A summer trip to Cherry Grove and the Pines, a charming queer-centric hamlet on neighboring Fire Island, has long had a reputation for being truly magical for those two hours from New York City. There was a while. . No cars! A deer approaches you as you walk along the wooden path on your way home from the beach. We’re all gay! Also, every Saturday in August, you can participate in an LGBTQ+ volleyball tournament specifically for women and non-binary people. Founded in 2011 by Danielle Millet-Stanziale and Kristine Bungay, LezVolley has teams with names like Gay Watch, Uhoulyball, Beach Cheeks, and I’d Hit That playing sports, hanging out with friends, and even new teams. in a place where you feel truly welcome and safe.
Despite many exciting advances over the past decade, 2023 has been a rough year for queer and trans people in the United States, by and large. We have seen relentless attempts to legalize the very existence of transgender people. Extensive book ban Target titles with the theme of LGBTQ+ inclusion. Protests by far-right extremists at drug events continue.of Bud Light’s fiascothe tragic murder of O’Shea Sibley, a black gay who dared to go viral in public;and recent Ministry of Education decision The bill granted Baylor University a religious exemption from Title IX provisions that require schools to protect gay and transgender students from sexual harassment. (In my neighborhood in Brooklyn, I’ve been called anti-gay slurs and spat on while out with my girlfriends. Really cool stuff!!!)
That’s the story behind this year’s LezVolley tournament, and a big part of what makes it such a special day for both players and spectators. The day offers community, bizarre delights, heart-pounding competition, and frenzied recreation.
A nice detail from this year’s event: The two teams were entirely single-player registrations, allowing people who basically didn’t have an existing team to play with. LezVolley organizers say that when this has happened in the past, the players have been in frequent contact, with some coming back the next year as a team, and some as old friends. This is very welcome. Cute too? The fact that someone proposed to his girlfriend at the tournament after-party at the Ice Palace.
self-directed photographer hunter abrams To beat this year’s LezVolley tournament. Below are some of our favorite moments.