Bocce:
Big laughs, good friends, tiny balls, huge memories.
Founded in 2011, Stonewall Bocce DC is one of DC’s largest and most beloved LGBTQIA+ sports leagues — and we’ve got the numbers to prove it. What started with a handful of players has grown to over 950 players and Friends of SSDC-Bocce, all united by the love of a good time (and the occasional heated debate over whether that ball was closer).
We play spring and fall seasons on Thursdays, and whether you’re a seasoned pro or have never touched a pallino in your life, you belong here. Our league is built for all skill levels — come for the sport, stay for the community.
Overview
Stonewall Bocce DC was founded in 2011 with a simple belief: sports should be inclusive, fun, and make our community stronger. What began with around 80 players in Season 1 has grown into a league of over 950 players and Friends of SSDC-Bocce — and we’re just getting started.
We are proud to be one of the leagues under Stonewall Sports DC, the DC chapter of Stonewall Sports, Inc., a registered nonprofit organization. Alongside Bocce, Stonewall Sports DC brings together leagues in Kickball, Tennis, and Climbing — having welcomed more than 12,000 members across the chapter since its founding in 2010.
As an LGBTQIA+ league, we’re committed to creating a space where every person can show up as their whole self. We believe organized sports should be welcoming, low-cost, and rooted in a genuine desire to give back — to our local DC community and beyond. Through Stonewall Sports, our league supports varied charitable organizations and contributes to a larger movement built on pride, purpose, and play.
Our name honors those who fought for LGBTQIA+ civil rights during the Stonewall Riots — a defining moment in the gay liberation movement and the ongoing fight for equality. We carry that name proudly, as a reminder of the progress won and the community we’re building together, one bocce ball at a time.
Harvey Milk Division
Division At-Large Member: Brendan Oudekirk (brendan.oudekirk@stonewallsports.org)
Milk was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S. A bold advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and social justice, he inspired generations with his message of hope, visibility, and civic engagement.
Marsha P. Johnson Division
Division At-Large Member: Vernon Wall (vernon.wall@stonewallsports.org)
Johnson was a pioneering Black transgender activist and a central figure in the LGBTQ+ rights movement. A participant in the Stonewall uprising, she co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) to support unhoused trans youth and remains a lasting symbol of joy, resistance, and community care.
Bayard Rustin Division
Division At-Large Member: Robert Thornburg (robert.thornburg@stonewallsports.org)
Rustin was a visionary civil rights leader, strategist, and advocate for nonviolence and LGBTQ+ equality. Best known as the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, he worked tirelessly behind the scenes to advance justice, coalition-building, and human dignity.
Edith Windsor Division
Division At-Large Member: Tina Rivard (tina.rivard@stonewallsports.org)
Windsor was a trailblazing LGBTQ+ activist whose Supreme Court case struck down key parts of the Defense of Marriage Act, helping secure federal recognition of same-sex marriage and advancing equality nationwide.
Rules & Season Logistics
Schedule
Season 28 (Fall 2026) Schedule COMING SOON!
About Us
Leadership
| Brian Gloor Commissioner | |||
| Zach Gill League Manager | Seth Guidry Communications Manager | James Swart Finance Manager | Nick Murphy Events + Engagement Manager |
| Brendan Oudekirk At-Large Member – Milk Division | Tina Rivard At-Large Member – Windsor Division | Robert Thornburg At-Large Member – Rustin Division | Vernon Wall At-Large Manager – Johnson Division |
Open Roles:
Our league runs because of people who care. If that sounds like you, we’re always looking for passionate volunteers to help lead and grow Stonewall Bocce DC — and we’d love to hear from you.
- Manager, Events + Engagement
- At-Large Member (3 Open Positions)
Learn More about the Open Roles or Apply Today!
SSDC Bocce Champions
| Dom Masc Toss Spring 2026 | 100% That Bocce Fall 2025 | The Logan Circle Jerks Spring 2025 | The Hot Shots Fall 2024 |
| My Bocce, My Choice Spring 2024 | The Hilarious Toss Matthews Fall 2023 | The Incrediballs Spring 2023 | The Incrediballs Fall 2022 |
| Deboccery Spring 2022 | The Incrediballs Fall 2021 | The Lost Seasons (COVID) Spring 2020 – Spring 2021 | |
| #bicce Fall 2019 | Ballsagna Spring 2019 | Bring Back My Bocces Fall 2018 | Love is a Bocce Field Spring 2018 |
| Bocce Don’t Preach Fall 2017 | Boccelism Spring 2017 | Count Boccula Fall 2016 | I Came in Like a Bocce Ball Spring 2016 |
| Cancel My Appointments, Hold My Balls Fall 2015 | Cancel My Appointments, Hold My Balls Spring 2015 | Pitches Be Crazy Fall 2014 | Bocce Ka Bow Wow Spring 2014 |
| Saving All My Balls for You Fall 2013 | Deboccery Spring 2013 | My Colors Are Blush and Bocce Fall 2012 | Tap That Spring 2012 |
| My Colors Are Blush and Bocce Fall 2011 | |||
Follow SSDC Bocce on Instagram for more information!