Stonewall Sports National Tournament & Summit in Philadelphia this weekend

More than 2,000 LGBTQ+ athletes and allies will gather in Philadelphia this weekend for the 9th Annual Stonewall Sports National Tournament & Summit.

Athletes will compete across eight sports, including kickball, dodgeball, tennis, and billiards.

The event is being held by Stonewall Sports, an LGBTQ+ community-based sports organization that raises money for nonprofits. Philadelphia was selected to host the tournament for its accessibility, but also its LGBTQ+ history.

National Tournament Director Rob Leis said Philadelphia’s Gayborhood, in particular, played a huge role in the tournament taking place here this weekend.

“I was walking through the Gayborhood and seeing Barbara Gittings Way and seeing all of these historical figures that I’ve heard about and learned about,” Leis said. “They were here, and the partnerships with the owners of small businesses in the local bars in the Gayborhood, that partnership is one of the huge reasons that we have the success that we do with this tournament.”

Stonewall Sports was created in 2010 in Washington, D.C. for LGBTQ+ athletes and allies to have an inclusive league to play in.

Indoor volleyball and dodgeball tournaments will be held at Valley Forge Sports in King of Prussia. Fairmount Park is set to host the tournament’s largest kickball tournament ever with 80 teams competing. Tennis will compete at the University of Pennsylvania, and Drexel University will host sand volleyball tournaments. Lucky Strike will host the bowling and billiards tournaments.

Twelve performers are scheduled for the 5th Annual Stonewall Pageant on Friday at Franklin Music Hall. The Saturday Night Soiree will take place at Concourse Dance Bar. To gain entry into these events, a $30 event pass must be purchased.

On Sunday from 1-7 p.m., the Stonewall Sports Block Party will take place in the Gayborhood. The finale  and awards ceremony will start at 6 p.m. This event is open to the public.