Stonewall Creates an Inclusive Sports Experience for All Levels

We all have that vivid memory from grade school. It’s the middle of May. A cool breeze whips by as sweat runs down our forehead. And we stand there, waiting for the other kids to decide whose dodgeball team we would have the privilege of being a part of. Even as adults, we just want to feel part of a team while being our full authentic selves.

Stonewall Sports gets it - and they’re here for us. From kickball to volleyball, bowling to dodgeball, Stonewall Sports is a sports league for members of the LGBTQ community and it’s allies, with a chapter in the Richmond area. 

Richmond prides itself on having a thriving queer community, so it’s no surprise that the River City has her own chapter of Stonewall Sports. The organization brings representation into an athletic space, somewhere we were not always encouraged to join.

The organization even brought the national tournament to the region in 2021.

“In 2019 we put in a bid to host the national tournament in Richmond,” said chapter cofounder Dan Lutz. “This year, we actually incorporated a charitable donation into the tournament, making us the first tournament ever to have a beneficiary, which was the Nationz Foundation.” Lutz added, “Stonewall’s mission is to provide a sports atmosphere that is low cost and high fun with a charitable heart at the end of the day.”

Stonewall also offers activities in addition to sports for those who want to join in the fun without the athletic aspect. Tuk tuk rides, climbing and river walks are among some of those activities that have recently been added.

“I played in other leagues for years, and I never felt like I could really be myself, and wondered how many other people are here that I don’t know who are queer who feel that exact same way,” Lutz said. “It allows us to be ourselves, and that is so incredibly important.”

For more information about Stonewall Sports Richmond, please visit their website.