Celebrating Pride Month 2025: Visibility, Belonging, and Community in Rowing

This Pride Month, we’re honored to spotlight a group of changemakers who are building inclusive spaces across the rowing community for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies alike.

From launching barrier-breaking regattas to fostering youth support services and affirming all athletes on and off the water, these organizations remind us that the sport is strongest when everyone is welcome. Whether through competition, advocacy, or celebration, each one is helping to row the sport forward with pride. There’s a seat in the boat for everyone.

Chicago Rowing Union:

Chicago Rowing Union (CRU) is proud to be the Midwest's one and only LGBTQ+ rowing organization—one of a few such clubs in the world. It was founded in 2005 by 12 rowers as a team to compete in the 2006 Gay Games hosted in Chicago. Originally named Qrew Chicago, the club’s name changed to Chicago Rowing Union in 2009.

East Bay Rowing Club: Boats without Barriers

Boats without Barriers was established in 2022 as a direct response to discriminatory legislation in Florida that threatened inclusive participation in rowing. Rather than remain silent, East Bay Rowing Club created an alternative regatta celebrating diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in rowing for athletes of all races, genders, and abilities. What began as a stand for justice has become an annual tradition embodying their core values.

Allies with Oars / Steady State Network:

Since 2022, Steady State Network has raced as Allies with Oars to promote inclusion and accessibility for all rowers, regardless of gender identity. The Allies with Oars initiative is part of the larger mission to expand the narrative about rowing culture.

San Diego Crew Classic: San Diego Pride Sprints

San Diego Pride Sprints was created by San Diego Crew Classic Executive Director, Bobbie Smith, in 2023. Her vision for the regatta included it being a space for all rowers to enjoy time on the water together without the traditional restrictions for lineup building in play. Any rower is welcome to participate in Pride Sprints, and they can sit in any boat. Competitors may line up against different boat classes and/or disciplines, and race simply for the sake of racing.

DC Strokes / Stonewall Regatta

The first Stonewall Regatta was held in 1994 during Gay Games IV in New York City. About a year before the Games, DC Strokes Rowing Club (DCSRC) learned that the host committee for the NYC Games was dropping rowing from the sports line-up and subsequently decided to organize an independent regatta to run concurrently with the Games.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in Greenwich Village in 1969, which is regarded as the beginning of the gay civil rights movement, this regatta was named "Stonewall Regatta."
The original regatta occurred at the Orchard Beach Race Course in Pelham Bay State Park, the 1964 Olympic Rowing Trials site. The event was such a success that DCSRC decided to bring it home to Washington, D.C., where it has since been held every June. It was held on June 2, 2025.

Gay and Lesbian Rowing Federation/ Sin City Erg

The Sin City Erg is an indoor rowing event (ergatta) hosted by the Gay + Lesbian Rowing Federation (GLRF), a worldwide LGBTQ+ inclusive rowing community. This is the fourth year (2025) for the ergatta. Mirroring the GLRF online community, the event is open to anyone ages 13 and older, regardless of gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

Groups and Organizations

USRowing prioritizes fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for athletes and spectators. A crucial aspect of this endeavor involves collaborating with organizations that share our commitment to fostering a sense of belonging and understanding. These are a few of the organizations we have partnered with throughout the years on-site in Sarasota, Florida, for Youth Nationals and OKC, Oklahoma, during Rowfest.

ALSOYouth: ALSO Youth is a non-profit organization that provides peer support services, community enrichment, scholarships, and free counseling for LGBTQ+ youth, their families and friends, and the community.
Project Pride: Project Pride’s vision is to establish an all-inclusive community where everyone is equally united, supported, and celebrated, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
FabAF: They envision a vibrant and inclusive community where LGBTQ+ individuals are uplifted, seen, and heard. Through the LGBTQ+ center, they aim to foster emerging artists, offer access to mental health services, and create safe spaces for healing through the arts. Their goal is to cultivate meaningful connections, provide a platform for expression, and inspire transformation by supporting the community's personal and collective growth.
Oklahoma Pride Alliance: They host events that serve as an opportunity for Oklahoma’s 2SLGBTQ+ community to connect and be seen in a safe and explicitly affirming environment. They understand the importance of visibility for their community. Oklahoma Pride Alliance’s events also serve as a time to connect resources with individuals who may need assistance.
Diversity Center of Oklahoma: has a mission to reduce barriers in the Gender Diverse & LGBTQ+ communities and their families, including disenfranchised and marginalized people of color, by providing quality primary health care treatment, behavioral health treatment, along with additional complementary health care services.