A League Of Our Own

I used to watch the film A League Of Their Own religiously, sometimes day after day after day. There was a summer where I insisted on wearing this one pink skirt I had all the time because it reminded me of the Rockford Peaches uniform. I wanted to be Dottie Hinson and developed a major crush on Geena Davis...I wanted to be WITH her too, but didn't quite understand those feelings as a kid...but that crush was very real and still remains to this very day.

I spent my formative years in the 90's and early 2000's, where queer representation was few and far between. When we did get representation, it was often heavily stereotyped or drowned in tragedy. LGBTQ+ characters never got a break in media and in real life, it wasn't much better. I remember when Ellen Degeneres came out, and the backlash she faced. I remember one of my favorite actresses, Laura Dern, being ostracized for merely playing her love interest. It was a scary world to grow up in, realizing you were different too. It took me years to even admit to myself that I was queer, and even longer to learn terms and identities that actually aligned with me. I now identity as non-binary/genderfluid, and pansexual. Growing up, I definitely didn't see characters like me, not even in the movies I loved and treasured so dearly like A League Of Their Own.

On August 11th, Prime Video dropped the new series inspired by A League Of Their Own and the women of the All American Pro Baseball league. I only wish little 9 year old me could see this show, could see the settings and team I know and love with new scenarios and situations. I could see myself on this team of Rockford Peaches. I can see myself in Jess & Lupe, uncomfortable in a forced femininity that isn't their own choice, defining their own version of a woman. Or even Maxine's aunt aka Uncle Bertie, who embraces their masculine energy and has lost a lot because of it. I see myself in Carson's journey to discover her own sexuality and who she truly is. As a person diagnosed with OCD, I even see myself in Shirley and I appreciate them never labeling her neurosis, but also how many of the girls just go along with her coping techniques without question. It took me almost three decades on his planet to begin to find my own team, my own Rockford Peaches. In the last few years, I've truly found my own ragtag team I would go to bat for any day, and we all come from different backgrounds with different stories to tell. Its nice to talk to my dear friends who are also watching and hear them say that they can see themselves in characters too. Not just white voices, but voices of color.

Queer identities have existed since the dawn of humanity. We've been shoved in the back, hidden in the shadows, and our stories burned and buried. It's refreshing to see historical media include us, make room for us, and tell stories that need to be told. History has long been straight & white washed and A League Of Their Own opens books to tell stories long since hidden in the shadows. This is a show that gives many minorities their chance in the spotlight to tell realistic stories that pepper all of our pasts. There’s teenagers out there who feel just as I once did who can turn to this show and feel less alone in three characters.one moment that really pulled it all together was when Carson found herself in the hidden gay bar, owned by Vi. Vi is played by Rosie O’ Donnell and played Doris in the movie. I loved Doris and Mae, and I even shipped them when I was younger. It was something truly special for me, especially because Rosie is another person who is a queer icon and legend who helped shape my childhood. Ive heard people say that LGBTQ representation is some new thing, produced by liberal woke media, and it’s honestly just ignorant statements slathered in more bullshit. As I stated before, queer stories have always existed. We’re not some new invention, created by social media. I’m so grateful for a show like A League Of Their Own, for reminding us all that minority voices have been speaking for centuries, but privilege and power has silenced them. Maybelle Blair, who is a Rockford Peach on the show, was one of the 20 actual former players consulted for the show. A former pitcher herself, at 95 she's embracing her own sexuality and only recently publicly came out. She's helping to rewrite history in the right way - to tell the truth, to cement exactly what I said - queer folks have been here all along, it's only now that some of these stories are being told. It takes courage to fight against the stream, to take what everyone knows and show them how much bigger the picture is - and A League Of Their Own is truly fearless.

A League Of Their Own is available now to stream in Amazon Prime Video, it stars Abbi Jacobson, D'arcy Carden, Chanté Adams, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roberta Colindrez, Kelly McCormack and more.