Competitors at 2014 Bingham Cup in Sydney, Australia (Photo: Bingham Cup/Erik Denison)
A throng of LGBT and allied rugby players has descended upon the city of Nashville for Memorial Day Weekend. More than 1,300 rugby players and supporters from 42 club teams and 11 different countries are in the midst of competing for the ultimate prize: first place in the Bingham Cup, an annual event that serves as the world championship for gay rugby teams.
Named in honor of Mark Bingham, a gay rugby player who helped found two gay rugby teams in San Francisco and New York who was killed on United Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, the annual tournament is awarded to host teams by International Gay Rugby (IGR), the governing body of the sport. IGR hopes that the cup, and other tournaments, will help increase visibility and foster an environment where LGBT players and fans are welcome. IGR has previously worked with World Rugby, USA Rugby and other national unions to combat homophobia in the sport, among both players and fans.
“This is an exciting time for our IGR athletes, coaches, referees and supporters,” Jeff Wilson, IGR’s chairman, said in a statement. “We are delighted to bring the Bingham Cup Tournament back to the USA for the first time in six years and look forward to the largest and best gay and inclusive rugby tournament ever presented. Both Nashville and the campus environment of Vanderbilt University provide our participants with an open and accepting environment, with many sights and attractions off the pitch.”
This year’s selection of the Nashville Grizzlies rugby club as the host team marks the first time the tournament has been held in the Mid-South, providing an economic boom to the city. According to organizers, over 6,000 hotel and dorm stays have been booked by out-of-town guests, and official events off the field will bring in money to local bars and restaurants throughout Nashville. D.C. has a significant presence at the event, with two gay rugby teams, the Scandals and the Renegades, who will compete for the championship this weekend.
The choice of Nashville is particularly interesting given the defeat of an anti-transgender “bathroom bill” at the same time that Gov. Bill Haslam decided to sign into law a bill allowing therapists and counselors to refuse to treat LGBT clients. Nonetheless, city officials have made it clear that Nashville, at least, is more welcoming and accepting of the LGBT community than other parts of the state. Mayor Megan Barry praised IGR and its promotion of tolerance and respect for diversity, saying those values represent “exactly the type of atmosphere we have worked so hard to create — and will continue to defend — here in Nashville, with a thriving LGBTQ+ community that strengthens the fabric of our city.”
The actual games are being held at Ted Rhodes Park from May 27 through May 29, with closing ceremonies on Sunday evening. Proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN), which will also be hosting anti-bullying and suicide prevention classes throughout the weekend.
“This year’s tournament marks the return of the Bingham Cup to the United States and its first ever trip to the South,” Jon Glassmeyer, the chairman of the Bingham Cup Organizing Committee, said in a statement. “We hope you will enjoy some southern food, plenty of live music, and revel in the rugby brotherhood with over 1,200 players from around the globe.”
Editor’s Note: Contributing writer Fallon Forbush also contributed to this report.
The year's nearly out. Sometimes that calls for taking sweet stock of the past months' wonderful events. Coming to the end of 2025, on the other hand, is more like getting to that denouement in the action movie where the survivors take a breath and pat each other on the back for having made it out alive. At this stage, we are Newt getting tucked-in to her Sulaco hibernation tube.
With some effort and a pinch of luck, may we all fare better in 2026 than poor Newt's end at the start of Alien 3.
Why such a shitty year? So much of it, obviously, can be laid at the feet of Lame Duck Donald. Not that he hasn't had loads of assistance in his evil efforts to erase our transgender family and friends, colleagues, and leaders during 2025. The purge, as promised, began right out of the gate on Inauguration Day.
A new report finds that acceptance of LGBTQ people is declining across the United States, with nearly three in ten LGBTQ adults saying attitudes toward their community have worsened.
On Thursday, January 15, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation released findings from its Annual LGBTQ+ Community Survey, which drew responses from nearly 15,000 U.S. adults -- roughly two-thirds of whom identified as LGBTQ.
In addition to the survey, HRC last year launched its "American Dreams Tour," traveling to 10 cities and engaging more than 5,000 people through town halls, trainings, and community meetings with local LGBTQ leaders and activists. Those on-the-ground conversations informed the report, which aims to assess the state of LGBTQ life in the United States one year into the second Trump administration.
A New York City subway rider was slashed in the face earlier this month by an unidentified assailant who took offense to him kissing his transgender partner. The attack occurred around 7:50 p.m. on January 10 aboard a southbound No. 6 train as it traveled through Manhattan.
According to police, the 28-year-old victim was kissing his partner when the suspect began shouting anti-gay slurs. The verbal abuse quickly escalated into a physical confrontation. During the argument, the suspect struck the victim with a sharp object, causing a deep laceration on the right side of his face, according to New York CW affiliate WPIX.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.