Following the abrupt cancellation of the annual LezVolley Tournament in Cherry Grove last month, the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI)hosted a town hall at the Stonewall Inn in New York’s Greenwich Village on Monday, September 9, to address concerns. It remains to be seen whether the tournament will take place in 2025.
Following one team’s refusal to play due to the presence of a transgender athlete on an opposing team, an argument broke out among the players and organizers during the event. A Fire Island resident not affiliated with the event or organization eventually called the police.
Certified diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) educator and change management expert Rae Lindsay moderated the town hall, which featured LezVolley co-founder Danielle Stanziale and SIGBI CEO and co-founder Stacy Lentz. Stanziale was among those calling for the participant’s withdrawal from the tournament but later reversed her stance, saying that she had educated herself on the matter.
Both Lentz and Stanziale expressed their regret over the incident.
“To see us attack each other when 65% of the world hates us and wants us dead is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching,” Lentz stated before turning the mic over to Rae.
After laying out the town hall’s structure, Rae gave a brief primer on gender-inclusive language and practices. They articulated the fluid relationship between gender identity and gender expression, trans and nonbinary identity, and gender affirmation and transitioning.
Rae then moved into the LezVolley Tournament confrontation. They recounted that some players demanded that Cam, a trans man, recuse himself from the tournament. The players used gendered insults and name-calling, according to multiple town hall attendees.
“The biggest problem was no one asked him [how he identified],” Rae said.
“When I meet someone new, I think about my implicit biases: ‘What do I need to fix about myself? Where are my thoughts going?’” they continued. “It’s all about challenging implicit biases. That’s what we’re doing today.”
Community members echoed Rae’s sentiments.
“Trans men have all at some point been assigned female and therefore experienced misogyny,” a participant jumped in. “It should not be up to us to decide which ties you have to sever [when you transition].”
“There’s already so much discrimination within sports,” another participant agreed.
Following a problem-solving activity in which participants discussed their ideas in small groups, the event moved into a question-and-answer session. Community members were invited to submit questions via Google Docs prior to the town hall or write them on slips of paper during the event.
Rae read the first question: “Several comments were made over the microphone at the event by the DJ, specifically, that were shocking and disturbing. Can you elaborate on what steps will be taken in the future to prevent this type of harmful behavior if there are future LezVolley events?”
“First of all, please accept my apology for these comments,” Stanziale replied. “They are not a representation of LezVolley, or of what I personally stand for. As to why they were made, I can only assume they were trying to help the situation, but I acknowledge they were actually making the situation much worse.”
Stanziale added that all organizers and staff will receive proper, in-person training and vetting surrounding gender inclusivity and sensitivity in the future. She also clarified that LezVolley is marketed as an event for women and nonbinary folks, which includes trans people. LezVolley was founded in 2011 as a women’s tournament and expanded to include nonbinary participants five years ago.
“Cam had played [in the tournament] in previous years,” she added. “The only difference is this year Cam had a beard.”
Lentz clarified that “Nonbinary includes trans,” and therefore Cam had every right to be there. She later added that LezVolley would seek out primarily trans and nonbinary folks to facilitate the training sessions.
Rae read another question addressed to Stanziale: “Will you continue to provide this much-needed space [the annual LezVolley tournament] for our community?”
“I don’t know that answer as I sit here today,” she replied. “That’s what you’re all here to help me figure out.”
Lentz commented that intergenerational dialogue will be key going forward. “What happened on the beach was reflective generationally,” she said.
Stanziale admitted that she did not know before the event that trans men fell under the umbrella of “nonbinary.”
“I’m from the older generation,” she said, adding that she is here because she wants to be educated and for other lesbians to be educated as well.
Stanziale later clarified that a Fire Island resident outside the LezVolley community called the police during the incident.
“I know they don’t make many of us feel comfortable. It absolutely wasn’t anyone on my staff [who called the police],” she stated.
Toward the end of the Q&A, Lentz turned to Stanziale.
“It’s not easy to say, ‘I made a mistake and I was wrong, and I’m going to listen,’” she said. “So, I want to thank Danielle.”
According to Stanziale, the LezVolley leaders will announce by December 1 whether the 2025 tournament will take place.
