Sports
Getting in the game
Local LGBT sports groups celebrate several 2011 triumphs
Hudson Taylor with award recipients at the October presentation of the Team D.C. scholarships. (Blade file photo by Pete Exis)
It was another incredible year for the Washington LGBT sports community. We continue to grow and are one of the largest and most organized LGBT sports communities in the world.
There were many things to celebrate in 2011 such as the District of Columbia Aquatics Club traveling to Honolulu where members won the large team title at the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatic Championships. It was the 10th time they have claimed the trophy. Next they’ll head to Reykjavik, Iceland to defend their title in June. Swimdcac.org.
The D.C. Strokes Rowing Club celebrated its 20th anniversary and once again members hosted the Stonewall Regatta to kick off the summer racing circuit. The Strokes sent 13 members to the USRowing Masters National Regatta in Oklahoma City, Okla., and medaled in seven events. Dcstrokes.org.
Stonewall Kickball and the D.C. Gay Flag Football League both exploded in 2011 with around 200 players joining each league. Members of the football league went to the inaugural Sunshine Bowl in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and brought home the winning trophy. The footballers’ 2012 calendar is available online and the proceeds go to the Team D.C. College Scholarship. stonewallkickball.com and dcgffl.org.
The D.C. Sentinels basketball team won two national tournaments in 2011 taking A division honors at both the Sin City Shootout in Las Vegas and the Coady Roundball Classic in Chicago. teamdcbasketball.org.
The Chesapeake and Potomac Softball League won the bid to host the 2013 North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association Softball World Series. The event is expected to bring more than 160 teams and 2,000 players from member cities across North America. eteamz.com/caps.
The D.C. Front Runners celebrated their 30th anniversary and continue to host multiple runs and walks on a weekly basis along with a seasonal race circuit. dcfrontrunners.org.
The Washington Renegades rugby football club sent their Reds squad to Dallas where they won Hellfest going 5-0 for the day. The renegades finished league play with their best record ever going 8-1 and qualifying for the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union playoffs two years in a row. dcrugby.com.
The Federal Triangle Soccer Club hosted the second season of the Summer of Freedom League, the second annual Women’s Winter Wrap-Up Indoor Cup and the 13th annual Rehoboth Beach Classic soccer tournament. federaltriangles.org.
Lambda DanceSport moved the bulk of its dance classes from Chevy Chase to the Dupont Circle area along with adding several special events. dupontdance.com.
The international LGBT watchdog group AllOut.org collected 46,000 signatures in a petition to bring action against Eucharia Uche, head coach of the women’s Nigerian soccer team. The petition prompted the FIFA to begin an investigation into the allegations that Coach Uche was conducting lesbian witch hunts. allout.org.
Team D.C.’s Night Out series grew to include five local professional sports teams, the Washington Nationals, the Washington Kastles, the Washington Mystics, D.C. United and the Washington Capitals. Look for more to be added in 2012. teamdc.org.
Support from the above mentioned pro teams grew exponentially in 2011 with several of them filming “It Gets Better” videos and expressing interest in future partnerships with the LGBT sports community in D.C.thetrevorproject.org.
Organizations such as the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Athlete Ally and the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation drew national attention for their efforts to further LGBT sports and combat bullying.
Along with these organizations, incredible straight sports allies made national news with their show of support to our community. Thank you Hudson Taylor, Ben Cohen, Paul Tagliabue, Brian Burke and all the others who stepped forward to say that it’s OK to play sports and be gay.
More than a dozen LGBTQ athletes won medals at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics that ended on Sunday.
Cayla Barnes, Hilary Knight, and Alex Carpenter are LGBTQ members of the U.S. women’s hockey team that won a gold medal after they defeated Canada in overtime. Knight the day before the Feb. 19 match proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, an Olympic speed skater.
French ice dancer Guillaume Cizeron, who is gay, and his partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry won gold. American alpine skier Breezy Johnson, who is bisexual, won gold in the women’s downhill. Amber Glenn, who identifies as bisexual and pansexual, was part of the American figure skating team that won gold in the team event.
Swiss freestyle skier Mathilde Gremaud, who is in a relationship with Vali Höll, an Austrian mountain biker, won gold in women’s freeski slopestyle.
Bruce Mouat, who is the captain of the British curling team that won a silver medal, is gay. Six members of the Canadian women’s hockey team — Emily Clark, Erin Ambrose, Emerance Maschmeyer, Brianne Jenner, Laura Stacey, and Marie-Philip Poulin — that won silver are LGBTQ.
Swedish freestyle skier Sandra Naeslund, who is a lesbian, won a bronze medal in ski cross.
Belgian speed skater Tineke den Dulk, who is bisexual, was part of her country’s mixed 2000-meter relay that won bronze. Canadian ice dancer Paul Poirier, who is gay, and his partner, Piper Gilles, won bronze.
Laura Zimmermann, who is queer, is a member of the Swiss women’s hockey team that won bronze when they defeated Sweden.
Outsports.com notes all of the LGBTQ Olympians who competed at the games and who medaled.
Sports
US wins Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey
Team captain Hilary Knight proposed to girlfriend on Wednesday
The U.S. women’s hockey team on Thursday won a gold medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime. The game took place a day after Team USA captain Hilary Knight proposed to her girlfriend, Brittany Bowe, an Olympic speed skater.
Cayla Barnes and Alex Carpenter — Knight’s teammates — are also LGBTQ. They are among the more than 40 openly LGBTQ athletes who are competing in the games.
The Olympics will end on Sunday.
Sports
Attitude! French ice dancers nail ‘Vogue’ routine
Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry strike a pose in memorable Olympics performance
Madonna’s presence is being felt at the Olympic Games in Italy.
Guillaume Cizeron and his rhythm ice dancing partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry of France performed a flawless skate to Madonna’s “Vogue” and “Rescue Me” on Monday.
The duo scored an impressive 90.18 for their effort, the best score of the night.
“We’ve been working hard the whole season to get over 90, so it was nice to see the score on the screen,” Fournier Beaudry told Olympics.com. “But first of all, just coming out off the ice, we were very happy about what we delivered and the pleasure we had out there. With the energy of the crowd, it was really amazing.”
Watch the routine on YouTube here.
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