CHICAGO (WLS) — During Pride weekend in Chicago, the city hosted one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ flag football tournaments at the lakefront.
The Chicago Bears returned for the second year to show their support for the Pride Bowl tournament. Participants expressed that they joined for the sense of community and the competitive spirit.
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Montrose Beach in Uptown was the venue for the football games, turning into a lively celebration of athletics. Over 50 teams and hundreds of players from all over the United States gathered for the two-day Pride Bowl competition.
“I love to compete, and the people here are awesome,” said Oliver Bassir, who was visiting from California. “Everyone’s super welcoming, and made a lot of friends here, and it’s just a great environment to be in.”
Presented by the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association, Pride Bowl brings together players of all identities, competing across seven divisions.
“We bring six teams out here, and so this is our whole family,” said Mallory Williams, who was visiting from Texas. “We support each other throughout the entire tournament as a city… These are my people.”
The annual event uses a shared love of football to connect members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies.
For Joseph Owens from Washington, D.C., it was his seventh Pride Bowl. He said the event is a reminder of the power of visibility and support.
“It’s super important, representation-wise,” Owens said. “You know, I was a collegiate athlete, and so I didn’t get a lot of time to be myself. So being in a league like this is an amazing opportunity to just be myself and get to play football.”
While the message of inclusivity shines bright, make no mistake, the athletes were there to win.
“The competition is crazy also,” Williams said. “So it’s not that we can’t play football, because we come out here and we rough people up.”
The Bears helped support the Pride Bowl through club donations and volunteers. They’re also helping create awareness for the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association and its flag football league.
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