Queer sports club from Düsseldorf becomes 30 J.
At the beginning of the 1990s, a few gay men thought that it must be possible to do a little sport without being looked at incredulously. From this desire the idea developed to found the club VC Phönix.
What many take for granted today was still practiced behind closed doors back then. Gay athletes? Who then also founded a club? Unthinkable in 1991... Or at least very difficult. Many found it uncomfortable to play on a team with queer people. This kind of lived homophobia lasted for a long period of time.
All are equal!
This was the self-explanatory goal of the (then) new association: everyone should be equal - regardless of their sexual orientation. Exactly this credo has been maintained until today. Currently, there are about 150 members on the association's list. They all come from the most diverse backgrounds and have found a kind of second home in the VC Phönix club. Prejudices and Co. do not exist here. In the club life everyone is accepted as he/she is. In addition, the range of sports has expanded significantly over time. In addition to table tennis, yoga is also offered, among other things.
The concept worked. Often, it apparently only took a little openness to realize that sports with the club VC Phönix as an opponent can also feel "quite normal".
The club VC Phönix and the Düssel Cup
Meanwhile, the VC Phönix club has long since managed to make a name for itself beyond the borders of its hometown. Since the mid-2000s, it has been behind the well-known "Düssel Cup". At this competition, numerous queer athletes compete against each other in a wide variety of disciplines. The event is no longer "only" national in scope. Rather, more and more teams from other countries are coming to Germany to exchange ideas with the local community and - of course - to compete.
For many athletes, it is also a kind of "liberation blow". The "Düssel Cup" is celebrated frenetically, especially by people from countries where gay or queer athletes generally do not have the opportunity to be so open about themselves. Participating in the event in Düsseldorf offers them the opportunity to be themselves and live out their sport at the same time.
Unfortunately, the event has already had to be cancelled twice due to the Corona pandemic. In 2022, however, it should be that time again. The "Düssel Cup" is scheduled for April 10.
Gay athletes - many people are afraid to come out of the closet
Unfortunately, "gay" and "sports" still don't go together for many people. Male athletes in particular often have to live with great fears of the reactions of fans and fellow men in this context.
Fortunately, however, there are now many examples of how the fear of being ostracized is usually unnecessary. On the contrary! A look at the Instagram channels of many well-known (and queer) athletes should be very encouraging for those affected and for people who are currently struggling with their coming out. Because: no matter whether transsexual, gay, bi or, or, or... - often those who dare to stand by themselves are celebrated. Accordingly, there is most likely no talk of a career end here.
In this context, it is particularly interesting to note that every public outing contributes to encouraging more people to stop hiding. Even though it is probably not (yet?) possible to speak of an "outing wave" in sports, it must be noted accordingly that a lot has happened here, especially in the course of the last few years. And the club VC Phönix has certainly contributed a lot to this - especially in the regional area.
Finally, stealthing is banned in California