Play Mile High LGBT Kickball/Flip Cup League Kicking Balls and Flipping Cups Every Friday in Curtis Park

The Play Mile High LGBT Kickball/Flip Cup league is in full swing this spring! Every Friday the teams play kickball at Curtis Park before heading to their sponsor bar for a game of flip cup. Feel free to cheer 'em on at the park or join 'em at the bar for a drink (or two) through June.

And if you're looking to make some new friends, hang out with old ones or just be social and have some fun check out some of the other leagues and events Play Mile High has going on throughout the rest of the year. 

Denver Gay & Lesbian Flag Football League Spring 2015 Registration Begins In One Week

Registration for DGLFFL Spring 2015 Season is next Sunday, March 1st at 8am! If you are interested in being a Primary QB you will be allowed to register a day early on Saturday February 28th, Backup QB's are to sign up on March 1st.

All Primary QB's will need to submit a bio to the Captain's Coordinator, Marc Withrow to pass along to the captains before the draft. QB's are a key function of any team and usually are one of the leaders on the offensive side of the ball.

CVC Has Single Guy Spots Open for Thursday Mens League

Colorado Volleyball Connection has three different Thursday mens BB 4 teams each needing one more guy to complete their team. League starts this week in Wheat Ridge so contact them ASAP if you want to fill one of the spots. 

All details can be found on their website at www.coloradovolleyballconnection.com under the "upcoming leagues" link. 

CVC Has Individual/Team Spots Open for December Volleyball Tourney

CVC (Colorado Volleyball Connection) has team and individual spots available for their upcoming three-week volleyball tourney in December. All spots are $40, and include six games nightly either the first three Mondays or Wednesdays in December depending on which format you choose.

This sounds like a fun way to keep playing through the Holidays and win some fun prizes while you’re at it! 

Denver Chosen to Host Early Rounds of NCAA Division I Basketball Men’s Road to the Final Four in 2016

For the fourth time in recent history, Denver was selected as one of eight cities to host the First and Second Rounds of the Division I Men’s Basketball Road to the Final Four Tournament in 2016. The games, scheduled for March 17 and 19, 2016, will be played in the Pepsi Center with the Mountain West Conference serving as the official host. A total of eight teams will play in four games on March 17, with four teams advancing to play in two games on March 19. Two teams will continue on after Denver, as part of the “Sweet 16” that ultimately advance to become the “Final Four.”

“From a purely economic standpoint, these regional games are great for cities because they bring in eight teams, coaches, bands, and fans from eight different areas,” said Richard Scharf, president & CEO of VISIT DENVER.

Denver Sports, a division of VISIT DENVER, the Pepsi Center team and Dan Butterly, senior associate commissioner with the Mountain West Conference were instrumental in submitting Denver’s winning bid. “We have hosted these preliminary rounds in 2004, 2008 and 2011, and based on past history, we will see all six games sell out, with a huge following of fans filling hotels and restaurants,” Scharf said. In addition, Scharf said, Denver will receive national television exposure.

The NCAA has also selected Denver to host two upcoming sporting events: the 2015 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Quarterfinals at Sports Authority Field, and the 2016 NCAA Division II (DII) Spring Sports Festival, a six day event that will be held in The Mile High City for the first time. The Spring Sports Festival includes six championships (Men’s Golf, Women’s Golf, Women’s Lacrosse, Men’s Tennis, Women’s Tennis, and Softball) rolled into one event. “The unique feature of this sporting event is that all teams stay for the entire six day festival, even if their team has been eliminated, thereby increasing the number of overnight stays and the economic impact,” said Joan McDermott, athletic director at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Scharf noted that Denver has always had a history of being a major sports destination, going back to the 1990 NCAA Men’s Final Four, and more recently the NBA, MLB and NHL All-Star games as well as the NCAA Frozen Four and NCAA Women’s Final Four in 2012. “Continuing to host world class events like the 2014 World Lacrosse Championships, the 2014 BMW Championship and the USA Pro Challenge bring economic development and major media attention. And, they are a lot of fun for residents to attend,” Scharf said. 

Meet Colombia's Transgender Football League

As Colombia basked in the glow of its first World Cup appearance in 16 years, the country's marginalized transgender community uses football as a tool for acceptance and inclusion. Global news site Vocativ goes behind the scenes of Colombia’s first transgender football league.

“We hope there will be acceptance from the community with our game. People can see trans girls play. There is a tendency to fear what you don’t understand. This is a way for people to get to know us.” 

Click here for video (NSFW).

Former NFL athlete Brad Thorson comes out

Brad Thorson, who was signed by an NFL team three years ago, publicly came out as gay in a blog post last Friday. 

Thorson, who played college football at both the University of Wisconsin and the University of Kansas, was signed by the Arizona Cardinals in 2011 but would never play in a regular season game due to injury. 

Thorson said he found the inspiration to come out from other openly LGBT athletes, as well as out elected officials. "If not for the strength of athletes like Jason Collins, Michael Sam, and Brian Sims, I would likely still be struggling with my own cognitive dissonance."

History! Michael Sam becomes first openly gay player drafted to National Football League (NFL)

GLAAD today responded to the historic draft of openly gay football player Michael Sam to the National Football League (NFL). Sam will become the first-ever openly gay footballer to play for the league next season.

"Without a doubt, this is a game changer," said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. "Today, Michael Sam has redefined what it takes to be a champion. He's tackled stereotypes and joins the ranks of athletic trailblazers like Jason Collins and Brittney Griner in showing Americans that there's no place for homophobia on the field. As support for equality continues to surge, it's clear that sports fans are ready, football is ready, and America is ready for its first openly gay NFL player."

GLAAD encourages fans to share their support for Michael Sam by sharing #SamFans graphics on Facebook and Twitter.

In February interviews with The New York Times and ESPN, Sam first stated: "I am an openly, proud gay man."

In December 2013, The Associated Press named Sam the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year. He was also selected as one of 10 unanimous first-team all-Americans. He led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in both sacks and tackles-for-loss and resides in the top 10 nationally in Division I in those categories.

Sam is the among several high-profile athletes to come out as LGBT recently, with others including the NBA's Jason Collins, the WNBA's Brittney Griner, NCAA Division I basketball player Derrick Gordon, WWE's Darren Young, UFC's Liz Carmouche, MMA's Fallon Fox, and Major League Soccer's Robbie Rogers.

In an NFL document released in April 2013, the league described its equal employment opportunity policy as: "It is the policy of the National Football League to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law."

In the document, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also stated: “The NFL has a long history of valuing diversity and inclusion. Discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation is not consistent with our values and is unacceptable in the National Football League."

The NFL added sexual orientation to its list of protected classes in September 2011.

The NFL has also demonstrated its commitment to inclusion by participating in GLAAD's annual anti-bullying campaign, Spirit Day. For the past two consecutive years, the NFL has 'gone purple' online in a stand against bullying and to show its support for LGBT youth. In December 2013, the You Can Play Project and the NFL announced the 'High Five Initiative,' an "effort to create meaningful connections between LGBT youth and leaders within the professional sports community." Troy Vincent and Dwight Hollier, former NFL players and NFL player engagement executives, visited the Hetrick Martin Institute, the nation's largest and oldest LGBT youth services organization, yesterday to do just that. The league is also collaborating with You Can Play and You Belong for the second annual You Belong LGBTQ Sports and leadership initiative.

(The Best Of) Nice to See StevieB: Nothing But Net

By StevieB

If you follow my non sequiturs elsewhere on the web, you would have noticed that I have started going to the gym after midnight. This is for several reasons: I’m up anyway, the gym is empty and I don’t have to wait of equipment, but mostly it is due to my worsening Agoraphobia, or Anthropophobia. It is easier to have the entire gym to myself in the middle of the night.

A couple of weeks back I stepped into the empty basketball court, just to get a drink of water. As I paused to wipe my chin I noticed the basketball court was completely flooded with light. A sense of emptiness was overwhelming as it usually was filled to capacity with guys at various stages of shooting hoops. That night it was deserted. The smell of the hardwood, along with the strange buzz left-over from high school gym class hung in the air. I get a strange feeling on basketball courts. A feeling of wanting to be in control, wanting the mastery of the wood and colorful lines, the enjoyment and comradeship of competition. Yet, as I stood next to the water fountain, the feeling of eighth grade gym class washed over me. The same feeling I would get from sitting in the CEO chair in a board room, hosting a dinner party, or being in front of a naked woman. A feeling of not understanding what should happen. A feeling that everyone around me knows the natural chain of events (enjoys them in fact) but hasn’t let me into the circle.

As I turned to leave the uncomfortable environment, I noticed a basket ball over in the corner.... Without thinking I went over and picked it up. I attempted to dribble. I wasn’t that bad. Until I hit my shoe. I walked out in front of the basket. All the technique I had ever learned was from Mr. Johnson’s gym class during the First Bush administration.

Aimed the ball. Flipped the wrist. Shot. Missed.
Aimed the ball. Flipped the wrist. Shot. Not even close.
Aimed the ball. Flipped the wrist. Shot. Missed.
Aimed the ball. Flipped the wrist. Shot. Hit the rim.

I left the court, and turned in the ball to the front desk as if I had a great game with my boys. The next night I found myself back on the wood.

Aimed the ball. Flipped the wrist. Shot. Not even close.
Aimed the ball. Flipped the wrist. Shot. Hit the rim.

I had watched a dozen YouTube videos. I took notes on finding my aim...

Aimed the ball. Flipped the wrist. Shot. Hit the rim.
Aimed the ball. Flipped the wrist. Shot. Nothing but net.

I squealed. As I heard the squee bounce off the gym walls the glass court door opened and in walked a couple of guys talking to me in Greek about a “pick up” game. I pretended I was a deaf-mute and ran out of the court like a chunky eight year old girl running home, after the mean girls would not let her play Barbies. I left the ball on the wood.

The next night. I stood with fortitude. I announced to the empty gym, “This is Sparta!”

Aimed the ball. Flipped the wrist. Shot. Nothing but net.
Aimed the ball. Flipped the wrist. Shot. Nothing but net.
Aimed the ball. Flipped the wrist. Shot. Nothing but net.

This post originally appeared on Steven Bennet's website Nice to See StevieB. Republished with permission.

GLAAD to partner with You Can Play project to encourage LGBT athletes

GLAAD announced last week that it plans to partner with the You Can Play project, a group working to eradicate homophobia in organized sports. 

 "One of the biggest things is that there are so many LGBT athletes who are now stepping out and announcing their sexuality," You Can Play Executive Director Wade Davis said. The announcement comes five weeks after University of Missouri football player Michael Sam came out as gay, a move that paves the way for him to become the first openly gay athlete in the National Football League.

The You Can Play Project also recently teamed up with The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) to present voices from all over Colorado talking about teamwork, respect and inclusion. 

“You Can Play, Colorado!” is part of the We Are CHSAA: Promoting Positive Leadership program. It’s a video competition and educational experience dedicated to ensuring that all students are encouraged to participate and be accepted for what they bring to a team, and not excluded for what some might see as differences.

Teams, clubs, student organizations and entire schools were invited to submit videos talking about their teams, towns and why they welcome everyone based on heart, talent and skill without excluding students because of their race, religions, sexual orientation or gender identity, or other factors. See all the videos here.

2014 Gay Games: Team Colorado Pep Rally Party Coming Up January 2!

The 2014 Gay Games, presented by the Cleveland Foundation, will be holding the Team Colorado Pep Rally Party on Thursday, January 2, 2014, from 6-9pm at Hamburger Mary’s. Everybody is invited to join Team Colorado’s efforts to inform, excite and register participants for the 2014 Gay Games.

The ninth quadrennial Gay Games is one of the biggest sports and cultural festivals in the world, expecting more than 10,000 people from more than 65 countries.  The Gay Games was founded on the principles of Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best™ and is open to everybody regardless of sexual orientation, gender, transgender status, religion, nationality, political convictions, age, physical condition or athletic ability.

Started in 1982, the Gay Games happen every four years around the world. Paris will host the 2018 Gay Games. In 2014, the Gay Games will feature more than 30 recreational and competitive sports, as well as cultural activities, band and choral events.

The Team Colorado Pep Rally Party will have information on all sports at the Gay Games, how to participate, registration discounts, team captain incentive program, scholarship application information, accommodations and travel planning. The party features BOGO drink specials, fun games and more. Free Gay Games t-shirts will go to on-site registrants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Meet Out Spokin', Denver's Gay Cycling Organization

Founded in 1998, OUT Spokin’ is an all volunteer GLBT cycling organization. Bicyclists of all abilities train together and participate in cycling events throughout Colorado and the United States. OUT Spokin' has maintained a strong, positive presence at the Courage Classic bicycle tour, the group's signature event, every year since its founding.

Most of OUT Spokin' riders are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, but our team also includes supportive friends and family of Colorado's GLBT community. Riders range in age from early twenties to mid-sixties and older. Abilities range from beginners who have never ridden in a cycling event to seasoned cyclists who combine participation in OUT Spokin' with training for Colorado's most difficult cycling events.

OUT Spokin' focuses on touring rather than racing. Members have registered as a group and participated in events including the Elephant Rock Century, Wyoming's Tour de Prairie, the MS150, the Courage Classic, Ride the Rockies, Triple Bypass, and the Emily Griffith Road Ramble. OUT Spolin' has also helped riders train for various AIDS Vaccine Rides!

OUT Spokin' welcomes riders at all stages in their cycling careers. There are a number of membership levels described on their membership page. Once you become a member, all you have to do is ride and enjoy the many social activities that OUT Spokin’ offers. All they ask is that you join them for at least one charity ride and that you wear your OUT Spokin' Jersey with pride.

Equality Night with the Rapids

Denver Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, Tracks and Outfront are sponsoring Equality Night with the Rapids on Saturday, Sep. 9 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The $25 package includes:

• South Stands Ticket for the match
• $5 food and beverage voucher
• Commemorative Equality Night Tee-shirt
• Post-game meet and greet with a Colorado Rapids player.
• Free admission post-game to Tracks for an Equality Night Celebration

A portion of proceeds will go  to the “You Can Play Project.” Click here for tickets.

OUT - Robbie Rogers: The History Maker

For many, Robbie Rogers was probably not a household name, especially in LGBT households. Then, on February 15 of this year, Rogers made a dramatic announcement on his website: He was gay, and he was quitting soccer. These points were not unrelated as no male American athlete in a major sport had come out while still playing professionally. Then in May, Rogers reversed course on one of those points and signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Now, for OUT magazine’s August Sports Issue, Rogers talks with OUT contributor Matthew Breen about his journey from a closeted soccer player to LGBT role model.

 

Rogers was no longer just a retired soccer player; he was a history maker – just six months after coming out to his “conservative, Catholic, close-knit” family. “Growing up, I learned that being gay was a sin,” he tells OUT. “It was not something you could be, and it wasn’t something my family would talk about much – it was obviously something that scared the shit out of me.”

 

That feeling had been scaring him from an early age. “I felt different for a long time, but when I was 14 and going to high school, I was like, Oh, OK. This is what’s going on: I’m gay. And then it was, I’m good at soccer as well…there are no gay soccer players,” Rogers remembers. In his head, he became good at keeping these two identities separate. “I just repress being a gay male, as awful as that sounds,” he says. “I look back now and think, Gosh, that’s sad. TO think there are other kids [feeling] like that is really scary, but I just felt that soccer was so important in my life that I was willing to do it.”

 

Rogers did keep is soccer and personal lives separate for some time. He admits, to keep up the persona, he dated girls for some time. “Before I became true to myself I dated girls. I very much acted the part as a straight footballer, which is pretty sad, but I felt like I had to mask that side of me,” he notes.

 

Now, Rogers has been dating guys, but don’t let soccer to be the impetus for meeting him. “In London I dated a guy for a few months. He’s till one of my good friends, but its’ been tough to meet people in West Hollywood,” he says. “It has to happen in an organic way, where someone introduces himself and is genuine and doesn’t want to talk about soccer straight out the gate. When I started dating this guy in London, I just went up to him. I’m sure I’ll meet someone in a random place – the grocery store or wherever.”

 

Through the course of his long coming out journey, Rogers has now learned to embrace his role as a spokesperson for those who are now struggling with coming out. “I want to help people, especially kids who feel the same way I did; it makes me sick to remember the way I felt and to think that they feel the same way. Now I have this platform that hopefully I can use to reach people in a positive way.”

 

Read OUT’s full Robbie Rogers cover storyand find the other athlete profiles by clicking here.

The Gay Vegans: "Fu**ing Faggot" - proper language at Rutgers

By Dan Hanley

UPDATE: Mike Rice has been fired.

I hesitated writing the title of a blog post that includes words that make me uncomfortable. I assure you this is a direct quote, and because of the power of the two words combined, I decided to go ahead with the title.

I was enjoying morning time with the furries watching the CBS Morning Show and watched as they showed video of the Rutgers (university in New Jersey) head basketball coach Mike Rice hit, pushed, threw basketballs at and shouted gay slurs to his players. One of the things I heard him say on the tape is the title of this post. He also called his players "fairies".

As I have written about many times here, language is huge. In a time when it seems equality is getting stronger and more and more people are getting comfortable with the idea of gay people getting married let alone existing, we get to watch video of a very well paid man call someone this.

How far have we seriously come when the worst thing a coach can think of calling one of his players to denigrate him or make him feel small is a faggot?

And just in case you're wondering, this guy, as of this morning (April 3, 2013) still has his job.

The violence. The words. These are not actions and statements from someone who should be respected in any way. This guy is a coach!

Fire him. Today.

From the athletic director Tom Pernetti on suspending the coach:  "This was not an easy decision for me to make but absolutely necessary to ensure what is best for our program."

Seriously? He saw the video in November! It seems he is now only taking action because of the video becoming public. By the way, thank you ESPN for showing the video. It was not an easy decision to suspend him?

I simply don't get it. Oh, I get the world of sports. I don't get that any university, school, program, etc would want anything to do with a man like Mike Rice.

Fire Mike Rice. Fire him today.

Thanks for reading.

This post originally appeared on Dan Hanley's website The Gay Vegans. Republished with permission.

Nice to See StevieB: Oscar Pistorius Stumbles and Falls

By StevieB

In what seems a lifetime ago, I lived in a stone house along the Appian Way. During this brief time in my life I dated a Flying Dutchman. Named this because he was Dutch and an airline pilot. Although I always suspected he was a flight attendant. As after sex he would always attempt to give we warm towels.

One time, after a nice warm towel, and supplying me with a soda, although never giving me the whole can, he asked me who my heroes were. I was dumbfounded. I quietly realized that I didn’t have heroes to follow and use as guideposts though my life. From that night onward in the stone house along the Appian Way, I would always have some sort of hero or role model in my life to strive to be as good as and emulate.

Upon becoming addicted to watching the track and field portion of the 2012 Summer Olympics, I watched a small story about a South African sprint runner struggling to even participate in the men’s 400 metres sprint. Upon Oscar Pistorius competing in the London Summer Olympics as the first double leg amputee, and the controversy died down about his cutting-edge prostheses giving him an unfair advantage over able-bodied runners, I became obsessed with this amazing man’s struggle to overcome obstacles. When I got lazy about going for runs, I used Oscar for motivation. Tired and not wanting to drive to the gym, I would think of Oscar the amazing athlete.

On my birthday, I even turned into a crazy fan girl and asked via Twitter for a birthday wish from Pistorius:

So my other role models are a fictitious British 

TV character and a You Tube Vlogger. What’s to ya?

Quickly Pistorius replied via Twitter:

When he replied, I squeed. My running deity, whom I worshiped daily; and motivated me to be a better athlete, wished me a great birthday…. This buzzed lasted me until yesterday morning. When changing at the gym to go for a run I hear my heroes name on the locker room’s TV. “Oscar Pistorius accused of premeditated murder of girlfriend by South Africa prosecutors.”

I stood in my UA undies in stunned silence watching a video of Pistorius holding his head in his hands weeping openly in a courtroom as prosecutors said they would purse a charge of murder against the paralympic superstar.

Thinking back to being asked about heroes by the Flying Dutchman, in that house, on a street in Dallas, TX ironically named after the most important Roman roads of the ancient republic, I realize now how strategically important that turn in my own Appian Way was. To accomplish anything in life you need role models. Sometimes… dare I say, most of the time, your deity will fall.

This post originally appeared on Steven Bennet's website Nice to See StevieB. Republished with permission.

Colorado Volleyball Connection offers Holiday Tourney

Colorado Volleyball Connection's three week/three night Holiday Tourney takes place between Thanksgiving and the December Holidays, so if you want to keep busy playing between the Holidays, sign up now!

Invisible Athletes: A discussion of gays in sports at University of Denver

Click to embiggen and read about this interesting discussion about gays in sports taking place today at the University of Denver.

Rugby player Ben Cohen celebrates 52,000th Facebook Fan with shirtless photo ...

... and there it is. See more of Ben Cohen on Facebook or at BenCohen.com.

Outsports: Coming out stories

Outsports.com has a wonderful archive of coming out stories from gay athletes on every end of the  spectrum from high school and college athletes to current and retired pros.