.
The swimmers also look to host their annual open water event Swim for Life on July 14. More information on the DCAC is at swimdcac.org.
Spring practices have begun for the Washington Renegades Rugby Football Club which competes in the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union. Match play for the team begins March 10 and the group can be found practicing at Cardozo High School. More information on the ruggers is at dcrugby.com.
The D.C. Sentinels basketball team is heading to Chicago for the Coady Roundball Classic which begins April 10 to defend the title they won last year. The Roundballers are also hosting happy hours at Mova and have also begun hosting D.C. Invasion events on straight bars. More information on the Sentinels is atteamdcbasketball.org.
The Stonewall Kickball league recently maxed out on their league cap of 480 players for the spring league. You can catch them playing every Sunday at Stead Field from 2 to 6 p.m. beginning March 25. More information on kickball is atstonewallsports.org/kickball.
The D.C. Gay Flag Football League has also maxed out on its spring league but prospective members can get on a waiting list. You can see them in action on Sundays from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Carter Barron fields. This season also touts four evenings of Friday Night Lights to be contested at Randall Field.
The group recently sent two teams to the Florida Sunshine Cup in Fort Lauderdale. One of the teams, led by quarterback Brandon Waggoner, made it to the championship game before falling to the eventual winners. More information on the League is at dcgffl.org.
Registration is now open for the Learn to Row program offered by the D.C. Strokes Rowing Club. The first session begins April 28 and the Strokes are based at the Anacostia Community Boathouse.
Former Strokes rower and Learn to Row alumni Jason Beagle gave up his job in D.C. last fall and moved to Oklahoma City to train for an opportunity to join the United States Paralympics team. You can read about his incredible journey thus far atdcstrokes.org.
The Federal Triangles Soccer Club is hosting the third annual Women’s Winter Wrap-Up Indoor Cup on March 18 at the Rockville Sportsplex. Upcoming league information for the Triangles is at federaltriangles.org.
The winter leagues for the Capital Tennis Association are still in full swing through April. Registration for the summer league will open soon and the season runs from May to September. More information is at capital-tennis.org.
Sailing season will begin soon and there will be many opportunities to join theRainbow Spinnakers Sailing Club for a sail on the bay. You can either ride along as a passenger or train to be a skipper. More information on the RSSC is atrainbowspinnakers.org.
Golf season for the Lambda Links Golf Club begins April 1 and runs through October 28. For information on tee off dates and tournaments, go to lambdalinks.org.
The Adventuring outdoors group continues its weekly hiking trips with the Bull Run Mountain Hike on March 4. Look for their recreational biking series to begin in the next few months. For more information, go to adventuring.org.
The Rainbow Climbing League of D.C. has expanded its rock climbing offerings through the spring season. Members are at Sportrock in Alexandria on Tuesdays, Sportrock in Sterling on Wednesdays and Earth Treks in Rockville on Mondays. They can occasionally be found climbing at Earth Treks in Columbia. Check out their Facebook page at Rainbow Climbing D.C.
Lambda DanceSPORT D.C. continues its lessons in ballroom, Latin, swing and assorted other dance styles every Wednesday and Sunday at the Church of the Pilgrims in Dupont Circle. For more events, go to lambdadancesportdc.org.
Washington sports clearinghouse, Team D.C. will be hosting its annual Team D.C. Fashion Show and Model Search to support its student/athlete college scholarship fund. This year’s event will held at Town on March 10 and will feature fashions by Thomas Christopher Apparel, Fireboy Underwear, The Leather Rack and Universal Gear. You can vote on the models in advance at teamdc.org.
Team D.C. will also be hosting another SportsFest on April 12. This is your opportunity to walk the gauntlet of the LGBT sports clubs in D.C. as they line up to recruit new athletes.
Didn’t see your sport of choice on the list today? Check out all the rest of the sports clubs at teamdc.org.
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.
-
Real Estate5 days agoConvert rent check into an automatic investment, Marjorie!
-
Theater5 days agoSwing actor Thomas Netter covers five principal parts in ‘Clue’
-
District of Columbia4 days agoEleanor Holmes Norton ends 2026 reelection campaign
-
Opinions4 days agoICE agents murder another American citizen in Minneapolis

