Bisexual softball players settle lawsuit against Gay World Series
Mon. November 28, 2011 11:15 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
San Francisco, CA -
Three men who sued the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance after they were perceived as heterosexual -- and their second place win yanked -- have settled their lawsuit.
The D2 Softball Team of San Francisco, which was believed to have straight ringers, came in second at the 2008 championship of the Gay Softball World Series held in Seattle.
But then, players from a team that D2 had defeated complained and league officials challenged their eligibility based on a rule limiting the number of non-gay players who could play on a World Series team.
So Steven Apilado, LaRon Charles and John Russ were taken aside by officials from the NAGAAA and questioned about their sexual orientation. It was determined the team had exceeded the limit of two heterosexual players per team.
Charles said when he indicated he was attracted to both men and women he was told: "This is the gay world series, not the bisexual world series."
As part of the settlement, their team will be awarded the second-place trophy it was denied at the time.
The D2 Softball Team of San Francisco, which was believed to have straight ringers, came in second at the 2008 championship of the Gay Softball World Series held in Seattle.
But then, players from a team that D2 had defeated complained and league officials challenged their eligibility based on a rule limiting the number of non-gay players who could play on a World Series team.
So Steven Apilado, LaRon Charles and John Russ were taken aside by officials from the NAGAAA and questioned about their sexual orientation. It was determined the team had exceeded the limit of two heterosexual players per team.
Charles said when he indicated he was attracted to both men and women he was told: "This is the gay world series, not the bisexual world series."
As part of the settlement, their team will be awarded the second-place trophy it was denied at the time.