NYC LGBT Sports Network is an initiative brought to you by Team New York & Out of Bounds. The Network was launched in 2019 in the run up to WorldPride/Stonewall50 in New York City, 30 years after the founding of Team New York.
2019 was a important year for our community. The year marked the 30th birthday of Team New York. The year also marked the 35th anniversary of the first pride march organized by Heritage of Pride, Inc., founded in 1984. Most importantly, the year marked the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots which started on June 28, 1969 (Stonewall50). To commemorate Stonewall50, New York City hosted WorldPride in 2019, and our athletic community hosted competition with athletes from around the world as part of Stonewall50. These competitions included (in chronological order):
- OutCycling’s Annual Pride Ride – June 2, 2019
- New York City Gay Hockey Association’s Annual Hockey Tournament (Chelsea Challenge) – June 21-23, 2019
- Team New York Aquatics hosted the 2019 International Gay & Lesbian Aquatics Championships (Swimming, Water Polo, Diving, Synchronized Swimming) – June 23-29, 2019
- Front Runners New York’s Annual Pride Run – June 29, 2019
- Knickerbocker Sailing Association’s Annual Regatta (Parade of Sails) – June 29, 2019
- New York Gay Football League hosted the National Gay Flag Football Tournament (Gay Bowl) – October 10-14, 2019
Organizational History
Team New York (TeamNY) was founded in 1989 as an umbrella organization for coordination and collaboration between LGBTQ+ sports, athletics and recreation organizations. TeamNY’s first coordinated effort was the bid for New York City to host Gay Games IV for the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in 1994. TeamNY was awarded the bid by the Federation of the Gay Games. After we successfully hosted the 1994 Gay Games (see archived picture gallery), the network of organizations has continued to provide safe, affirming and welcoming spaces for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies to engage in sports, athletics and recreation.
Out of Bounds New York City (OOBNYC) was founded in 2000 by Jeff Kagan and Will Smathers. OOBNYC was intended to serve as a resource for supporting new LGBTQ+ sports and recreation organizations. Jeff Kagan also co-founded the New York City Gay Hockey Association in 1999 and the Pride Basketball League in 2006. In 2007, TeamNY and OOBNYC merged into a single entity incorporated as Out of Bounds NYC, Inc. Today, Out of Bounds NYC, Inc. is a charitable non-profit organization incorporated in the State of New York with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors established in by its bylaws.
For more information about the organizations producing community-based programming in our network, visit see our Network Directory.
Our Purpose, Mission, Vision, and Core Values
Our purpose is to produce inclusive and inviting sports, athletics and recreation programming designed for the LGBTQ+ community. Our mission is to create, sustain and support safe, affirming and welcoming spaces for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies to engage in sports, athletics and recreation together. Our vision is a world with broad mainstream support for safe, affirming and welcoming sports, athletics and recreation programming for all.
Our core values are inclusion, diversity and community. We foster inclusion by celebrating diversity and building community. We are dedicated to fostering inclusion to welcome members of the LGBTQ+ community historically marginalized and excluded. We are dedicated to celebrating diversity to ensure that we create a safe and affirming space for every member of the LGBTQ+ community. We are dedicated to building community to unify the LGBTQ+ community through sports, athletics and recreation.
Inclusion (noun) – in·clu·sion – (1) the act of including, the state of being included; (2) the act or practice of including, such as including students with disabilities with the general student population; (3) the act or practice of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (because of their race, gender, sexuality, or ability). Source: Merriam-Webster
Diversity (noun) – di·ver·si·ty – (1) the condition of having or being composed of differing elements (variety), especially the inclusion of people of different races, cultures, etc. in a group or organization; (2) an instance of being composed of differing elements or qualities (an instance of being diverse). Source: Merriam-Webster
Community (noun) – com·mu·ni·ty – (1) a unified body of individuals: such as (a) the people with common interests living in a particular area, broadly, the area itself; (b) a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society; (c) a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society; (d) a body of persons or nations having a common history or common social, economic, and political interests; (e) a group linked by a common policy; (f) an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (such as species) in a common location; (g) state or commonwealth; (2) (a) a social state or condition; (b) joint ownership or participation; (c) common character, such as likeness; (d) social activity, such as fellowship; (3) society at large. Source: Merriam-Webster