Sports
Strike a pose: Stonewall Yoga
New LGBT yoga group to meet on Saturdays
Jessica Whittington showing off her yoga prowess. (Photo courtesy Whittington)
Are you looking to increase your flexibility? Ever wondered what you would look like with a yoga booty?
LGBT-based Stonewall Sports is launching a new offering this month with a nod to its original concept of something new, in a comfortable space, with a sense of community.
Stonewall Yoga will be its first attempt at a non-competitive league with registration for the first season running now through Wednesday, May 25.
The yoga league is the brainchild of Craig Cassey, who found he was leaning on yoga to heal his body and relieve stress after sustaining an injury while training for track & field.
“I have been a practitioner since 2012 in D.C. and was meeting a lot of LGBTQ yogis,” Cassey says. “They were all existing in their own space and there wasn’t a lot of overlap.”
The model for the first season will be 12 sessions from June 4-Aug. 27 with a new yogi showcasing his or her talents each week. The yogis will be a diverse representation of the community and will range from queer men, people of color, transgender and women.
The group will meet on Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. at Town Danceboutique and all skill levels are welcome. The methods will vary weekly and will include vinyasa flow, jivamukti, yin and rocket yoga.
The league will follow the Stonewall model of donating all proceeds to a local charity selected by members. Yoga practices will be given to members to use at home and each session will be followed by a social on the Town patio.
“When someone pitches an idea, we want to support them, because Stonewall Sports is about building community,” says Stonewall Board Member Melvin Thomas. “It’s time for us to get a little uncomfortable and try something new.”
Both Cassey and Thomas say the structure is very intentional and thought out as to what their goals are for the audience — building connections for people with common interests.
“What I have been surprised by so far is how open the D.C. yoga community has been to this offering,” Thomas says. “The best instructors in the area have already stepped up to offer their talents.”
One of those talents is Eric Schwarz, who won D.C.’s Best Yoga Instructor 2016 in Washington City Paper. Schwarz was working for the federal government and experiencing “micro aggressions” for being gay, so he left that work behind to teach yoga full-time.
“Being comfortable is a tremendous confidence builder,” Schwarz says. “The intersection of the yoga community and the LGBT community has become a huge narrative for my life.”
In the U.S., most yoga enthusiasts are white women. This group hopes to exemplify diversity.
“Yoga is a completely subjective expression in a communal space. Everyone’s pose is going to be different and that’s the point,” Schwarz says. “The difference in individuals is part of the process and it lends to the experience.”
The diversity of instructors is further represented by yogi Jessica Whittington, a trans woman. She points to the venture as a safe space that speaks to the community at large.
“The trans community is used to a certain amount of animosity and we can sense when a situation is not welcoming,” Whittington says. “It is important to practice yoga in a space where you won’t be judged.”
Yoga is known to stimulate certain parts of the sensory motor cortex and scientific research has indicated that the stimulation leads to increased absorption of hormones. There are findings that this can lead to better results from hormone replacement therapy medications.
“Yoga really helped me keep things stabilized during the critical time of my transition,” Whittington says. “I am looking forward to the opportunity of practicing within my own community.”
Eric Schwarz (Photo by Cassidy DuHon)
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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From the Pentagon to politics, Bree Fram fighting for LGBTQ rights
Task Force urges renewed organizing amid growing political threats
Comings & Goings
Trump-appointed EEOC leadership rescinds LGBTQ worker guidance
Calendar: January 23-29
‘Heated Rivalry’ stars to participate in Olympic torch relay
