A Decade of FLAG Football Celebrated in Boston

From a post in Bay Windows;

Ten years ago, Robert Saurer was fresh out of college and tossing a football around at home, wishing that he had a safe, comfortable environment where he could play football as an out gay man. On a whim, he placed an ad in Bay Windows looking to start a league for gay and gay-friendly football fans. Now, Greater Boston’s Friends, Lesbians and Gays (FLAG) Flag Football League consists of 180 players who make up fourteen teams and is one of the most active gay sports leagues in the state.

“I wanted to get back into some kind of organized sport, but I wanted to do it in an environment that wasn’t so, I don’t want to say threatening, but uncomfortable at times if you’re a gay athlete. … I wanted to specifically play with other gay athletes,” said Saurer of his idea to start the league.

Stonewall Takes European Gay Football Finals

It was reported early on that the British team Stonewall FC was strongly favored to win the Gay Football World Championship which opened in London on August 24th, and yesterday, the team representing England, took down Argentina 5-0 in the final at Leyton Orient’s Matchroom Stadium in London.

This was the record high score in the gay finals back in 1997 and hasn’t been seen again until now.

40 teams, including those from England, United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Ireland , Iceland, Denmark, South Africa, Czech Republic, Sweden, Japan and Australia participated in the tournament.

Doug Edward, one of the players from the Stonewall team said: “We played with pride and thoroughly deserved to win the title after winning seven games to get to the final.

Congrats to Stonewall!