Cape Town's LGBTQ+ sports community
"We wanted to make a safe space for people in the LGBTQ community." - David Lee
David Lee Founder of Blight Rugby Club, chats to Jane:
David Lee founded Blight Rugby Club with a group of friends in 2011 because they felt that team sports were less accessible to members of the gay community.
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Although the group was created to make the LGBTQ+ community feel included in sports, the team is open to anyone to enjoy.
According to Times Live, Jannie Bean, one of the team's members, said: "Blight means that members of the gay community can move away from stigmas and the usual social scene of dating and clubbing that can result in “losing real connections with people”.
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As happy as this initiative makes me, it also makes me a little sad that this type of segregation still exists. It also upsets me that in order for LGBTQ+ people to feel like they can enjoy this type of sport free of judgment, they needed to create their own team.
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The Blight Rugby Club can be found at The Green Point Park in Cape Town on Sundays, so if you are a Cape Town resident, this might just be your team!
People don’t judge you. It’s about being yourself and enjoying the day.