YEAR TWO, MORE CITIES, BIGGER STAGES: CURVE FOUNDATION'S QUEER WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY GROWS AS WOMEN'S SPORTS SETS RECORDS

As the Women's Sports Industry Reaches a Historic High, the Curve Foundation Makes Sure LGBTQ+ Women and Nonbinary People Are Visible, Celebrated, and Counted

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, April 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As global women's sports revenues hit a record-breaking $3 billion in 2026, The Curve Foundation is working to ensure that LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people are recognized as the athletes, advocates, and community builders who helped bring women's sports to this historic moment. Now in its second year, Queer Women in Sports Day returns on Saturday, April 25 as part of Lesbian Visibility Week North America (#LVW26) which runs April 20-26. Activations include live games, fan festivals, watch parties, panel discussions, trivia, and sports bar takeovers in cities nationwide, including a Canadian city for the first time - Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Queer Women in Sports Day: One Game, Two Coasts

The crown jewel of Lesbian Visibility Week’s sports programming is Queer Women in Sports Day (QWiSD), observed this year on Saturday, April 25, with anchor events in San Francisco, Portland, Metro New York-New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Provincetown - ensuring that fans and athletes in every time zone can be part of the day. The main event is a coast-to-coast celebration built around one game: Bay FC vs. Gotham FC. New York gets the party started early: Gotham FC hosts a FAN FEST at Sports Illustrated Stadium complete with a kickabout, sign-making, games, and face painting in the colors of the lesbian pride flag. During the game, the lesbian flag will be included in the torchlighting ceremony procession. In San Francisco, Rikki's Women's Sports Bar brings the same energy with a morning watch party, and patrons are invited to stick around after the game for the Ultimate Lesbian Taco Eating Contest, co-hosted by SF Supervisor Rafael Mandelman.

A Virtual Stage for Queer Sports Voices

LVW26's virtual programming adds a powerful national dimension to the sports conversation. On Thursday, April 23 at 12:00 PM PT / 3:00 PM ET, The Curve Foundation presents Beyond the Rainbow: Leveling the Field - Queer Women in Sports, a free virtual panel and part of Curve's signature Beyond the Rainbow speaker series. Moderated by sports broadcaster Brenda VanLengen, the conversation brings together veteran play-by-play sportscaster Kate Scott (the only woman to do play-by-play for the NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA football, the Olympics, and a FIFA World Cup), Sophia Goodner-Rodriguez (co-president of the Federation of Gay Games), Meghan L. Hall (sports writer, USA Today's For the Win), and Rachel Pearson (lead video editor at ESPN). Together they'll examine where queer women stand in sports today - from pro leagues to community teams - tackling media representation, the impact of anti-LGBTQ policies on athlete safety, and what real progress looks like across race, gender expression, and identity. ASL interpretation will be provided by Hands of Equality. The panel is free and open to all. Register at LesbianVisibility.org.

Sports as Visibility

Across all of these events, LVW26's message is clear: visibility for LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people doesn't end on the sidelines. Whether in a stadium, at a neighborhood bar, on a tennis court, or on a virtual panel with ESPN correspondents, queer women belong in sports - as athletes, fans, commentators, and leaders. Lesbian Visibility Week 2026's sports programming reflects that belief in every city it touches.

LINEUP FOR LESBIAN VISIBILITY WEEK 2026 (All times local unless indicated.)

Mon, April 20
• LVW26 Kickoff, Golf at Back 9, Indianapolis, IN, 6:30-8:30 PM, with Greenwood Pride

Wed, April 22
• PWHL Viewing Party & Trivia Night - Winn City Pub, Winnipeg, MB, 7:00-11:30 PM - Two games: Ottawa Charge vs. Boston Fleet (7PM) and Minnesota Frost vs. Seattle Torrent (10PM)
• Sports Trivia - Rikki's Women's Sports Bar, San Francisco, CA - 6:30-9:00 PM

Thurs, April 23
• Beyond the Rainbow: Leveling the Field - Queer Women in Sports Panel - Virtual - 3:00-4:00 PM ET - FREE - Register at LesbianVisibility.org

Fri, April 24
• Lesbian Arm Wrestling Contest - The Sports Bra - Portland, OR

Sat, April 25 - Queer Women in Sports Day
• Gotham FC FAN FEST Event - Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, NJ - 1:00 PM (vs Bay FC)
• Queer Women in Sports Day Watch Party, Bay FC vs. Gotham FC, followed by the Ultimate Lesbian Taco Eating Contest - Rikki's Women's Sports Bar, San Francisco, CA (Free to attend, $20 to compete)
• PWHL Watch Party, Boston Fleet vs. NY Sirens - Pilgrim House Landing Lounge, Provincetown, MA - 12:00-5:00 PM
• QWiSD Sports Panel at Watch Me! moderated by Rachel Pearson with panelists Coach Nat, Tiffany Rowse, Fish, and Angie Morales - Long Beach, CA - 2:00-4:00 PM
• Sporty Sapphic Social Hour at TSB1 and Fan Bus to the Seattle Torrent Pride game with Official LVW Trivia at The Sports Bra - Portland, OR

Sun, April 26
• Official LVW26 Watch Party, Portland Thorns vs. Angel City FC - The Sports Bra, Portland, OR - 3:00-6:00 PM

LESBIAN VISIBILITY WEEK CALENDAR OF EVENTS
To access the full slate of activities taking place in the U.S. and Canada, visit the LVW26 calendar at LesbianVisibility.org. Most events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted; please check individual listings for accessibility details. The calendar is updated regularly as new events are added leading up to the week.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
LVW26 invites organizations, businesses, and community members across North America to host or attend events throughout the week of April 20-26. Activations can be in person or virtual, small or large, low-lift or high-energy - from flag raisings and building lightings, to wellness gatherings and sports events, to cultural celebrations honoring local heroes. The LVW26 toolkit includes flag raising requests, proclamation templates, social assets, activation ideas, and more.

CONTACT & PRESS MATERIALS
For more information about events and partners, or to arrange an interview with Franco Stevens or any of the LVW26 participants, send all requests & queries to Sunny L. at info@TheCurveFoundation.org with the subject line LVW26‬.

Sunny L.
The Curve Foundation
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