By Dylan Kane | Cronkite News<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2013 For many LGBTQIA+ athletes, stepping onto the field isn\u2019t just about competition, it\u2019s about survival. In a world where queer identities are often met with hostility, finding a space to belong can be life-saving.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was 16 years old, I attempted taking my life three times,\u201d said Johnny Loaiza, the commissioner of the Phoenix Gay Flag Football League. \u201cSo for me, sports was always an outlet. Going into the Phoenix Gay Flag Football League was really just another opportunity, as I felt I was falling out of love with sports.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Phoenix Gay Flag Football League isn\u2019t just a sports league \u2014 it\u2019s a safe haven. Designed to foster community and inclusion, the league has grown into one of the largest LGBTQIA+ sports organizations in the Phoenix area.<\/p>\n
For players such as Loaiza, and many others, it\u2019s become a vital space for rebuilding confidence, connection and purpose.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think what really motivated me to play for the PGFFL was just an accepting community,\u201d Loaiza said. \u201cIt had a very accepting culture that really felt like family. It\u2019s kind of like that feeling of a brotherhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
The need for that safe outlet has only grown in recent years, as the broader political climate has become increasingly hostile toward the LGBTQIA+ community \u2014 particularly transgender individuals in the realm of sports.<\/p>\n
In Arizona and across the country, legislation has been introduced targeting everything from gender-affirming care to youth sports participation. On a federal level, protections and resources are also under threat.<\/p>\n
Most recently, President Donald Trump drew widespread backlash after shutting down the national suicide prevention hotline specifically tailored to LGBTQIA+ youth, a move many mental health advocates called dangerous and deeply harmful. For many in the queer community, especially young people, the loss of that support line further isolates those already vulnerable to mental health crises.<\/p>\n
Loaiza said the ripple effects of this political pressure were felt throughout the league.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think right now our league is definitely feeling it a little bit,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I think some members still carry it with them. As much as we can do as a league, we should still try and support every single member of our league, with the big focus on our trans-queer community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now more than ever, the PGFFL aims to use sport as an outlet for resilience and affirmation \u2014 building a league culture that not only shields its members from the weight of these national conversations, but actively counteracts them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe take a lot of pride in doing a lot of stuff internally trying to support our members regardless of their sexual orientation or identification,\u201d Loaiza said. \u201cWe have a community newsletter that we send out monthly that always (features) some type of suicide prevention awareness.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan Elmore, PGFFL\u2019s director of events and community outreach, echoed this sentiment.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially right now, since (trans people are) the main target of a lot of things, we wanted to make sure they felt seen and heard,\u201d Elmore said.<\/p>\n
Whether they\u2019re seasoned athletes or newcomers hesitant to step onto the field, many find the league offers a level of emotional safety that extends far beyond the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have people who are around me who are just like me,\u201d said Cydeni Carter, a lifelong athlete and participant of the league. \u201cI can speak very openly to (them). I can have my wife around and feel very comfortable and not like, \u2018Oh are they looking at me?\u2019 It\u2019s just super nice to have.\u201d<\/p>\n
That kind of comfort is something many queer athletes have never experienced in other athletic environments. In many traditional sports environments, especially during childhood and adolescence, being queer often means staying silent. To participate, many athletes feel the need to compartmentalize \u2014 sacrificing parts of their identity in exchange for acceptance from their teammates and peers.<\/p>\n
For Elmore, that contrast is one of the clearest reasons why leagues like the PGFFL need to exist.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes with sports, there\u2019s a lot of homophobia,\u201d Elmore said. \u201cIt is a space for people to release their stressors or anger. \u2026 I\u2019ve only played in gay leagues because I know there won\u2019t be a weird disconnect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Queer athletes do face exclusion in sport due to their identity, according to research done by The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQIA+ youth. Nearly one-third of LGBTQIA+ youth surveyed reported playing sports \u2014 significantly lower than the more than 50% participation rate observed among all U.S. youth.<\/p>\n
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One participant of the survey said, \u201cI avoided athletic activities out of terror, not disinterest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, those who do play sports report significant emotional benefits. Another Trevor Project study found LGBTQIA+ youth who participated reported 18% lower rates of depressive symptoms compared to their non-participating peers. There was also an 8%-9% increase in academic success, with more LGBTQIA+ sports-playing students reporting receiving mostly A\u2019s in school compared to those who didn\u2019t play.<\/p>\n
Playing sports can be a form of therapy for queer youth and adults alike \u2014 offering structure, community and a sense of belonging.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I found my community with the PGFFL, it definitely felt like I was finding love, passion and a growth for something new,\u201d Loaiza said. \u201cAnd I think we all aspire for something new \u2026 it definitely feels like a home for a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carter added, \u201cThis is more than just playing a sport, these are my friends and family now. These are the people I see more than anyone.\u201d
<\/p>\n
This creates a striking juxtaposition: The joy and connection that stems from sports stand in stark contrast to an often hostile political climate that frequently discourages the LGBTQIA+ community from playing them, particularly for trans athletes.<\/p>\n
In recent years, Arizona has joined more than 20 other states in passing laws that restrict transgender youth from participating in sports aligned with their gender identity, the rhetoric of which echoed Trump\u2019s 2025 \u201cKeeping Men Out of Women\u2019s Sports\u201d executive order.<\/p>\n
These actions, along with Trump\u2019s removal of the specialized suicide prevention hotline for queer youth, threaten the movement that communities like the PGFFL strive to nurture. Organizations like The Trevor Project and one\u00b7n\u00b7ten, a nonprofit in Phoenix that offers various social services for LGBTQIA+ youth, fill in the gaps left by this legislation, but still, fear continues to grow.<\/p>\n
Ninety percent of LGBTQIA+ youth said their well-being was negatively impacted by current politics \u2014 a number that reflects the deep emotional toll of exclusionary rhetoric and policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefunding the one thing that is relatable to queer children that feel like they have a safe place to go, not just a regular hotline, but a hotline that\u2019s catered to them is going to cause a lot more issues later down the road,\u201d Elmore said. \u201cBut people don\u2019t realize, and (they won\u2019t) until it\u2019s too late.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elmore added that these attacks come from a place of misunderstanding and misinformation.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because people don\u2019t understand it doesn\u2019t mean that they have to go and attack one community and push this message that, \u2018This community is so bad, we need to fight against them, they\u2019re using all of our tax dollars for their own personal health care,’ and whatnot,\u201d Elmore said. \u201cAll of their arguments are not really valid.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an issue that goes beyond sports. At its core, the debate over transgender participation in athletics is a reflection of a broader struggle over visibility, identity and acceptance, those in the community say. When political leaders frame trans inclusion as a threat, it fuels stigma and shapes how queer people see themselves and their place in society: Who you are is up for debate.<\/p>\n
This chips away at the safe spaces that organizations like the PGFFL work so hard to build. It wants its trans athletes to feel not only are they part of a team, but they\u2019re also part of the broader community, contributing everyday in meaningful ways.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know several trans people here in Phoenix that are public servants, they do a lot of work within the community,\u201d Elmore said. \u201cThey\u2019re teachers. They work at hospitals. And they\u2019re doing so much just to get the bad end of the stick.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the face of that adversity, the league has strengthened its commitment to its most vulnerable members.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really built up our trans members,\u201d Loaiza said. \u201cEnsuring that here was a safe space for them. When they step on the field or are around our community members, making sure they feel supported and seen.\u201d
<\/p>\n
Carter added, \u201cOur mission remains strong. We stand with our trans athletes. I have several team members who are trans, we rally around them and we want to make sure that they feel the love when they\u2019re in the PGFFL and when they\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, the hope for many is that inclusion won\u2019t be confined to queer-specific leagues. The broader sports world has work to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do want gay leagues to grow,\u201d Elmore said. \u201cBut I also feel like all leagues need to be more open and accepting, because at the end of the day, they\u2019re coming to support your league \u2026 why make it harder for people to just play sports?\u201d<\/p>\n
At a time when simply existing can feel like resistance, the PGFFL wants to prove that sport, at its best, can be a place of healing, where community blossoms, confidence is restored and athletes are embraced exactly as they are.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Dylan Kane | Cronkite News PHOENIX \u2013 For many LGBTQIA+ athletes, stepping onto the field isn\u2019t just…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":135953,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,1587,1589,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-135952","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-phoenix","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-arizona","10":"tag-az","11":"tag-phoenix","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-united-states-of-america","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","16":"tag-us","17":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115008016410299289","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135952\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}