By Chad Holloway

An Instagram post. That’s how I first learned of the Las Vegas Gay Softball League (LVGSL). I wasn’t even living in Las Vegas at the time, but I was still based in Wisconsin, slowly spending more and more time out West as a part of my sports journalism career in the poker industry.

For more than a decade, I’d made an annual pilgrimage to Sin City for the World Series of Poker (WSOP), and my entire life had become enveloped by the game. It was my career, hobby, and identity all wrapped into one. In late 2022 at the age of 39, I pulled the trigger with a cross-country move, and little did I know a year later I’d be chasing a different type of World Series, the 2024 Gay Softball World Series by the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA), which will be held in Las Vegas for the first time from October 14-19.

Chad Holloway

With more than 5,000 softball players coming from around North America, it will be one of the largest sporting events in the world!

This is the story of how the LVGSL, and one of its newest teams, helped introduce me to a new LGBTQ+ community in Las Vegas.

Humble Beginnings

The Las Vegas Gay Softball League was founded in 2009 by the Las Vegas Athletics Arts and Activities Foundation, starting with just four teams playing at Veterans Memorial Park. Today, the league, which hosts both spring and fall seasons, has grown to over 250 members, making up between 20 and 25 teams. Its mission is simple:

“The league is dedicated to the promotion of amateur athletics for all persons in an environment that is safe, healthy, and free of negative attitudes based on differences in sexual orientation, race, age, creed, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation.”

Growing up in a small Wisconsin town with a population of 500, an LGBTQ+ community wasn’t something I was exposed to until much later in life while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Even so, I never really had the opportunity to immerse myself in such a community, which was something I wanted to rectify after I moved to Las Vegas.

My life had become all about poker, and there was something empty about that fact. I was single, working too much, and didn’t really have many friends outside of the poker world, let alone LGBTQ+ friends. As such, in Spring 2023, I attended a skills assessment and was subsequently placed in the E Division with a brand-new team. I spent the following two seasons honing my skills, dealing with injuries (softball is more intense than it may seem), and getting to know the other players in the league.

Slowly but surely, I found myself a part of a refreshing LGBTQ+ community, but it wasn’t all gravy and biscuits. I grew up playing sports and even won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet, so yeah, I get fired up when competing. I found that my competitive nature didn’t mesh well with my team, who were there “just to have fun.”

Don’t get me wrong, I like to have fun, too, but my idea of fun is either winning or at least competing. We didn’t do much of either, so when the new season rolled around, and The Golden Girls came knocking, I answered the door.

Victor Vasquez Velasquez

Not Your Mama’s Golden Girls

When I say The Golden Girls I’m not referring to Rose, Dorothy, Sophia, and Blanche from the seven-season sitcom. I mean the brand-new softball team founded by Josh Moyer, who was apparently a big fan of the show. Josh and his husband, AJ Buhay, had started in the LVGSL around the same time as me, and while we weren’t on the same team, we’d developed a loose friendship, the sort two competitors develop from across the field.

“I had never picked up a softball in my life, but I heard it was a great way to make friends, and it surely was,” said Moyer, who reached out to me about joining his new team.

“I love helping people,” he said when asked why he felt inspired to start The Golden Girls. Not only is he one of the team’s coaches, he also serves as the starting pitcher. “Watching people grow and develop through a mutual interest is therapeutic for me. So, I just wanted to share that. I reached out to my friends, people with whom I enjoy playing softball and who can play competitively. After all, my goal for The Golden Girls is to go to the Gay World Series in 2024.”

While I’m all about making new friends, it was the competitive angle that spurred me to make a change and sign up. I wasn’t the only one.

“The best part for me so far is the people,” said my outfielder teammate Victor Vasquez Velasquez, who spent three seasons playing in the Sacramento Gay Softball League before moving to Las Vegas. “I hope to gain new friendships along the way. I would say The Golden Girls chose me, and I’m very proud to be part of something beautiful. We are a force to be reckoned with, and we are not going to hold back.”

Jessica Sierra

Jessica Sierra, 39, was originally a basketball player but took up softball after watching her mother-in-law compete in the local Sin City Classic, which takes place every January.

“The best part since joining the league is the new friends I’ve made. One of my old teammates would call me ‘Princess,’ and I kinda liked it even though I’m more masculine,” she said with a smile. “I would love to continue to grow my skills and have fun while doing it. Also, it gives my Sundays more meaning and a chance to get out for some exercise. I chose to join The Golden Girls because I love playing with Josh. He makes it fun and always cheers me on. When Josh started his own team and asked if I would join him, it was a no-brainer.”

One of the backbones of the team is 38-year-old shortstop Juan Sanchez, who joined the LVGSL two years ago after his coworker talked incessantly about how fun it was. However, as a straight man, would he be welcomed? The answer was yes, as the LVGSL allows a limited number of allies supporting the mission to participate on a team.

Like myself, Sanchez attended a skills clinic and was placed on a new team as a third baseman.

“We lost every game, but it was just fun,” Sanchez said with a laugh. “That team stuck together and got better, but a couple of months ago, I was offered a shortstop position with The Golden Girls. I love playing short and also figured it was time to move on and get out of my comfort zone. So, I made the change, and so far, I love this team.” He added, “By the way, they didn’t care if I was straight; as a matter of fact, most of the players don’t even know or care. Why? Because we’re here to play and have fun, not judge or label each other, I picked this league once and would do it again!”

While a new team, The Golden Girls have already garnered interest outside the league. Imperial DTLV Tattoo Barbershop became the team’s first sponsor and was promptly followed by the LGBTQ+ award-winning bar, The Phoenix Bar & Lounge, and renowned trainer Matt Emerson of StayFit Fitness LLC. I even worked my poker network to get the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) and the Vegas-based BBO Poker & Gaming Tables on board as sponsors.

Whether or not The Golden Girls make it to the 2024 Gay Softball World Series remains to be seen, but while a destination is in mind, for me and my teammates right now, it’s about the journey.

Perhaps Moyer said it best: “Our values are kindness, play with heart, and always have fun. I have high hopes for the Golden Girls. We’re just making long-lasting friendships.”

Thank you for being a friend!

For more on the LVGSL league, please visit lvgsl.com.

Upcoming Golden Girls LVGSL Games

Sunday, March 24 at Sunset Park
11:10 a.m.-12:05 p.m. – Field 14
12:15-1:10 p.m. – Field 12

Sunday, April 7 at Doc Romeo Park
12:15-1:10 p.m. – Field 7
1:20-2:15 p.m. – Field 6

Sunday, April 21 at Sunset Park
2:25-3:20 p.m. – Field 14
3:30-4:25 p.m. – Field 13

Sunday, April 28 at Doc Romeo Park
9-9:55 a.m. – Field 6
10:05-11 a.m. – Field 6

Sunday, May 5 at Sunset Park
1:20-2:15 p.m. – Field 13
3:30-4:25 p.m. – Field 12

Sunday, May 19 at Sunset Park
9:00-9:55 a.m. – Field 12
10:05-11:00 a.m. – Field 13

This article was originally published in the 2024 Spring Issue of Las Vegas PRIDE Magazine, and can be read in its original format here.