So.Gay is the Official Media Partner of the New York City Pride Basketball League, Men’s+ Division. In the first of its kind partnership, So.Gay and NYCPBL partner to amplify the critical community organization and create new Sports content for the LGBTQ+ community. You can read more about the partnership here.
When Aaron Westbrook moved to New York City nearly a decade ago, he realized that apartment hunters weren’t the only ones vying for space; the city’s recreational activities also faced limitations.
In Westbrook’s case, he wanted to play basketball, a sport he had enjoyed with family and friends since he was little. Moving to the greatest city in the world meant he had to be ready to rebuild his social network from scratch, and it wasn’t like he could just recruit a team on Grindr.
On a call with So.Gay, Westbrook shares that he initially assumed joining a basketball league would solve his problem. But it wasn’t until he found a gay sports league that he connected the dots between his love of sports and his need for community.
“I moved to the city not knowing anybody, so I had some anxiety and just wanted to build a gay friend group and a support system,” says Westbrook. “There wasn’t real access to a basketball court, so I just tried to join every league I could, but they weren’t delivering on the social component.”
Westbrook clarifies that he felt comfortable in his own skin, but hanging out with a bunch of straight people wasn’t cutting it—he knew there was so much more community to connect with.
Thankfully, he found the New York City Gay Basketball League, now the Pride Basketball League NYC.
“I signed up, went to an open gym, and the rest is history,” says Westbrook, who has been playing with the league for almost as long as he’s considered himself a New Yorker.
The sports league offers three divisions, A, B, and C, to accommodate all levels of athleticism and experience. Westbrook says the best part about trying out is that the nerves of performing in front of strangers are lessened by the fact you’re going to be put on a team no matter what; the league makes space for every gay man willing to dribble and take their shot.
A talented basketball player, Westbrook has played in the A division and competed across state lines and internationally, representing New York. He says the league is living proof of the innate athleticism and drive within the LGBTQ+ community.
Gay sportsmanship helped him find a sense of belonging in a city of over 8 million strangers.
Today, he serves as the vice commissioner for the A division, ensuring that others like him can merge their passion with community values. “You want to enjoy what you love with people who look like you and share your affiliations,” says Westbrook. “Most of my friends now, nearly eight or nine years later, I met through the league.”
All he had to do was sign up and show up.
In the spirit of breaking stereotypes, we asked Westbrook whether he thinks white men can jump—another age-old trope. He can vouch that the gay ones can.
You can learn more about Pride Basketball League NYC here.
So.Gay is the Official Media Partner of the New York City Pride Basketball League, Men’s+ Division. In the first of its kind partnership, So.Gay and NYCPBL partner to amplify the critical community organization and create new Sports content for the LGBTQ+ community. You can read more about the partnership here.
