Cream City LGBTQ Sports Update

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In these times of political turmoil, of the LGBTQ community targeted by reactionary hate, life as we knew it carries on regardless. Ironically, it’s America’s favorite pastime’s cousin, softball, that provides the respite from fray.

Milwaukee’s LGBTQ softball league, SSBL (Saturday Softball Beer League), wrapped up its 45th anniversary year season hosting its traditional Dairyland Class Softball Tournament. Taking place on a particularly sultry weekend, the rains that fell in the early hours of that Sunday forced the cancellation of games planned for that morning. Nevertheless, SSBL’s guests from around the nation, used to Cream City’s fickle climate as they are, took the uncooperative weather in stride and enjoyed Milwaukee’s LGBTQ hospitality regardless. Three decades ago they played in freezing temperatures with the wind chill in the teens when the tournament took place on Memorial Day weekend in 1992.

Meanwhile, SSBL isn’t quite done yet. The league is sending the Brew Crew, its E division team (recreational, comprised of players from various teams), to the Gay Softball World Series (GSWS), the largest LGBTQ sports event in the world, in Dallas, TX. That event takes place Aug. 29–Sept. 3 and is also the 45th anniversary of the World Series. The first was held in San Francisco in 1977. Milwaukee, a National American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) founding city, hosted the GSWS in 1979, 1985 and 2009. The last, dubbed NAGAAA-Fest, hosted 127 teams. Just over a dozen years later, the GSWS welcomes 250 teams representing 46 member leagues from across the USA and Canada.

Then, Fall Ball, SSBL’s fall co-ed recreational league, announced registration for the 2022 season. Games are played at the Wilson Recreational Center on Thursday evenings from Sept. 15 through Oct. 27.

Rugby for Fall?

In other sports news, the Milwaukee Beer Barons Rugby Football Club announced its Autumn 2022 Game Schedule and held its annual Rugby 101 tutorial event for prospective players.  Founded in 2017, the Beer Barons quickly adopted a blue and gold jersey emblazoned with its beer themed logo and became a member of International Gay Rugby and the Wisconsin Rugby Football Union. The all-inclusive club welcomes LGBTQ+ and allies of any experience level. Its social media site is currently running players’ biographies under the title “Why do you wear BLUE and Gold?” One respondent called the Beer Barons “one of the chilliest rugby clubs I’ve been on.”

The Milwaukee Gay Volleyball Association (MGVA) wraps up its Summer Sand Season with play continuing through Sept. 18 and its end of season tournament taking place on Sept. 25. MGVA’s Fall/Winter Indoor Season begins in November at the Beulah Brinton Community Center in Bay View.

Long in hiatus, the Milwaukee Gay Football Club (MGFC) has again taken to the pitch, reconstituting its organization with Summer Pick-Up Soccer through August. Once the largest LGBTQ soccer club in the Midwest fielding nearly a dozen teams, the MGFC is currently working with the Milwaukee Gay Sports Network to revive the sport.

Information and details about the various Milwaukee’s sports leagues and clubs may be found under the individual organizations’ social media pages.