Queer Sports Leagues in Milan

Peacox is Milan’s first fully inclusive LGBT+ basketball team . Its roster is a diverse mix of LGBTQIA+ players and their friends from various countries, all united by a love of basketball . The team has formed strong bonds with other European inclusive teams and regularly competes in international LGBT tournaments (Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, etc.) . In May 2022 Peacox hosted the inaugural EURO-G Milano inclusive basketball tournament at the Forza & Coraggio sports center .

Rainbowling (Rainbow Bowling) is Milan’s LGBT+ bowling group. Founded in 2017, it brings together bowling enthusiasts for weekly mixed-ability games . In each session players bowl two games on different lanes, promoting interaction and friendship. At the end of each game member with the highest and lowest score each receive the Rainbowling crown, emphasizing inclusivity and fun over competition . Rainbowling’s events are open to all, focusing on socializing and improving skills in a welcoming environment.

TriCyclo ASD, founded in Milan in 2006, is Italy’s first organized LGBT cycling group . The club began as a friends’ group united by a passion for bicycles and has since grown (becoming a UISP-affiliated sports association in 2014) . TriCyclo promotes inclusivity and the joy of cycling with both local and international rides and tours. “Tri” refers to its three cycling disciplines: road cycling, off-road mountain biking, and cycle touring , each offering members opportunities to challenge themselves and socialize on bikes.

The Milano Gators Quidditch Team (founded 2018) is an LGBTQIA+-friendly, gender-inclusive quidditch club . It unites sport with social inclusion and civic engagement. The Gators practice and compete across Italy, often collaborating with Pride Sport Milano and Arcigay Sport Lombardia . Training sessions (open to all skill levels) are held weekly in Milan’s Parco della Martesana. The team’s motto is “EGUALI, NON UGUALI” ("EQUAL, NOT THE SAME"), reflecting its commitment to equality and diversity on and off the pitch .

Libera Rugby Club is Italy’s first gay-friendly and inclusive rugby team (founded 2013 in Rome) and has now expanded to Milan (Sesto San Giovanni) . The club offers the Lombardy LGBTQ+ community a chance to play rugby in a safe, welcoming environment free of discrimination . Libera Rugby has also been at the forefront of inclusion efforts in Italian rugby (e.g. helping to add an anti-homophobia clause to FIR statutes in 2021) . In 2024 Libera organized the 11th Bingham Cup (the gay rugby world championship) in Rome, involving 5,000 participants and showcasing its role in the worldwide inclusive rugby movement .

Front Runners Milano (part of the global Front Runners network) was founded in 2015 and promotes running as an inclusive, equal-access sport for the LGBT community . Inspired by the historical Front Runners clubs established in the 1970s, the Milan club organizes group runs and participates in local races such as the Deejay Ten, StraMilano, StraMagenta, and the Milan Marathon . Front Runners Milano emphasizes camaraderie: despite varied abilities, the group finishes races together, reinforcing values of kindness and equality at every event .

AceTeam is Milan’s pioneering trans and non-binary soccer team. It is a 5-a-side soccer club composed entirely of transgender people and is the first of its kind in Italy . Launched in 2020 through a collaboration between Open Milano ASD and ACET (Association for Transgender Ethics and Culture), AceTeam grew out of the “Te lo do io il Qatar” inclusive football project. The team provides a dedicated, affirming football experience for transgender and non-binary athletes, alongside facing the visibility challenges inherent in playing openly .

Open Milano Calcio is a 5-a-side soccer team that “promotes football in defense of diversity” by creating a welcoming, safe environment for all players . The club celebrates each athlete’s uniqueness and encourages trust and respect among teammates . Open Milano competes in the Milan UISP league and also travels nationally and internationally (from Turin to Naples, and Madrid to Munich) to play in anti-homophobia tournaments and LGBT+ competitions . Off the pitch, the team organizes events, discussions, and debates to advocate that “football belongs to those who know how to love” .

Gruppo Pesce is Italy’s first LGBT sports association (founded in 1989) and a cornerstone of Milan’s LGBT sports community . With over 30 years of history, it has become a home for LGBTQ+ swimmers and divers in the city . Its members have competed successfully in UISP and Italian Swimming Federation (FIN) masters events . The club continues to emphasize a warm, inclusive atmosphere, embodying a “one-of-a-kind” spirit that welcomes newcomers to Milan looking for an affirming aquatic sports club .

A.T.OMO is an LGBT tennis association founded in Milan in 1999 to use its members’ passion for tennis to send a message against prejudice and promote full integration of gay and lesbian individuals in society . Since its first year, A.T.OMO has organized the Italian Gay Open (IGO), Italy’s premier LGBT tennis tournament , attracting players worldwide. The event earned patronage from Milan’s Province in 2001. The club maintains a core group of about 50 women and men (not exclusively LGBT) who regularly play doubles matches (e.g., Sunday doubles at Tennis Club Corvetto) .

Gate Volley Milano is a volleyball club founded in 1998 and is one of the most competitive LGBT teams in Milan and Europe . It fields multiple teams in FIPAV, CSI, and PGS leagues and has expanded to include a women’s and a mixed team to be more inclusive . The club is affiliated with the European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation and regularly participates in major European LGBT sporting events (EuroGames, etc.), often winning podium finishes . Gate Volley also organizes volleyball tournaments and social events to foster community and fun among its members .