Joe Muraca and Dan
Witthaus catch up on some winter pursuits.
For a committed band of weekend warriors,
the cooler months are when the mercury truly rises. And it’s not just the
traditional sports that GLBT folk are giving a wintry, red-hot go!
SUFFRAJETS
Basketball was once touted as a worthy
rival to ‘classic’ Aussie sports. The sport may not have reached such lofty
goals, but recent performances by Lauren Jackson’s world champion Opals suggest
the future looks bright. And in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, a team of
women known as the Suffrajets is shooting for its own dreams.
One founding member, Jen Forward (
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) says it’s
not just the performance on the court that matters.
“There’s the social aspect as well as the
fitness element,” says Forward, discussing some of the positives participation
gains.
A post match debrief at the local is not
uncommon. Over its five-year history, the team has also provided a great avenue
for young lesbians to take their first step in joining the community.
The Suffrajets welcomes players of all
skills and ages. Some are returning to their school glory days while others are
literally shooting hoops for the first time. The next season is a little way
off, so there’s time to hone those skills before stepping on to the court.
STHPOOFTA
Encouraging players of all flavours is an
ideal shared by the boys at SthPOOFTA (home.vicnet.net.au/~spoofta/). However, the southern chapter of the
‘Proud Openly Out Football Touch Association’ is more focused on fun and
frivolity than sporting glory. Rest assured that you don’t have to be rough as
hessian underpants to get in the mix. All it takes is a commitment to a
friendly sparring session every Sunday afternoon in St Kilda.
Getting the hang of things can take a
little time for members who are trying the game for the first time.
“New starters are often worried about
making fools of themselves,” says Paul Clifton, one of the main stays of the
club. But unlike its rugby union cousin, touch rugby is a relatively easy game
to pick up.
And for those of you with dirty minds, the
mixture of gay men and rugby is not an official sanction for any repeat of John Hopoate’s infamous on-field fingering scandal. That sort of thing
only happens in Sydney, doesn’t it?
DANCE
CATS
Dribbling a large ball or dodging people in
the mud not your thing? How about a cozy Collingwood dance studio packed with Dancing With The Stars hopefuls?
Mama Cat, principal of Dance Cats (www.dancecats.com.au) believes there
are three reasons why crowds of men and women come in their sensible shoes: to
meet people, for a bit of exercise and just ‘cos it’s fun.
“It’s an alternative to nightclubs,” she
explains.
But don’t think that means there’s no
getting up close and personal.
“Dancing combines an enforced intimacy
which is different to any other sport, and an athleticism,” Mama Cat adds; and
at the highest levels, dance training can be “grueling”.
The later is something the studio knows a
great deal about: Dance Cats has been producing international Gay Games and Outgames
medals since Amsterdam 1998.
After 20 years of teaching, Mama Cat knows
what makes newcomers nervous.
“We all assume that we should be able to
dance; that it’s natural. It isn’t. Dance Cats does not expect you to know
anything, we expect you to learn it,” she reassures.
At Dance Cats, it seems, nobody puts Baby in the corner.
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Left of (cold) centre
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