(Nov. 17 update: The F.A.G.S won the title, defeating Bandana Rama, 5-2).
A group of FAGS will play for their league championship Monday in the Los Angeles Dodgeball Society. The Fun Active Gentleman’s Society is a group of 20 openly gay guys who play in the UpHigh/Down/Low league in L.A.’s Silverlake area. Wrote the Gay List Daily:
The F.A.G.S. are a force to be reckoned with in the sport. Naturally, they are the best dressed on the court, yet their prowess intimidates their competitors.After an intense recent game, we heard something never dreamed of on childhood dodgeball courts worldwide: “F.A.G.S. kick ass!”
The F.A.G.S are as diverse as Silver Lake, with players who are “jocks, drag queens, negative and positive, hipsters, nerds and artists,” wrote one fan to Outsports. They went 9-1-1 this season and face the top-seed Bandana Rama in the final. At a recent game, the F.A.G.S had the crowd chanting “No on Prop. 8!” during the game.
“This has been an eye-opening experience to face such discrimination with the passing of Prop 8. Many of our team members feel that our drive to win in the upcoming championship game is analogous to the larger struggle to repeal Prop 8. If we can bring attention to this issue through our team, then we are contributing to the greater good,” says co-captain Jack Connolly.
The championship will take place at Staples Center Monday night after the end of the Clippers’ NBA game. Tickets are $15, and include admission to the Clippers-Spurs game beforehand.
Dodgeball has become hot in L.A. and I know guys I play football with who are big dodgeball players. The F.A.G.S play the “Stay Puft” version of dodgeball, somewhat less hardcore. “Games are played with ‘no-sting’ rubber balls by folks of all levels who can be as fearless as they want to be without having to worry about the messy bruising,” the L.A. dodgeball site says.
At the other end is the Charles Bronson version. “Games are played with old school 8.5-inch rubber playground balls. … The balls sometimes sting and the shots to the privates are far less forgiving.” I would definitely be in the Stay Puft camp, since being pummeled by hard rubber balls is not my idea of fun.
The F.A.G.S:
on Nov 13th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Way to go Fags.
you clinch the SilverLake division and us Mo’s will clinch the Hollywood Division. (Furious George)
See you on the court my friends.
Potter
on Nov 14th, 2008 at 2:28 am
I’ve seen the F.A.G.S. play twice, and they DOMINATE!! Can’t wait to see them at the Staples Center! Go F.A.G.S.!!!
on Nov 15th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Very offensive. Willing to call yourself the f word is the type of thing that sets back gay rights. Never have and never will use that word and this team should be ashamed of themselves.
on Nov 16th, 2008 at 1:13 am
I’m not a big fan of the word either and the team name does bother me a little but it doesn’t offend. History shows that one great way to defang an insult is by owning it…so there you go.
Good Luck you Fun Active Gentlemen you!
on Nov 17th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I am a proud member of the F.A.G.S. and I just want to be clear about the use of the “F” word. We have indeed ‘owned’ the name and by diffusing the malignant notion that the word carries, we have galvanized gays and straights to cheer and scream their heads off in support of the “real gay agenda (victory at Staple Center tonight)”
I, too, was a little worried that we are propagating a nasty word with horrible connotations, but all I can say is that you have to see it! You have to see how the fans love the F.A.G.S. how you can’t help but pull for our victory! and scream our name It’s pretty incredible.
Also keep in mind that we are playing in Silverlake which tends to be a VERY color blind area of Los Angeles.
GO FAGS!