What an amazing year 2007 turned out to be! At this time last year, Forward Austin was just one landmark issue with less than half the distribution we now enjoy. The AGLCC was embarking on new and exciting endeavors, with only an ambitious vision and very eager volunteers to make it happen. Now a year later we can celebrate Forward Austin thriving to become Austin’s 2nd oldest LGBT publication and still the nation’s only magazine produced by an LGBT chamber of commerce. The formation of the Pride Coalition in January marked a new day in Austin, with unprecedented collaboration between the organizations that represent all the unique facets of our community. With new initiatives in tourism and economic development, 2008 is shaping up to be another record-setting year for Austin’s gay and gay-friendly business community.

In this issue, we take a look at what is often thought as a paradoxical topic for the gay community. Athletics are often seen as a bastion of heterosexuality, where gays are not only missing, but unwelcome. As a community we have formed our own sports leagues, where we are free to compete as ourselves. It should come as no surprise that Austin, as one of the nation’s fittest and most athletic cities, boasts some of the best queer sports leagues in the country. With significant participation in softball, cycling, rodeo, and tennis, among others, LGBT Austinites have plenty of options to exercise their athletic pursuits.

Of course, in Austin we organize not out of necessity, but out of camaraderie. There are LGBT people participating in nearly every “straight” sports league in Austin without fear of assault or discrimination. As with the rest of Austin’s culture, this is unique within the State of Texas. But Austin’s LGBT sports leagues often take on special significance in Austin, with each turning into a fundraiser for the other LGBT organizations in Austin. That’s what makes gay sports leagues so unique and vital. Our sports leagues are not about self-preservation or the growth and expansion of any particular sport, but rather serve the larger purpose of helping the community as a whole prosper. Overall, the business of sports in Austin is a powerful economic engine. The business of gay sports in Austin is truly a game where the community as a whole wins.