Fall is the Season for Gay Sports

Summer has come and gone. The speedos are off (not in a fun way), the nights are long (also not in a fun way), and the temperatures are low. For those who live for beach tans and rooftop happy hours, it’s easy to slip into a seasonal funk.

With no more pool parties on the calendar, where can a gay man turn to meet like-minded people, show off their build, and not actually do any swimming?

Easy. It’s time to trade your swimsuit for soccer cleats and join a gay sports team.

An unlikely combo?

Wait, you say! If middle school bullies and 90’s sitcoms are to be believed, “gay” and “sports” are not two things that go together. It’s easy to unconsciously absorb that stereotype—which is why joining a sports team might sound like the last thing you’d enjoy.

But for decades now, queer-centric sports have been a thriving part of the LGBTQ+ community. 

Most major cities now have dozens of gay leagues, covering athletics of all kinds—everything from dodgeball to pickleball to, you know, actual sports like they show on ESPN. Leagues tend to feature weekly games structured in seasonal tournaments.

They perfectly combine the slightly scary level of investment straight people have in sports, with the unparalleled organizing power of the queer community. Which is to say, the actual games are just the beginning of what you get when you join a league. 

When I first moved to LA knowing nobody, I joined a team called the Thot Shots completely solo. (Our jersey featured an arrow pointing below the waist under the words “Food for Thot.” Cute, right?) 

Overnight, I had a social calendar packed with not only games, but with team-building brunches, extracurricular meetups, and, yes, dodgeball practice. 

Why you might love it

One thing I hear a lot from my peers is that they wish there were more gay-centric activities that didn’t revolve around drinking or sex. 

It does seem that even our “wholesome” activities—karaoke! trivia! reality TV watch parties!—tend to orbit bars and nightlife. Joining a sports league is a chance to meet new gay people during the day, in a setting that’s actually healthy for your body. 

As for sex, I’ll confess that when I first joined the Thot Shots, I was mainly looking to meet boys. (Can you blame me? Look at our shirts!) But that’s not what I found at all. 

I mean, yeah, I made out with our captain once or twice. And yes, there was plenty of dating drama, and gossip, and West Side Story-esque dramatics when players on opposing teams would get together.

But the real magic was in the team camaraderie. It’s the rare “for fun” gay activity that really promotes, above all, healthy gay friendships. A place where people are actually looking for friends, and aren’t just lying about it in their Grindr profiles.

Not to mention, it’s an activity that gives gym buffs the rare chance to use their bodies for something other than Instagram pics—although there will be plenty of those, too. 

…and why you might not

Yes, gay sports might be right for you… as long as you remember they’re still sports.  Which I mention because I went in sort of expecting the league to heal all my PE-related trauma… only to learn that I’m still kind of terrible at team sports. (Yes, the Thot Shots did horribly all year. But the next year, when I dropped out, the otherwise unchanged team went on to take the championship. It was hard not to take that personally.)

So, yeah. In the end, it wasn’t for me. So why am I still recommending the experience so heartily? 

Because I did love all the accoutrements, and the friends I made (and kept) along the way. If you think there’s any chance at all you might actually enjoy the running around and catching balls part, I know you’ll love what comes with it (Just ask the boys on the Grindr-sponsored London Stags— they’ve somehow turned tackles into community building).

How do I join?

Easy! Your first stop is OutLoud Sports, which runs queer leagues and pickup teams in nearly every major city in America. A quick search there of your favorite (or in my case, least-despised) sport will likely get you everything you need.

If that fails, it’s easy to Google around, check out your local LGBTQ+ center, or even just ask the next time you’re among gays. But do it, and do it soon—because whether you’re looking to relive your varsity glory days or just want an excuse to make friends, fall is the perfect season to get sporty. No pool required.