NAGAAA World Series coming to Washington

In his CheapSeats column in the print edition of the City Paper, DavMcKenna looks at the arrival of the 2013 Gay Softball World Series in Washington (see Destination DC press release HERE), and in particular at the on-going controversy of NAGAAA's policy of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation:

NAGAAA has long had a rule on its books placing a limit on non-gay players in the Gay Softball World Series. Article 7.05 of the group’s “Instruments of Governance” states: “A maximum of two Heterosexual players are permitted on a GSWS roster.” “Gay” is defined as “a predominant sexual interest in a member of the same gender.”

That rule and definition were in place when the Series was played here in 2003. But Bruce Sprague, who helped organize that event, told me back then that the gay limit was largely ceremonial, and that organizers would take “a player’s word” for his sexuality.

Then, at the 2008 Series in Seattle, organizers forced five players from the second-place San Francisco team to attend a hearing at which they were asked about their sexual orientation. Three of the five said they were bisexual. NAGAAA officials ruled those three players weren’t gay enough, and the team was forced to forfeit.

The men sued NAGAAA for discrimination, and are now being represented by the lawyers from the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

“Gay sports leagues and teams have served a real purpose,” says [former FGG co-president] Brent Minor of Alexandria, who’s been active in the area’s gay sports scene for two decades and now works for Team DC. “They’ve given people confidence, they’ve given people a chance to connect with their community, they’ve given people a place to come out. Some people come out in the office, some come out on the field. But now [since the discrimination case], we’re asking: What makes a ‘gay’ sports team? Is it something only for people who sleep with people of the same orientation? Or is it a welcoming group where everybody can feel safe? It’s a luxury that we’re getting to ask the big questions now.”

And he returns to the question online HERE:



Asked if thought a rule change to allow more non-gays to participate would water down or mean the end of the Gay World Series, [National Center for Lesbian Rights attorney Christopher] Stoll said: " There are many, many gay sports organizations out there, and this is one of only a handful that still have this exclusionary rule. The Gay Games, by far the largest gay sporting event, has no rule against people based on sexual orientation. Gay basketball doesn't have a rule like this. Gay rugby, gay wrestling don't have a rule like this. Any number of sports leagues have found that you don't need to exclude people, and, in fact, that it's counterprouductive to do that. In this day and age?"