Tag: Orlando sports

Not only are the Orlando Otters back on the field for another season, they’re spicing things up off the field, too. With the launch of their first-ever team calendar, the LGBTQIA+ rugby club is raising both eyebrows and funds as they prepare for next August’s Bingham Cup in Brisbane, Australia. 

Packed with sweat, grit and a good dose of cheek, the thirst-trap fundraiser is also a declaration of intent: The Otters are here to play, to protest and to belong.

Formed in December 2021, the Orlando Otters had a set purpose from day one: create a safe, supportive space where LGBTQ+ people and allies could play rugby. Not just as an afterthought, but as a home.  According to founding member Bobby Baldwin — who went from never touching a rugby ball to joining the Otters’ leadership board within months — the inspiration for the Otters came from both the values of rugby (teamwork, grit, connection) and from seeing the void in Orlando’s sporting landscape. 

“The Orlando Otters were started with the goal of creating a safe, supportive space where members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies could experience rugby in a fun, productive and exciting welcoming environment,” Baldwin tells Orlando Weekly.

Since its inception, the team has become something more than just athletes playing a game. According to Baldwin, “the Otters have created a community unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Anybody is welcome to join, and everyone is valued. As cheesy as it sounds, we’re a family. We’ve supported each other on and off the field, both in sport and in our personal lives.”

The Otters are steadfast in their commitment to inclusivity, welcoming men, women, nonbinary players and straight allies. 

For Jai Lozy, a nonbinary player, the team’s culture has been life-changing. 

“I’ve been the only female on many teams in the past — queer and straight. The Otters are the only ones that didn’t treat me like I couldn’t keep up with the big guys,” says Lozy. “They never let me feel left out.”

The inclusivity extends to women, too. Jenna Schmidt, who plays with both the Otters and the Orlando Women’s Rugby team, recalls how welcoming the Otters were when she first showed up late to practice.

“Logan, one of the players, came up to me, introduced himself, explained the drill and encouraged me to jump in,” says Schmidt. “People started to notice me and smile and excitedly introduce themselves, and I was brought into the fold just like any other player would have been. That really set the tone.”

Lozy thrives on the physicality of the sport. “When I first started, I made it clear that if they didn’t tackle me like they would anyone else, it would only be doing me a disservice. Since then, my ability to take on men twice my size has only gotten better,” says Lozy. “Team sports is about learning skills and conditioning your body. Your gender has nothing to do with it.”

Similar to Lozy’s experience, Schmidt says that she appreciates that coaches have jokingly told people to hit her harder. “[Players] can be a little hesitant — I’m 5-foot-1 and 135 pounds, so that probably doesn’t help! I think I’ve shown that scrappy, gritty players come in all sizes and genders. That shouldn’t stop anyone from playing on the competitive field they choose.”

In Florida, where legislation has banned transgender women from women’s sports teams, the Otters’ open-door policy is an act of resistance. Team Captain Drew Perez says that the team is a safe place “filled with love, connection, growth, good times and great people. Now more than ever, queer spaces are needed. The few that remain need to be protected.”

The Otters’ 2026 calendar isn’t just for fun. It’s a fundraiser for the Bingham Cup, the biennial world championship of gay and inclusive rugby. Named after Mark Bingham, a San Francisco rugby player and gay rights advocate who died as a passenger on United Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, the Cup is organized by International Gay Rugby. Since its founding in 2002, the Bingham Cup has grown into the world’s largest amateur rugby tournament, celebrating diversity and inclusion on the global stage.

For the Otters, Brisbane isn’t just another tournament, it’s a major milestone and opportunity to meet other queer players from around the world. “My favorite part of being an Otter is traveling as a team for games and tournaments,” says Vinnie, a straight man. “I’ve gotten the opportunity to travel to places I’ve never been with some of the coolest people I know.”

Enter the 2026 Otters calendar. Produced by the team with love and more than a few saucy winks, player Jae Dawson teases, “Y’all are in for a treat when it comes to our team calendar! Lots of time and effort went into this project, and the final product will leave you wishing for more months of the year.”

Perez adds that the calendar reflects more than just hot bods. “We hope that when people buy our calendar, it gives a glimpse of what our camaraderie looks like — people from all walks of life coming together.”

For many, the Otters aren’t just a rugby team, they’re a lifeline. Baldwin says joining gave him direction and purpose after the isolation of COVID-19. Dawson says the team got him through recovery from a broken arm suffered at a previous tournament. Lozy found a meaningful bond between queer men and women. Schmidt found confidence in her grit. Perez found family. Vinnie found lifelong friends.

“Rugby is badass. Queer people are even more badass,” says Lozy. “The two together only makes sense.”

The Otters’ fall season continues with a Round Robin tournament Oct. 25 at Barnett Park, where they’ll face the Charlotte Royals and Crescent City Rougaroux. Their final home match of 2025 is against the Charleston Blockade on Nov. 22. And of course the team will be posted up at this weekend’s Come Out With Pride festivities.

Contributor J.D. Casto is an Orlando photographer, writer and sports fan. He shot the Otters calendar gratis — simply for love of the game.

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This article appears in Oct. 15-21, 2025.

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