The lawsuit claims that the coaches:

1. Called Skye to a fake team meeting
2. Locked Skye in the locker room alone with the coaches
3. Berated Skye about being a lesbian and accused her of spreading gossip about one of the coaches being lesbian
4. Called Skye’s mother to the school and outed Skye to her mother
5. Kicked Skye off the softball team

The School district is mounting a full defense of the coaches’ actions claiming that they followed school policy by outing Skye.

Get the full story from Griffin at her blog.

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Updated: Nov. 28, 2011, 1:15pmPT

The North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance has settled a lawsuit brought by the National Center for Lesbian Rights on behalf of three players who were disqualified from the 2008 Gay Softball World Series in Seattle. In the settlement the players have been reinstated and their second-place finish is now fully recognized, while NAGAAA maintains the Constitutional right to limit the number of straight players on a team.

At the 2008 event, NAGAAA limited the number of non-gay players on any team to two; Because these three players claimed to be bisexual, their team, D2, exceeded the non-gay limit and was disqualified after an allegedly disturbing inquisition process. Earlier this year NAGAAA changed its policy to include an unlimited number of LGBT players on any team, with the two-player limit applying strictly to self-identified straight players.

All that was left was for NAGAAA to retroactively reinstate the players and recognize their team’s second-place finish in 2008, which the settlement achieves.

“It means a lot to me that NAGAAA is going to recognize our second place finish in 2008,” said LaRon Charles, one of the plaintiffs in the case, in a written statement. “I am happy NAGAAA has also made rule changes to let players like me know they are welcome. I look forward to continuing to play ball with my friends, teammates and community in NAGAAA’s tournaments.”

A request to NCLR to speak with the plaintiffs was denied.

The lawsuit originally had far bigger goals, as NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter told Outsports previously that he wanted to prohibit gay sports organizations from limiting the number of straight players. However, U.S. District Judge John Coughenour said in a ruling earlier this year that there was no compelling state interest in forcing gay events to allow straight players:

NAGAAA might very well believe that given the history of gay exclusion for sports, the only way to promote competition for all persons, and ensure that gay athletes have the same opportunities as straight athletes, is to create an exclusively gay community with exceptions for a small number of straight players. It is not the role of the courts to scrutinize the content of an organization’s chosen expression.

The issue of limits based on sexual orientation won’t go away anytime soon. I had dinner Sunday night with someone who played on a good gay softball team who said flat-out that players claim they are gay or bisexual when they are in fact straight. Let’s face it: If a team wants to cheat, there’s simply no good way to enforce the rule other than trusting the integrity of the players. This isn’t to say that is the case with these D2 players: There is no compelling evidence that the plaintiffs in this case aren’t bisexual, as they claim. However, NAGAAA claims the athletes never said they were bisexual until legal proceedings had begun.

NAGAAA commissioner Roy Melani calls the settlement a “complete win” for NAGAAA:

We believe that NAGAAA has the right to define our organization’s mission and to determine for ourselves how best to fulfill that mission.  We are pleased that the Court has recognized NAGAAA’s First Amendment rights, and that the parties have been able to resolve their remaining disputes and put this matter to rest.

On the flip side, lifting a restriction all together, like NCLR had sought to do, has pitfalls. The Bingham Cup has no restrictions of straight players, and the Gotham Knights came out of nowhere to win the whole tournament in 2010. Various players allege the Knights recruited a bevy of straight players, some of them semi-pro. If true (Outsports has not been able to confirm the claims), it’s hardly in the spirit of these gay events that are largely venues for gay people to hang out together. Still, many gay teams load their rosters with straight players in various sports, so it wouldn’t be a big surprise.

According to NCLR spokesperson Erik Olvera, NAGAAA will consider dropping the ban going forward:

NAGAAA also has committed to continue discussing whether to drop the rule altogether, and will be co-sponsoring [a] panel discussion with us at the next Gay Softball World Series.

At the end of the day, the lawsuit was a step forward — how big I don’t know. It got NAGAAA to bring all LGBT people into their fold, which is incredibly important — no member of the community should be made to feel less-than at these events. It also brought light to the potential pitfalls of how NAGAAA determines who’s straight and who’s not. On a personal level, it gave closure to a softball team that fought hard to finish second in 2008. And maybe most importantly, the lawsuit’s defeat last spring affirmed a gay-sports league’s ability to associate with whom they choose. Both NAGAAA and NCLR got some of what they wanted; And the community has maintained the Constitutional right of association. These are all good things.

You can read NAGAAA’s and NCLR’s full press releases below. From NAGAAA:

SEATTLE, Washington — Organizers of the Gay Softball World Series (GSWS) have announced a settlement in the federal lawsuit that had questioned the legality of a rule requiring teams playing in the annual softball tournament for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to consist primarily of members of the LGBT community. The decision to settle came after a series of stinging blows to the case filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) on behalf of three men whose team was disqualified from the 2008 tournament for allegedly skirting the rule.

“We have been vindicated by the judge’s First Amendment rulings,” said Roy Melani, the Commissioner of the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA), which hosts the GSWS. “This lawsuit threatened not only the purpose of our organization, but also its future. We fought hard to protect ourselves and our core identity and I am relieved this issue is finally behind us.”

NCLR filed the lawsuit in April 2010 in Federal Court after the Washington Human Rights Commission decided to pass on the case. Plaintiffs asserted various discrimination and privacy claims against NAGAAA, and asked the Court to bar NAGAAA from enforcing its rule in any future Gay Softball World Series.

However, a series of pre-trial rulings from U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour strongly favored the tournament and its First Amendment rights. On May 31, 2011, the judge dismissed plaintiffs’ claim seeking to change NAGAAA’s rule, and found that the First Amendment applies to NAGAAA’s mission.  On November 14, 2011, the judge dismissed plaintiffs’ discrimination claims, ruling that “the First Amendment protects NAGAAA’s membership policy from Washington’s public-accommodation law.”

“It’s the Gay Softball World Series,” Melani argues. “It’s important we defend our right to maintain that identity. How else could we send our message that openly LGBT athletes can excel at team sports? We are a thriving and vibrant community. We compete. We socialize. We look after each other.”

Judge Coughenour agreed, finding that “it is reasonable that an organization seeking to limit participation to gay athletes would require members to express whether or not they are gay athletes.”

The three plaintiffs have now identified themselves as bisexual, but they did not do so during 2008 Protest Hearing or in their original complaints.  “If all three players had just said they were bisexual at the time, the lawsuit would never have happened,” says Melani.  Nevertheless, NAGAAA has clarified its written policies to confirm that bisexual and transgender players are full members of the LGBT community.   Plaintiffs’ remaining individual claims, which sought damages for alleged invasion of privacy and emotional distress, were set for trial in December, but the parties have now reached a settlement agreement resolving the lawsuit.  As part of the settlement, NAGAAA has penned an open letter on its website (http://www.nagaaasoftball.org) explaining the lawsuit and the settlement terms.

“This is a complete win for us,” Melani said.

From NCLR:

(Seattle, WA, November 28, 2011)—The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), K&L Gates LLP, and the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) have negotiated a settlement in a case brought against NAGAAA by three bisexual softball players whose team was disqualified from competition following a protest hearing at the 2008 Gay Softball World Series in Seattle.

The three plaintiffs had been playing together in the San Francisco Gay Softball League for years. Their team had gone to the Gay Softball World Series before, but had never finished better than fourth place. In 2008, the team made it all the way to the championship game, when they were shocked to learn that their eligibility to play was being challenged based on a NAGAAA rule limiting the number of non-gay players who could play on a World Series team.

The players were called into a conference room, where they were questioned in front of more than 25 people, most of them strangers, about their sexual orientations and private lives. The players were forced to answer whether they were “predominantly” interested in men or women, without being given the option of answering that they were bisexual. In response to a player’s statement that he was attracted to both men and women, a NAGAAA member who was in the room stated, “this is not a bisexual world series—this is a gay world series.” NAGAAA’s protest committee voted that the three plaintiffs were “believed to be heterosexual,” and their team was disqualified from its second place finish. In the settlement, NAGAAA recognized that disqualifying the players from the 2008 tournament was not consistent with NAGAAA’s intention of being inclusive of bisexual players. NAGAAA now recognizes the players’ team—D2—as a second-place winner of the 2008 Gay Softball World Series, and will award the team a second-place trophy.

In the settlement, NAGAAA also expressed regret at the impact the 2008 protest hearing process had on the players and their team. NAGAAA confirmed that its records will be amended to reflect the players’ participation in 2008, including the results of all games played by their team.

The players recognize positive advances made by NAGAAA, which in 2011 changed its rules to be fully inclusive of all bisexual and transgender players. The rule changes permit an unlimited number of bisexual or transgender players to participate on a Gay Softball World Series team.

“It means a lot to me that NAGAAA is going to recognize our second place finish in 2008,” said LaRon Charles, one of the plaintiffs in the case. “I am happy NAGAAA has also made rule changes to let players like me know they are welcome. I look forward to continuing to play ball with my friends, teammates and community in NAGAAA’s tournaments.”

“As a result of this case, NAGAAA has clarified that all bisexual and transgender people are welcome to play at its tournaments as full members of the LGBT community,” said NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter. “Every LGBT organization should strive to be a safe and affirming space for everyone, including bisexual and transgender people, people of color, and those who are questioning their sexual orientation. NAGAAA’s decision to amend its rules is a welcome step in that direction.”

Added Seattle litigation counsel Suzanne Thomas of K&L Gates: “This case has helped shine a light on the continuing negative effects of pervasive, historic homophobia and discrimination in sports at all levels and the continued need to combat negative perceptions and stereotypes about LGBT athletes.”

Said Russell K. Robinson, Professor of Law at the University of California Berkeley: “Hopefully NAGAAA’s rule changes will help make the league more welcoming of LGBT people of color.  A number of studies have shown that men of color are more likely to identify as bisexual as opposed to gay.  By explicitly including all bisexual people in its revised definitions, NAGAAA’s rule changes reduce the likelihood that men of color will disproportionately face exclusion from its tournaments.”

In this case, five players on the plaintiffs’ team were questioned by the protest committee under NAGAAA’s former rule. The three plaintiffs, all men of color, were believed by the committee to be heterosexual and subject to NAGAAA’s two-player limit. The committee voted that the two challenged white players were believed to be gay and not subject to the limit.

NCLR, K&L Gates, and NAGAAA also agreed to participate in an ongoing dialogue about making sports at all levels more inclusive of the entire LGBT community.  They will co-sponsor a panel discussion at the 2012 Gay Softball World Series in Minneapolis, MN about different ways to create and maintain LGBT inclusive sports organizations, including discussing participation rules based on sexual orientation, and ways to eradicate homophobia and discrimination.

The softball players were represented by NCLR and Thomas of K&L Gates.

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The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www.NCLRights.org

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Check out one other publicity photo after the jump. 

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San Francisco softball team of the 1970s

Part of Outsports’ series on our 100 most important moments in gay sports history.

Softball, 1977: The owner of the Badlands bar in San Francisco teamed up with bar owners in New York to send the Ramrod team west to play in a best three-of-five series. Badlands won and the Gay Softball World Series was born.

The following year, the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance was formed as more cities joined and softball was established as the premier gay sport.

One of the driving forces behind the creation of the series was Chuck Dima, a New York bar owner. Dima died this spring and tributes poured in from those who remembered this sporting pioneer. The NAGAAA said this:

For both national and international gay softball, Chuck was not just a true visionary, but a visionary with all the drive, motivation and talent to make a dream into a reality. Chuck helped take the rather simple idea of two gay softball teams from San Francisco and New York City playing in a tournament and transformed it into a larger goal, the goal of having an international softball organization that would yearly demonstrate the best of the best in gay softball.

This goal came to fruition with the formation of the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA). Today, NAGAAA incorporates 41 individual softball leagues across the United States and Canada and boasts a total LBGT membership of over 10,000 people. It also hosts the largest annual gay sporting event in the world, the Gay Softball World Series (GSWS). We, as its members and as an organization as a whole, are indebted to Chuck and those with whom he worked for providing us with such incredible opportunities.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of softball and the Gay World Series to gay sports history. For years, gay softball was about the only game in town for gay and lesbian jocks. Even though the bar culture was woven into leagues in each city via sponsorships and places to hang out, softball got people outdoors and working up a sweat in a fun, non-judgmental atmosphere. In 2011, the Gay Softball World Series celebrated its 35th anniversary. If gay sports has its founding fathers, it’s people like Dima and those who formed the first gay softball leagues and that bicoastal series in 1977 that turned into a legacy.

For more information:

• NAGAAA website
• Big Apple Softball
• San Francisco Gay Softball League
• The birth of gay sponsored softball
• Gay softball gets its start
• Remembering Chuck Dima

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Boston Alley Gators (click image for larger view)

Story and photos by Ross Forman

Shortly after the champagne stopped spraying, the tears started flowing.

Joe Peltier, who plays outfield and catcher and also coaches the Boston Alley Gators in the B-Division, has been playing in the Gay Softball World Series since 1984 – and on Sept. 3, he became a two-time champion when the final out was registered in suburban Chicago at the 35th edition of the international tournament hosted by the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA).

The Gators defeated the Knoxville Cyclones 9-3 in the championship game, which was Peltier’s first title since an A-Division win in Los Angeles in 1992 while playing for the Boston Fritz.

Boston Alley Gators

The win was dedicated to former teammate Dave Hildebrandt, who died at a team camping function on Aug. 3, 2008.  Peltier and his teammates wore blue rubber wristbands in Hildebrandt’s honor.

“This was fantastic. The guys worked hard all year, and it paid off,” said Peltier, 48, a Boston resident.  “This one is very special.  It probably was my third most-special (World Series).  My first — in Houston in 1984, when we finished third and I was an 18 year-old kid – always will be special.  Same, of course, for 1992 in Los Angeles.

“This one … was for Dave.”

Emotions were plenty throughout the six-day extravaganza, which featured an amazing Opening Ceremony at Navy Pier in downtown Chicago, and games played at multi-field, lighted complexes in suburban Schaumburg, St. Charles and Elmhurst.

The tournament featured a record 150 registered teams, though, by the end of the week, two teams (the New York Eagle in the C-Division and the Oklahoma City Swallows in D-Division) had been disqualified due to erroneous player rankings, while another team, the Oklahoma City Spitz in D-Division, was forced out of competition after the team could not field enough players.

“This year’s World Series is right there with all the others; it is definitely one of the best ever.  It ran without a hitch.  It’s just been a great, great event.  The local organizing committee did a fantastic job, down to the last detail,” said NAGAAA Commissioner Roy Melani.

Players endured intense heat and humidity throughout the tournament, but no rain.

There also were teary-eyes throughout, even among World Series veterans, such as Joel Sanchez, 39, of Las Vegas, who has been playing in the event for 15 years – and he finally hoisted the championship trophy and first-place banner in C-Division.

Sanchez led the Las Vegas Rat Pack to a championship game win over the Boston 5 Star Diablos – and was speechless and emotional minutes after hugging his teammates and leaving the team’s first-base dugout.

“The thing that really touches inside is that you get to build a lot of great friendships through softball.  Unfortunately, over time, some good friends have gone,” Sanchez said slowly, trying to refrain from crying.  “For me, I kind of did it for all of those people who passed away, who were friends of mine,” and never won the World Series.

Sanchez took the Rat Pack into a straight league last year in Las Vegas for additional experience, “and we were made fun,” he said.  A year later, “a lot of (the straight players in that straight league) wanted to play with us because we are such great guys and can hold our own.”

One of those straight players was playing shortstop for the Rat Pack in Chicago.  “That means a lot to me,” Sanchez said.

“I’ve been calling Vegas home for four years, and it wasn’t always easy.  For instance, I used to commute for my first two years here to Los Angeles to play; that was really difficult,” Sanchez said.

“This championship, hopefully, will bring hope to Vegas, which is known to be a transient community. Hopefully this might help settle people into Vegas.”

The Chicago Sidetrack Classics captured the title in the inaugural 50-and-over Master’s Division.

The Atlanta Venom won the top-tiered A-Division crown, beating the San Francisco Hitmen in the final.

Boston Club Café Good Times was celebrating its title after slipping past the Los Angeles Swingers for the D-Division title.

Representatives from the winning teams, along with Brian Redar from the local organizing committee and NAGAAA’s Chris Balton, were honored at Wrigley Field on Sunday before the Chicago Cubs game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Adam Goslin, a former college football and baseball player, played on a B-Division team – and he watched the A-Division final alongside his boyfriend, who played in D-Division.

The event featured players representing every color on the LGBT rainbow – from the transgender D-Division pitcher to the glitter-wearing Asian catcher in C-Division to over-the-fence home runs from muscle-packed superstars throughout A-Division.

The Opening Ceremony, attended by more than 2,500, featured an appearance by international rugby sensation Ben Cohen (photo right) and the humor of Leslie Jordan.

“Ben Cohen is fantastic to be part of the World Series,” Melani said. “I think his [Stand Up] foundation, [to help eliminate bullying] is part of what NAGAAA stands for.”

Cohen, while in Chicago, practiced with the predominantly gay Chicago Dragons rugby team.

“I really like Chicago,” said Cohen, making his first time in Chicago since 1997. “Being here is about the foundation and spreading the word about what it does.  It’s good to be invited, it’s an honor to be invited.  We want to eradicate bullying across the board, particularly the LGBT community.”

When asked to appear in conjunction with the World Series, Cohen said his first reaction was, “where and when.”

“Many within the gay community are bullied because they are perceived to be different from other people, which is very wrong,” Cohen said.

Cohen, who is straight and married, said it is “so sad” to hear about LGBT-related suicides, especially among teens.

“Those are a tragic shame,” he said. “Who the foundation looks to affect is, the next generation, those who are now getting bullied. That person could be the person who finds a cure for AIDS [or] cancer, could be the next Prime Minister or President, or could be the next world-famous sportsman.”

Here’s a look at the finals from the 35th annual Gay Softball World Series:
A-DIVISON
Champion: Atlanta Venom
Runner-up: San Francisco Hitmen

B-DIVISION
Champion: Boston Alley Gators
Runner-Up: Knoxville Cyclones

C-DIVISION
Champion: Las Vegas Rat Pack
Runner-Up: Boston 5 Star Diablos

D-DIVISION
Champion: Boston Club Cafe Good Times
Runner-up: Los Angeles Swingers

MASTER’S DIVISION
Champion: Chicago Sidetrack Classics
Runner-up: Los Angeles Silver Streaks

We will soon post a larger photo gallery from the 2011 Series.

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Throughout the Gay Softball World Series we will have daily updates provided by Krissy Wild, the Athletic Director of the Southern New England Softball League, and her wife, Dawn. For specific game scores, visit the NAGAAA Web site.

Saturday, Sept. 3 recap – Division champions crowned!

Today was Championship Saturday.  As it has been for the last three days it was hot, in the 90’s and dry.  So dry the dirt on the field flies everywhere making it hard to find the ball and sometimes hard to see exactly what is going on at second base.  The dirt is everywhere.  When the ball is caught a puff of dirt is forced out of your glove.  When you round the bases is clouds up and finds its way into your socks and clothes.  Let’s not even think about sliding, there have been a lot of different colored uniforms here this week, but by the end of the week most of them have been covered in a mustardy beige hue.

This is the first day that all divisions played in the same park.  In the D division the morning started with a game where Oklahoma City “Swallows” faced a protest.  The protest committee did their job and found the protest to be valid which resulted in the disqualification of the “Swallows” and moving the Austin “Ball Busters” forward to the next game.  The loser of that game would take 4th place.  The “Ball Busters” faced the Twin City “Titans”.  Moving forward was the “Ball Busters,” they just seem to be on a roll.  Next they would face the LA “Swingers”.  The “Swingers” and the “Ball Busters” were closely matched.  The game went back and forth, both teams scoring 6 runs in the first inning then 2 runs for one team and 4 for the other and so on until the final inning resulted in the “Ball Busters” with 16 and the “Swingers” with 20.  The “Swingers” moved on to the Championship game!  This game would be a rematch from the night before.  The “Swingers” only loss in this part of the tournament came from Boston’s “Club Cafe Good Times” and now they will have to beat them 2 times if they want to take home the championship trophy.

In top of the first inning, “Club Cafe Good Times” scored two runs before their at bat was ended when Blair over ran third base and was caught in a run down for the third out.  “Swingers” scored one run on a solo in the park home run by Ceasar.  In the third inning Blair stayed out of running trouble and scored “Club Cafe Good Times” third run on a single hit by Ray. “Club Cafe Good Times” continued to hold the “Swingers” scoreless in the fourth inning and then broke open the game in the fifth inning when they scored another seven runs in an inning that sent 11 batters to the plate. In the sixth inning Blair crossed the plate a third time in the game on another hit by Ray. With a ten run lead the Good Times team needed to hold “Swingers” to no runs to end the game under the run rule.  The “Swingers” first two batters in the sixth flew out bringing Cookie up to bat. He hit a single to left field.  However, the “Swingers’” next batter hit into a fielders’ choice,  ending the game and crowning “Club Cafe Good Times” the 2011 Champions of the D Division.

In the C division the final game saw Las Vegas “Rat Pack” come from the losers’ bracket and ready to face Boston’s “Diables”.  Las Vegas would need 2 wins over the undefeated Boston team to take home the hardware.  The “Rat Pack” came out swinging.  They scored 6 runs in the 2nd inning, and held the “Diables” to only 2 runs in the game.  With a final of 7 to 2 the 2nd “if” game was to be played.  In the 2nd game the “Rat Pack” dominated again.  With hit after hit they scored 17 runs to only 5 runs by the “Diables” in the 5th inning.  That was enough to end the game using the run ahead rule.  The “Diables” took 2nd place and the “Rat Pack” are the 2011 C division Champions.

In the B Division new association city Knoxville sent a team with desire to the World Series.  The Knoxville “Cyclones” came through the losers’ bracket to face yet another Boston team, the “Alley Gators”.  Maybe it was just too many games to have to win to take the big trophy, maybe Boston teams just are too good this year.  The “Alley Gators” won to become the B Division Champions.

In the A Division the Atlanta “Venom” took on the challenger from San Francisco, the “Hit Men”.  The 2011 Champion of the A division was the “Atlanta Venom”.

Each of the 4th through 1st place received medals and a trophy for their efforts this week.  The ceremony was moved inside from the scheduled Block Party in Boystown, due to rain. Tomorrow representative from each of the championship teams will be recognized by the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field prior to their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  We will be in the stands applauding them.

It has been a fun week playing, watching and hearing about great softball games.  We made some new friends, visited with old friends and explored Chicago.  But we’re ready for the trip back to Connecticut where our dog and cat will be glad to see us again.  School time is here and it’s time to put away the bat a glove for awhile.  We will miss gathering with our friend and when winter ends we will be ready to do it all over again.

Friday, Sept. 2 recap

Elimination Friday found Southern New England’s “Hangovers” on the wrong end of a 15-10 game with Tampa “Inferno/Trouble.” Tampa scored 7 runs in the first inning and Dave W. hit two long balls in the third and fourth innings for home runs and 5 RBI’s. In the fourth inning the top of the “Hangovers” order put together hits for six runs. Daniel C hit his first home run in the series, but the “Hangovers” ran short of time and short on runs.  So, with that our participation in the 2011 World Series was complete and so was the 2011 softball season.

There is more than one way to be eliminated from the tournament.  Each team submits ratings of their players and the total of the top 10 player is what is used to rate the team into 1 of the 4 divisions.  During the games there is a complicated and expensive process that is used to challenge individual and team ratings.  If a player or team is found to be under rated and therefore too good for the division they are playing in that team or player is disqualified.  I have heard of a few challenges in the D division and even considered pursuing a challenge.  However, I have not heard of any that were upheld.  In the C division the NY “Eagle” lost a protest resulting in an untimely end to their tournament.  The rumors continue to fly around to what happened or may happen but the remaining teams continue to play hoping that their integrity is not challenged.

At the end of Friday’s play 5 teams remain in the hunt for the D division title. Boston’s Good Times is the only team left standing in the winner’s bracket and awaits the survivor from the loser’s bracket which includes LA Swingers and Austin Ball Busters.

Today many of the 2,000 players found some time in their schedules to squeeze in a few moments as tourists in Chicago or fans in the stands. We stopped at the Field Museum (across from Soldiers’ Field) this morning.  We were able to check out a T-Rex named Sue, the largest skeletal remains of a T-Rex found in South Dakota. Contrary to the name the gender of this dinosaur is unknown.  Some of Boston’s players checked out the glass floor at the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower).

Saturday all games will be held in one location so we’ll get to see all 5 divisions play their final games at Olympic Park in Schaumberg, IL before heading to the closing ceremonies and street fair in Boystown.

Thursday, Sept. 1 recap

Thursday saw the beginning of the double elimination round of the 35th Gay World Series. After pool play and the seatings, the Hangovers found themselves seated 20 out of the 48 teams in the D division. Most teams played until they had a loss today.  Hangovers started the day with a 6 inning game and win over first year team, Crescent City Crawlers from New Orleans.

The Hangovers then entered their second game against the Chicago Mi Terra Crush, while the Hangovers jumped out to a 6 run lead in the bottom of the first inning with all 10 in the batting order entering the batter’s box, the game ended after two innings utilizing the international tie breaker (where the last batted out in the previous inning begins as a runner from second base). In the top of the eighth inning, shortstop Jeff H. caught a runner between second and third in a run down for out 2 of the inning.  Alertly Jeff noticed the other runner trying to advance to second from first, a double pickle!  The Hangovers completed the defensive half of the inning with a third out tagging that runner as he tried to return to first.  This ended the Crush’s scoring threat.  The Hangovers then went on to load the bases in the bottom of the eighth setting the stage for Doug with one-out to hit a sacrifice to right field to score the winning run.  However, in the third game for the Hangovers, the Atlanta Pink Cadets broke out to an eight run lead in the bottom of the first inning. While the Hangovers put together hits in the second through fourth innings to score six runs the first inning was too much to overcome and the game was ended in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Cadets scored their 16th run of the game invoking the run-rule.  The Hangovers await the result of tomorrow’s early games to begin their march to Saturday’s finals from the Loser’s bracket.

Boston’s Club Café Good Times, Atlanta’s Pink Cadets and Ft Lauderdale’s Rosie’s Renegades look like they could stay in the winner’s bracket through Friday. Approximately 150 teams will continue to play on Friday.  No one has yet been eliminated from the chance to play on Championship Saturday.  Tomorrow we will see who can pull off the upsets and who will meet their expectations and move forward with a chance to win this year’s title.

In an update, Wednesday evening’s annual NAGAAA talent show raised more than $12,000 for area charities. The beneficiaries of the talent show are the Howard Brown Broadway Youth Center, Illinois Safe School Alliance and Families’ and Childrens’ AIDS Network.  Since the inception of the talent show, the Gay Softball World Series has raised more than $225,000 for local charities.

Wednesday, Aug. 31 recap

Every team had two more games today.  For the “Hangovers” it was a win against Austin’s “Hot Mess”.  We came out strong with our bats in the first inning getting everyone to the plate.  “Hot Mess’” #55 hit a 4 run in the park homerun to get their offense started in the 3rd inning.  They made a valiant effort but could not counter the hits that kept coming for our “Hangovers”.  The final score was 13 to 10.  The second game was exciting.  “Son of Pitches” from Huston were ready to play.  They hit the ball hard and found some gaps in our defense to take an early lead, but the “Hangovers” bats still had some life.  We battle to within 4 runs with nine minutes remaining in the game.  We scored enough runs to tie the game but just couldn’t get the go ahead run in.   “Sons of Pitches” got a leadoff double.  The next ball was a spectacular catch by the second baseman but the runner was moved to third, 1 out.  The next hit was to the shortstop who threw home to stop that runner from scoring, 2 out. The last out was a pop fly to left field, 3 outs.  Time had expired and the “Hangovers” got there last at bat, but we just didn’t have and hits left and the game ended in a 7-7 tie.

The evening was about raising money for local charities in Chicago.  In 1990 the Pittsburgh World Series organizers started a tradition of hosting a talent show.  100% of the funds raised are given to local organizations that help the in the fight against AIDS.  This year the beneficiaries include: Broadway Youth Center, a Program of Howard Brown Health Center, Illinois Safe School Alliance, and The Families’ & Children’s AIDS Network.  The talent included Drag, singers, and comedy.  This Wednesday evening tradition is a time of fun and fraternizing.

While everyone enjoys the party the tournament coordinators are hard at work putting together all the win/loss records from the round robin play.  The final result is the seeding for the double elimination round.  These brackets hit the walls around 11:15 pm.  This is the first time teams know when they will play the next day.  For the “Hangovers” it was a #20 (out of 48) seed and an 8:55am game.  Time to get some rest before we face our first opponent, #45 seed New Orleans Crescent City Craw.

Tuesday, Aug. 30 recap

Last night saw opening ceremonies as Navy Pier. Most of the 2000 athletes competing in this weeks softball games have descended on the Chicago area despite Irene’s best efforts this weekend.  The fields were beautiful this morning as Southern New England engaged in its first of two games today.

After being down four runs after two innings, the New London “Hangovers” team climbed its way back to a walk-off win after veteran Eddie V hit a game winning RBI to score Daniel C against Seattle “Buzz.”   Game two was a back and forth battle against first year competitor St Louis “Arch.”  The pitching of Aaron K. was key; he impressed the plate umpire who commented after the game on how well he placed his pitches.  Unfortunately time expired on the “Hangovers” as their second game ended in a one run lost.

In other games The Club Café’s “Goodtimes” team representing Boston played well winning their first game with a 10 run differential but losing their second game after the combined run total of 33, not easy to do in a 55 minute time limit.  This team may be a team to watch along with some others stand outs.  The “Hot Mess” Team out of Austin played with enthusiasm, winning their first game but loosing the second.  The Atlanta “Pink Cadets” held their opponents to a combined 2 runs while scoring a total of 25 runs on the day.  That total was out done by Dallas’ “Boom” who found a way to bring in 49 runners in just 2 games.

In all the day went well.  Wednesday the teams will hit the fields again.  Competition is getting fierce and teams are enjoying the experience.

Monday, August 29 recap

Today is the start of the 2011 North American Gay Armature Athletic Alliance’s (NAGAAA) annual Softball World Series.  This is the 35th year that teams from across the US and Canada have gathered for competition and comradery.  It is the largest gay sporting event in the world.  We are here to play softball, to compete for the title of champion and when all is said and done to make friends.

In today’s managers meeting Roy Melani, Commissioner of the NAGAAA board, summed it up best.  As he faced some serious health issues this past year he said he thought about what NAGAAA has meant to him and what kind of a legacy he could leave when his time comes to a close.  He talked about enjoying the games, being proud of what we were doing and making lasting friendships.  His words were taken to heart by those in the room.  On and off the field we all have a duty to ourselves, our home leagues and the host city to play hard, honestly and with courage.

There is much excitement about the four new cities that are represented in this year’s games.  Knoxville, TN, New Orleans, LA, St Louis, MO, and Tulsa, OK are here and ready to play.  Everyone will be watching these new teams to see what they bring to the field.  Mostly we are all ready to welcome the players into this tradition of fun.

So the games will begin Tuesday morning.  My Southern New England team plays its first of four round robin games at 8:50am.  Our second game will follow shortly after that.  Then we’ll spend some time in this fun city and do it again on Wednesday.  We are ready.  Bring on the competition!

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Photo by Bret Grafton

By Ross Forman

Bob Strada played second base in 1983 for the Chicago Sidetrack softball team that won the championship in the Gay Softball World Series, run by the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association. That ’83 Series was the last time Chicago hosted the annual, multi-day tournament and the first non-California champion in the event that started in 1977.

Now 59 and living in suburban Willowbrook, Ill., Strada has retired his cleats and hung up his glove, though he is still a regular fan every Sunday when the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association plays its predominantly male open division softball league, from May through August, on the city’s north side.  And he will be there later this month when the Series returns to Chicago.

The Opening Ceremony for the largest annual LGBT sporting event is Monday night, Aug. 29, at Navy Pier, and play begins Aug. 30. The championship games in all divisions – A, B, C, D and the new 50-and-over Master’s – will be played Sept. 3.

Representatives from all championship teams will be honored by the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sept. 4, highlighted by a pre-game, on-field recognition ceremony before the Cubs battle the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“I can’t wait for this year’s Series,” Strada said.  “I’m hoping that some of the guys who I played with and against will come in for it. I know the Series will be emotional.  I just want to be there, for the atmosphere.”

Patrick Keegan returned to the Chicago softball fields this season after a 10-year absence from the local league – and his C-Division team, Spin Wildcats, qualified for the Series, which will be held at multi-field complexes in suburban Schaumburg, St. Charles and Elmhurst.  Keegan, who is the owner of All Clean Services, has had second-, third- and fourth-places finishes in the Series.

“I’m very excited for the Series,” he said.  “I never thought I would ever come out and play in the Gay Softball World Series.  Being the youngest of five boys, it was not easy coming out.  I struggled for many years until I came out when I was 28 after a battle with bi-polar disorder.

Bret Grafton photo

“It was not easy at first, but it got better as the years went on.  Now, being an open 46 year-old gay man makes me feel proud to be who I am.”

Keegan’s Wildcats are one of nine teams representing the host city – and among about 150 overall teams participating.  More than 4,000 players, family and friends, will attend the six-day softball showcase, which pits players in five divisions.  The top-tiered A-Division features nine teams, including the host Spin Menace, and the Orlando Force – the 2010 A-Division co-champions (with the Los Angeles Vipers).

The Dallas TKO captured the B-Division title in 2010 and has moved into A this year.  The B-Division features two Chicago-based teams (Downtown Bar & Lounge and the Spin Cougars), along with the Shady Ladies (Austin, Texas), Denver Stix, Sidelines Eagles (Fort Lauderdale), Houston Hellcats and Broadway Crush (Orlando), among others.

The C-Division features teams from Birmingham, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Nashville and New Orleans, among other cities.  The D-Division features the Madison (Wisc.) Madd Dawg Woofs, Montreal Mustangs, Cresent City Crawlers, Pittsburgh Brewers, St. Louis Arch Rivals, and more. The inaugural Master’s Division (age 50 and over) features four teams. There are also teams from Montreal, another from Toronto and three from Vancouver.

“If people think that gay men can’t play sports, I wish they would come out and see the great athletes who will be playing in the World Series,” Keegan said.

Jamie Martin, 38, of Chicago, is a second baseman for the Downtown Bar & Lounge team, playing in his fourth Series (2005, 2007, 2009).  He has played in the CMSA league since 2001 and is a clinical psychologist and vice president at Stoelting Company.

“Everyone involved has worked diligently to welcome players from around the country and make 2011 the best Series yet,” Martin said.  “I look forward to competitive play, and more importantly, great camaraderie.  Each Series has been significantly different.  Each experience is unique with unique memories.  I had a difficult time in the 2009 Milwaukee Series (as) I was dealing with some personal issues and allowed myself to get overly enveloped in the competitive side of the sport.  Fortunately, I had close friends to help me navigate, and it turned out to be a very productive experience for me.”

So what makes the Series so special?

“For sure, the pride everyone feels being part of something special,” Martin said.  “It is not always so easy navigating a world that marginalizes minorities.  It is nice to have organized gatherings, whether it is pride parades or an athletic series, to join together and show LGBT pride.  I grew up in the athletic culture, culminating in Division I college soccer.  I know how difficult it is valuing athletics, but feeling significantly different than your teammates.  The athletic culture can be traditionally masculinized ascribing to the ‘boy code,’ allowing minimal room for gays.  It was novel for me when I joined CMSA and was able to express my athleticism and embrace my identity as a gay male at the same time.”

Ross Forman photo

THE EVENT
The Gay Softball World Series will be played at three multi-field complexes in suburban Chicago.  All fields have lights and are fenced in.  Games start Tuesday morning, August 30.  The championship games in all five divisions will be played Saturday, Sept. 3.

OPENING CEREMONY
The Opening Ceremonies will be held Monday, Aug. 29, at Navy Pier, starting at 5 p.m., featuring a star-studded lineup:  Leslie Jordan, Ben Cohen, Pandora Boxx, Amy Armstrong and Matthew Harvat, among others.

CLOSING CEREMONY
The Gay Softball World Series will culminate with a closing awards ceremony and street fair in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, commonly called Boystown, on Saturday, Sept. 3, from 4-10 p.m. The event, presented in partnership with the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association (CMSA), will feature local cover band Final Say and DJ Bill Bennett.

TALENT SHOW
The athletes will become entertainers, or try to be, at the annual Talent Show, sponsored by the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association (NAGAAA), scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 31, starting at 7 p.m.  The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Hotel, with all proceeds going to designated Series 2011 charities: Broadway Youth Center, Illinois Safe School Alliance, and The Families’ & Children’s AIDS Network.

HALL OF FAME DINNER
The annual NAGAAA Hall of Fame dinner will be held Thursday, Sept. 1, at the Center on Halsted, starting at 6:30 p.m.
The 2011 Hall of Fame inductees are:

Chuck Burlingham – Southern New England
Gary “Dixie” Carter – Atlanta
Michael Crocker – Atlanta
David Lerma – Los Angeles
Roy Melani – Portland
Rob Papa – Philadelphia
Jeff Schoonover – Long Beach
Jim Szakacs – Toronto
Mike Travers – San Diego

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Part of Outsports’ series on our 100 most important moments in gay sports history.

Softball, 2007: Oregon State softball coach Kirk Walker was no stranger to Outsports. He was one of our first readers and we kept in touch with him regularly via email. Walker was comfortably out to those who mattered in his life and not yet ready to take the step of going public.

That changed in 2005 when he and his partner, Randy Baltimore, were in the process of adopting their daughter. Walker did not want his players to find out secondhand, so he told them. He came out in public in 2007 in an interview with Outsports.

“I told them my partner and I were adopting and the information was on a website,” Walker recalled about what he said to his players at the September 2005 meeting. Their coach was gay. And he just came out to them. Walker asked for questions. Their collective response, he said, was, “Oh, that’s great, now tell us about the baby.” They wanted to know everything about the process of Walker and his partner adopting a baby, and did not ask a single question about his sexual orientation.

“I wasn’t completely surprised by it, and it was kind of a nice thing that it really wasn’t a big deal, but deep down I felt I may get ramifications later,” Walker said. “Two or three weeks later, we had an alumni game, and all the parents were around, and the parents were all excited by the adoption as well, so it was obvious the kids had talked to them about it and there were no ramifications. That’s when I started to feel like this wasn’t going to be a big deal.”

Since his story went public, Walker has heard from many other gay and lesbian coaches, who have found an inspiration in his story.

“Although it’s only my story, it has definitely changed a lot of people’s perspectives — just internally, of how they view themselves,” Walker told the New York Times. “It tells them there’s a little bit of hope. ‘It may not be the right time for me, but this can happen.’ ”

We think Walker is still the only openly gay male Division 1 coach.

For more information:

• Outsports profile of Walker
• New York Times profile of Walker
• Walker’s It Gets Better video

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“I am in a unique situation. I am a Division I coach, I am in the athletic arena and it is important that people speak and appear because it is important to the process of breaking down that barrier,” Walker said.

“Virtually all my peers around the country know and I’ve seen no changes in the relationships. If anything, it made some of my peers who are also gay much more eager to seek me out and say something.”

Walker and his partner Randy Baltimore celebrated their 14th anniversary this June. They live in a Portland suburb with their daughter Ava, 5.

Resources:

• It Gets Better Project
• GLSEN sports project
• Outsports coming out stories

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Part of Outsports’ series on our 100 most important moments in gay sports history.

Softball, 2010: The 2008 Gay Softball World Series was not initially noteworthy, but the lawsuit filed in April 2010 from an incident in that event made national news. The National Center for Lesbian Rights, representing three players from a San Francisco team, filed suit after that team was disqualified, accused of breaking the rule on having only two straight players per team.

The rule had been in place to prevent teams from stacking their roster with straight players, but the lawsuit against the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association argued that the three men were humiliated by the intense questioning they faced about their sexual orientation.

In June 2011, a federal judge in Washington state upheld the straight limits set by NAGAA, but also allowed the suit to go to trial. NAGAA has now modified its rule to allow for bisexuals and transgendered players to not count any more as non-gay and will leave it up to each player to self-declare their sexual orientation.

The issue has caused a spirited debate about whether limits on straight players in gay-oriented sports tournaments are still necessary. I still see a need for such a rule for once-a-year national gay tournaments (the Gay Bowl I play in has a 20% straight “guideline”), but know of no local league that has any limits.

For more information:

• Gay softball group sued over straight limits
• Judge refuses to toss out gay softball lawsuit
• New York Times story on the controversy

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