MLQ is excited to announce the newest addition to MLQ Championship: Take Back the Pitch!

Take Back the Pitch is a showcase that challenges the current understanding of gender in quidditch and opens opportunities for gender diverse athletes to play quidditch out from under the scrutiny of misogyny, transmisogyny and misdirected misogyny. Through The Gender Diversity Initiative, MLQ seeks to address the very real ramifications of sexism and transphobia for cis and trans women, non-binary folk and trans men. Through the open-access Take Back the Pitch tournament, MLQ aims to highlight and lift up athletes that are overlooked by their teams and in the community on account of sex and gender and give them the leadership opportunities, playing time and diverse skill training they deserve all the time.

The tournament will take place on Monday, Aug. 23 as part of MLQ Championship in Howard County, Md. Registration is $30 at the early bird rate (5/20-6/15) and $35 at the regular rate (6/16-7/12). Each registration includes a customized jersey with the athlete’s name and number. Participants in need of financial support can apply for our grant program. Registration opens tomorrow to any quidditch player who is not a cis male, and all skill levels welcome. How teams will be distributed will be determined upon completion of signups.

Earlier this year MLQ announced the addition of a special projects team, now aptly named The Gender Diversity Initiative. The focus of this group of diverse individuals is to understand and create events and experiences focused, as mentioned, on addressing the ramifications of sexism and transphobia for cis and trans women, non-binary folk and trans men. Under the initial guidance of Erin Moreno and now Jess Daly and Brittany Lee, the team has put in countless hours of research and planning to bring to life Take Back the Pitch, their first official event.

“We are so excited that we are finally able to announce Take Back the Pitch to the quidditch community. Our team has been hard at work the last few months to get ready for the launch, and will continue to work towards presenting a top-notch tournament for you all to participate in. We’re thankful to MLQ for giving us such a prominent stage to highlight gender diverse athletes who may not otherwise get the recognition they deserve and can’t wait for Aug. 23,” Daly said.

Aspects of this event are inspired by the efforts made by Elizabeth Barcelos, Alexia Barnes, Ali Cole, Lisle Coleman, Amanda Dallas, Ra Hopkins, Lindsay Marella, Beth Peavler, Lindsey Simpson, Brooke Yearin and others who created and hosted similar events in the last few years.

Take Back the Pitch will mirror many of the features of the Benepe Cup portion of MLQ Championship. It will be announced and streamed on the MLQ Network with starting lineups introduced each game. Athletes will wear team jerseys with prominent names and numbers so you can identify your favorites on the pitch. We also aim to have ample photos and highlights of the event which will be distributed online during and after the tournament.

Officials will be paid the standard MLQ rate for matches. Participants are able to but will not be expected to volunteer in any capacity. Priority will be given to individuals of diverse gender experiences who wish to referee, snitch or commentate at the event. Cis men who want to be involved in the tournament are welcome to sign up as general tournament volunteers and as auxiliary referees, snitches and commentators.

Registration for Take Back to Pitch opens tomorrow afternoon when MLQ Championship tickets go on sale via the MLQ Ticketleap. There will be a participant cap so make sure you secure your spot early!

“We cannot wait for this tournament to commence and showcase the diverse talents of our quidditch community. Here’s to Take Back the Pitch and the future of The Gender Diversity Initiative,” Lee said.

The Gender Diversity Initiative is led by Jess Daly and Brittany Lee and includes Dana Dixon, Vanessa Goh, Diana Howard, Mary Owen and Allison Rich. Past contributors to this project include Erin Moreno, Zoe Mastellotto and Lulu Xu. Questions or looking to join? Contact MLQ at [email protected].