Canadian LGBTQ athletes headed to the Gay Softball World Series

When Jovan Madjercic, a player and coach in Hamilton's Steel City Inclusive Softball Association, tells people he's headed to the Gay Softball World Series, he often gets a similar response.

"My friends who are not part of the league are like, 'Holy crap, something like that exists?'" says the 43-year-old music teacher, who leaves for Minneapolis-St.Paul, Minn., with the Hamilton team on Sunday. "It will be great to show the World Series who we are."

His team is made up of 18 players drawn from the Hamilton league's competitive and recreational teams — one of only three Canadian teams expected to play at the week-long event. The other two are from Vancouver's West End Slo Pitch Association, says Steel City league communications director Ashley Letts.

The Canadian athletes will be among the 225 teams and more than 4,500 participants expected in Minnesota for the World Series, which, according to organizers, is one of the largest annual gay sporting events in the world. 

The players fly to Minnesota this weekend and begin playing Tuesday, with finals set for Saturday, Sept. 2. In addition to the many softball games, the week's special events include a Taylor Dayne concert and a Minnesota Twins theme night. 

 "We're going there to celebrate softball with an exorbitant amount of queer people," said Madjercic, who says he's excited to be "representing queer people in Hamilton."

According to Madjercic, the three-year-old Steel City Inclusive Softball Association is the "largest and fastest-growing queer organization in Hamilton." The league has 22 teams across its recreational and competitive divisions.

The league bills itself as a "safe and fun space for Hamilton's 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies." It was accepted into the