SF Gay Softball League celebrates 50 years of giving players a home base
SAN FRANCISCO - On Sundays in San Francisco, head to the baseball diamonds at Kimbell Field or Moscone Fields, and you'll likely find yourself in the middle of a tradition that's lasted five decades.
"Been around 50 years. A gay organization to be around that long is a remarkable thing," said Vincent Fuqua, Commissioner of the San Francisco Gay Softball League.
These players are in a league of their own. While you often hear people say sports is about more than love of the game, these players, don't just know it. They feel it, with every pitch, every hit, every catch and every point scored.
"It's a community. But more importantly it's actually a family," Fuqua said. "I was 19 when I started and to see how this has grown and how much it became part of my identity of who I am. It's a beautiful thing. It's a remarkable thing."
It is remarkable and beautiful in ways that run deep for players like Orlando Diaz, coach of the SF Sluggers.
"I have been in the gay softball league for 37 years. Started in New York in 1986. I've been playing in San Francisco for the last 21 years," Diaz said.
For him, it was a lifeline out of loneliness.
"I was a 20-year-old kid and I was in the middle of the AIDS crisis. And being a young, scared, gay, kid, without any friends and seeing people dying, I felt isolated," Diaz said. "When I joined the softball community, I found community, I found brotherhood, I found sisterhood, I found a community where I could feel safe. It gave me hope."
During these past 50 years, the league has grown, not only in the number of teams, but also, its inclusiveness.
"When I started in 1986 we only had a few leagues across the country. Now we have over 50 cities that have gay softball leagues," said Diaz.
The team T- Rex is celebrating its 10-year anniversary as the first trans-centered softball team in the nation. Tony Padia, the founder, pitched the idea.
"Being trans is different from identifying as gay or lesbian. So being in that limbo is hard," Padia said. "Even if it's just one day a week to come out and play, it's a family that we've created."
Owen Dempsey is part of that family, as co-manager of T-Rex. He first heard about the league as a kid on the East Coast.
"I played softball for a while and then got to the point where I was transitioning in high school, and I was not going to play on the girls team anymore, and so I just thought it was done for me. I thought I wasn't going to be able to play at all anymore," Dempsey said.
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Dempsey didn't play for ten years, caught between the love of the sport and being true to himself.
"It was only when I was back on the field that I realized how much I missed it," Dempsey said. "I was like, wow, this is a part of my identity and who I am that has been missing for a long time, and I'm so excited to have it back."
For these players, it's a field of dreams come true.
"I'm happy to play anywhere. I just want to be part of the game. It's fun. I love playing the bench too. I'm a good cheerleader," Dempsey said.
On Saturday, at Oracle Park on Pride night, the San Francisco Giants and the community were the ones cheering for the San Francisco Gay Softball League, honoring them on the field for 50 years and counting.
"I'm going to be 58-years-old, and I'm still like a little kid, you know, playing this game that I love," Diaz said.
Finally, for many players, it's a space to call home. As the San Francisco Gay Softball League celebrates its past, the leaders are also looking to the future.
The league was selected to be the host for the 2027 Gay Softball World Series in San Francisco as the Gay Softball World Series celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Jana Katsuyama is a reporter for KTVU. Email Jana at jana.katsuyama@fox.com and follow her on Twitter @JanaKTVU or Facebook @NewsJana or ktvu.com.