From The Editor: Welcome To The Gay Softball World Series

The Gay Softball World Series has returned to the Twin Cities. We’re rolling out a welcome to 5,000 visitors involved in this tournament. This issue celebrates this event and our community that plays an important role as gracious and welcoming hosts.

To kick things off, let me start off with this story…

In 2001, I remember driving up from Madison to the Twin Cities to see my friends up here. One friend told me to go directly to Bryn Mawr Park in Minneapolis to go see a few of them play softball.

I got there and I was astonished. I have never seen LGBTQ+ folks play in an organized form of recreational sports before. Being out for over a decade (at the time) and living in two major LGBTQ+ hubs (the Bay Area and Washington, D.C. prior to Madison), I felt like I was missing a major social aspect of our community.

That was my introduction to the Twin Cities Goodtime Softball League – our Lavender Magazine Community Award winning local league affiliated with the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance.

Once I moved here, I met more folks at TCGSL games and events. I checked out their games, rooted for them, and hung out afterwards. It was fun. My now former Olympus camera was omnipresent to capture some action on the field.

Through this, I attended – and even volunteered – the last time the Twin Cities hosted the Gay Softball World Series in 2012. It was an experience that I thought benefitted our community. We’ve always been great hosts, you know!

For 2023, the GSWS has returned to the Twin Cities. And, we’re glad to have it back!

The competition will take place across three venues – Lac Lavon Field in Burnsville, Lexington-Diffley Athletic Fields in Eagan, and Rich Valley Park in Inver Grove Heights. The tournament will feature the best amateur athletes from across the country – around 5,000 visitors will be in town for the GSWS.

If you’re interested in attending any of the events for the GSWS, log on to https://www.lightupthenorth.org for a complete schedule. That also includes getting tickets to the Minnesota Twins-Cleveland Guardians game at Target Field on August 29 and the charity concert at First Avenue on August 30, featuring Taylor Dayne, along with drag superstars BeBe Zahara Benet and Detox.

Speaking of which, did you know that the Twins are among the supporters for the GSWS? That’s what you get when organizations truly support and love what we do! You can read more about it in this issue.

The 2023 GSWS is just a few days away! Let us make our 5,000 visitors feel right at home!