Sports
Expanding horizons
Night OUT series moves into college basketball
Last year’s BB&T Classic at the Verizon Center. (Photo courtesy BB&T Classic)
Recently added to Team D.C.’s Night OUT series is the Night OUT at the BB&T Classic Basketball Tournament to be held at the Verizon Center Dec. 8 at 1 p.m. The event marks the Night OUT series’ first venture into collegiate sports.
“We think the tournament will offer members of the LGBT community a chance to have a different kind of experience other than a happy hour at a bar,” says Brent Minor, executive director of Team D.C. “College basketball games have a completely different vibe than professional basketball games.”
The BB&T Classic has been held annually since 1995 and has served over the years to showcase some of the best college basketball programs in the D.C. metro area. This year’s event will be a double header and will feature three local colleges and the Oklahoma Sooners.
Rookie Atlantic 10 Conference members, George Mason University will take on Big 12 Conference powerhouse, Oklahoma, which made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2009 last season at March Madness 2013.
In the other game at the Verizon Center, future Big 10 members, the University of Maryland will clash with Atlantic 10 Conference team, George Washington University. The Maryland Terrapins last made it to the season ending NCAA Tournament in 2010.
The BB&T Classic is a fundraiser for the Children’s Charities Foundation and came to fruition after Former U.S. Ambassador Peter Teeley and a group of Washington-area business and professional leaders founded the Children’s Charities Foundation in 1994.
The Children’s Charities Foundation has distributed nearly $9 million to charities in the Washington metropolitan area including the District, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland; Fairfax and Arlington Counties in Virginia and in the city of Alexandria.
In an effort to beef up the spectator numbers of the BB&T Classic, which saw attendance of 10,200 in 2012, the Tournament has applied for “exempt” status within the NCAA. That is, NCAA Bylaw 17.3.5.1.1, also known as the “qualifying regular-season multi-team event.”
An adjustment to the rule governing “exempt” tournaments was created in 2006 allowing up to four games played under the funding of a single multi-team event to count as just one against the NCAA-prescribed maximum of 28 regular-season games. Teams not participating in a multi-team event can play a total of 29 regular season contests.
Teeley is confident that an “exempt” D.C. tournament can draw teams away from exotic locales such as Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
“The rich history that Washington, D.C. has to offer is a big draw for college-age kids,” Teeley says. “I am confident that the exempt status will enable us to draw good teams to the area.”
Another popular notion of the multi-team event format is that teams get to play on neutral courts and prepares them for the kind of atmosphere they can expect in the postseason.
The “tip-off” event for the 19th annual BB&T Classic Tournament is the black-tie 2013 BasketBALL Gala, to be held at the Washington Hilton Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m.
As a special bonus to all Night OUT attendees who buy a ticket through Team D.C., media sponsor the Washington Blade and Ciroc will host a private party between the two games on Dec. 8 in the Acela Lounge at the Verizon Center. Ciroc will provide the first 100 people with a free drink and the party will remain open through the second game.
Tickets for the doubleheader are $30 and can be purchased at teamdc.org.
Children’s Charities Foundation is online at ccfdc.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.
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