In 2010, a group of LGBTQ+ athletes in D.C. launched a simple idea: a kickball league where queer people and allies could be themselves. They named it Stonewall Sports, honoring the 1969 riots that sparked the modern movement.
Today, it’s a national network of 28+ chapters. Every league is volunteer-run, low-cost, and community-focused. The game on the field is just the beginning.
Fargo-Moorhead has a vibrant Pride scene, but we noticed a gap: there wasn’t a year-round way for the LGBTQ+ community to just “show up” and be together.
Inspired by the success of the Twin Cities chapter, Stonewall Sports Fargo launched in 2022. We started at Gooseberry Mound Park with a simple mission: build a safe, affordable, and genuinely fun space for queer folks and allies. From Sunday kickball to winter dodgeball, we’ve created a space where teammates become a support network.
The sports weren’t random. Kickball was chosen because it’s the great equalizer. You do not need to be a D1 athlete to kick a rubber ball, and at the same time, you can be competitive and play against other people who are too. We have a league for that. The low barrier was intentional. It made space for people who wanted community first and competition second, and space for the people who wanted them both equally.
Dodgeball filled a different need. It was portable, indoor-friendly, and kept the energy alive through the longest season Fargo has: winter.
Both sports follow the Stonewall model. Registration is low-cost. And if you’ve never played either sport in your life, you will fit in just fine.
In the first season, dozens of people in bright, matching Stonewall team shirts took over a public park in Moorhead. In a region where queer visibility can feel rare, a group of people in loud colors playing kickball on a Sunday afternoon was a statement. Just people being themselves, in public, having a really good time.
Stonewall Sports Fargo didn’t wait to start giving back. From the very first seasons, a portion of every season’s league fees has gone to a local nonprofit in Fargo-Moorhead.
We also maintain a Player Assistance Fund, because registration costs should never be the reason someone can’t play.
This is baked into the charter. The money raised here stays here.
Stonewall Sports Fargo is entirely volunteer-run. Our board keeps the leagues organized, the logistics handled, and the community growing.
Commissioner
(he/him)
Operations Director
(he/him)
Communications Director
(they/them)
Sports Director
(he/him)
Kickball Director
(he/him)
Dodgeball Director
(he/him)
Pickleball Director
(any/all)
Treasurer
(she/they)
Events Director
(she/her)
DEI Director
(they/them)
National Chapter Rep
(he/him)
Stonewall Sports Fargo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We are entirely volunteer-run and community-driven. Every dollar raised goes back into our leagues, our local partners, and making sure everyone has a place to play.
This organization belongs to the people who show up.
This chapter started with a handful of people, a park in Moorhead, and the belief that the FM area needed this. That belief turned out to be right.
We’re still growing. Still building. And there’s room for you in it.
