The New York Giants are proud to support the New York Gay Football League, which is celebrating its 20th season.
The NYGFL is a 7-on-7 flag football league inclusive to all, but primarily catering to the LGBTQIA+ community in and around New York City. Since being founded in 2004 with just six teams and roughly 70 players, the league has evolved into one of the largest gay football leagues in the country with more than 20 teams and a community of several hundred active members annually.
The Giants have been proud sponsors of the NYGFL for seven years, hosting practices and clinics for NYGFL athletes at their practice facility. The partnership between the Giants and NYGFL began in 2017. Natalie Wizel, content producer in the Giants' marketing department, has been an active member of the NYGFL since 2016 and a captain since 2017. Upon becoming a captain that year, Wizel participated on some of the league's tournament teams.
The NYGFL sends teams consisting of the league's most competitive players to several tournaments each year, including the Florida Sunshine Cup every February, Chicago Pride in June, and the national Gay Bowl in October. These tournaments require booking flights and hotels, so team members reach out to people within their circles for sponsorship opportunities. That sparked the connection between the NYGFL and the Giants, a partnership that has only grown over the years.
While the Giants are honoring the franchise's 100th season in 2024, the NYGFL is celebrating a big year of its own. The 2024 campaign represents the 20th season of play for the league, which they were able to help commemorate with a visit to the Quest Diagnostics Training Center at the start of Pride Month in June. Ten members of the NYGFL visited the team facility, where they had lunch and met coach Brian Daboll and president and CEO John Mara before getting an opportunity to step onto the practice field to toss the football around.
"The New York Gay Football League is celebrating a significant milestone this year, marking its 20th anniversary," NYGFL Commissioner Monty Clinton told Giants.com. "Over the past two decades, the league has grown from a grassroots initiative into a key part of New York City's LGBTQIA+ community. Reflecting on this journey, the league acknowledges the remarkable and continued support from the New York Giants, a partnership that has flourished for over seven years.
"The Giants' involvement has been transformative. Twenty years ago, a collaboration of this magnitude between an NFL team and a gay flag football league would have seemed unimaginable. However, the Giants' commitment to inclusivity has set a powerful example in professional sports, demonstrating how far both the league and the broader community have come. This partnership underscores the endless possibilities for the future as both organizations continue to grow and expand, making sports a more inclusive space for all. The support from the Giants is more than just symbolic; it actively contributes to the NYGFL's mission of breaking down stereotypes and fostering community. As the NYGFL celebrates this milestone, the enduring partnership with the Giants highlights how much progress has been made and the exciting potential that lies ahead for both organizations."
As an official sponsor of the Stonewall Inn National Monument Visitor Center, the Giants were invited to attend a one-hour preview of the center a few weeks later, which brought Giants staff members together with members of the NYGFL. Approximately 20 members from each organization attended, including John Mara Jr. and his husband George.
In addition to touring the new visitor center and learning about the history of the famous Stonewall Inn, the Giants used this night to share the organization's continued support of the NYGFL and announced a $10,000 contribution from the Giants Foundation.
Long-time members of the NYGFL, including some of its Hall of Famers, shared what the relationship with the Giants has meant to the league over the last seven years. Not only that, but these league members shared how much the league's community, along with the opportunity to enjoy the game of football as an adult, has brought to each of their lives.
The partnership between the Giants and the NYGFL continued into training camp. Approximately 20 members of the league attended practice and were invited onto the fields where they were welcomed by the team.
"Over the years, the relationship between the New York Gay Football League and the New York Giants has only continued to grow," Wizel told Giants.com. "The number of touchpoints we had this year demonstrates that not only are the Giants happy to give a monetary contribution, but they also truly care to engage and support the NYGFL community. As a member of the NYGFL and an employee of the New York Giants, it is an amazing feeling to feel the support and community on both ends."
Continuing a fun tradition, the Giants will host the New York Gay Football League for a football clinic in the fieldhouse at the team's facility this fall. This event will be open to members of the NYGFL of all levels of experience and ability. This year's clinic will include instruction of football techniques, including offensive and defensive line play, route running, and defensive coverage, as well as general conditioning. Last year's event was coached by former Giants players Jay Alford and Jonathan Casillas along with Giants offensive assistant Angela Baker, and the Giants are looking forward to opening their doors once again for a fun night of instruction and competition.
