Author: Read with Pride

Boxing has always been the ultimate test of masculinity: or at least, that’s what the sport wants you to believe. It’s blood, sweat, and testosterone wrapped in leather gloves and machismo. For decades, the ring has been one of the last bastions of hypermasculine culture, where being “tough” meant fitting into a very specific, very …

The Ring of Truth: Gay Boxers Breaking BarriersRead More

There’s something beautifully queer about cycling. Not just the spandex (though let’s be real, that’s part of it), but the whole damn thing: the endurance, the community, the way you push through hills that seem impossible until suddenly you’re at the top, wind in your face, pride in your chest. For decades, the LGBTQ+ community …

Cycling for Change: Pride on Two WheelsRead More

There’s something undeniably captivating about watching a gymnast in motion. The explosive power of a vault, the controlled grace of a floor routine, the impossible-looking strength holds on the rings: gymnastics is where raw athletic ability meets artistic expression. And for many in the LGBTQ+ community, it’s also become a space where identity, authenticity, and …

Gymnastics: Strength, Flexibility, and IdentityRead More

There’s something undeniably magnetic about volleyball. Maybe it’s the way six people move as one coordinated unit, or the electric energy of a perfectly timed spike. Or perhaps it’s because volleyball has long been a space where LGBTQ+ athletes have found belonging, visibility, and a community that celebrates them exactly as they are. In the …

Volleyball: Teamwork and Visibility on the CourtRead More

Let’s talk about cheerleading: the sport that’s been misunderstood, underestimated, and stereotyped for decades. But here’s the thing: queer athletes aren’t just participating in cheerleading. They’re revolutionizing it, claiming space, and proving that this high-intensity sport deserves respect, recognition, and a whole lot of pride. From Sidelines to Center Stage Cheerleading has come a long …

Cheerleading: Redefining the Sport with PrideRead More

There’s something beautifully poetic about climbing mountains when you’re already used to climbing other kinds of barriers. The gay mountaineering and climbing community has been reaching new heights, literally and figuratively, for decades, creating spaces where LGBTQ+ adventurers can be fully themselves while conquering peaks, scaling rock faces, and finding chosen family along the way. …

Climbing Higher: The Gay Mountaineering CommunityRead More

Let’s settle this once and for all: ballroom dancing is absolutely a sport. Not “kind of” a sport. Not “artistic sport” with air quotes. It’s a full-blown, sweat-inducing, muscle-burning, competition-level athletic pursuit that’ll leave you gasping for air faster than a 5K run. If you’ve ever watched two people glide across a dance floor in …

Dancing is Sport: The Competitive World of BallroomRead More

Let’s talk about ice hockey, a sport where grown men willingly strap knives to their feet, slam into each other at high speeds, and occasionally lose teeth for fun. It’s aggressive, it’s intense, and historically, it’s been about as welcoming to LGBTQ+ players as a penguin at a desert party. But here’s the thing: the …

Hockey: Chilling Out the Homophobia on IceRead More

There’s something profoundly intimate about rowing. Eight bodies moving as one, breathing in perfect rhythm, muscles tensing and releasing in synchrony. It’s not just about physical coordination: it’s about trust, connection, and the raw vulnerability of allowing yourself to move in complete harmony with others. For the LGBTQ+ community, queer-inclusive rowing clubs have become spaces …

Rowing Together: Synchronicity and SexualityRead More

There’s something profoundly powerful about watching someone move through a kata, each stance deliberate, every breath controlled, the body transformed into a weapon and a work of art simultaneously. Martial arts has always been about more than throwing punches or perfecting kicks. It’s about discipline, honor, and discovering the warrior that lives inside you. And …

Martial Arts: Discipline and the Queer WarriorRead More

There’s something mesmerizing about watching a diver stand at the edge of a platform, ten meters above the water, preparing to launch themselves into the air. That moment of stillness before the leap, it’s pure poetry. Competitive diving isn’t just a sport; it’s a breathtaking dance between physics and artistry, where athletes transform their bodies …

Diving Deep: The Beauty of Competitive DivingRead More

There’s something undeniably sexy about fencing. Maybe it’s the elegant footwork, the sharp precision, or the way those uniforms somehow manage to be both mysterious and form-fitting. Or perhaps it’s the fact that for centuries, fencing has been wrapped up in images of nobility, honor, and those delicious historical tropes we love so much in …

Fencing: The Sharp Edge of RepresentationRead More

There’s something inherently American about baseball. The crack of the bat, the smell of fresh-cut grass, the seventh-inning stretch: it’s woven into the fabric of our cultural DNA alongside apple pie and summer road trips. But 2026 is proving that America’s favorite pastime isn’t just holding onto tradition: it’s breaking new ground in ways that …

Baseball: A Classic Pastime's New ChapterRead More

There’s something undeniably magnetic about walking into a CrossFit box. Maybe it’s the clang of weights hitting the floor, the chalk dust hanging in the air, or the way everyone’s pushing through that last brutal rep together. For queer athletes, though, it’s often something more, a space where intensity meets authenticity, where vulnerability and strength …

Crossfit: Intensity and Community in the BoxRead More

There’s something undeniably hot about watching someone defy gravity, push their limits, and live life on the edge. Whether it’s a BASE jumper leaping off a cliff, a surfer riding a monster wave, or a rock climber scaling impossible heights: extreme sports bring out that raw, visceral energy that makes your heart pound. And for …

Extreme Sports: Adrenaline Junkies with PrideRead More

Level up, gamers. We’re talking about the intersection where rainbow pride flags meet championship trophies, where “GG” takes on a whole new meaning, and where the LGBTQ+ community is absolutely crushing it in the digital arena. E-sports isn’t just the future: it’s the now. And queer gamers? We’re not just at the table. We’re winning …

E-Sports: The Digital Frontier of Gay GamingRead More

www.readwithpride.com There’s something beautifully queer about marathon running, and I don’t just mean the short shorts. It’s the audacity of it all. Who looks at 26.2 miles and thinks, “Yeah, I’ll do that for fun”? The same kind of people who pick up an 800-page MM romance series and binge it in a weekend, that’s …

The Marathon of Life: Long-Distance Running StoriesRead More

Picture this: You’ve just said “I do” to the love of your life, and now you’re sipping limoncello on a sun-drenched terrace while the Mediterranean sparkles below like someone scattered diamonds across the water. A white-jacketed waiter refills your glass without you asking, because here on the Amalfi Coast, anticipating your every desire is simply …

Amalfi Coast Romance: Luxury Living for the NewlywedsRead More

Picture this: you’re saying “I do” with Table Mountain as your witness, the Atlantic Ocean sparkling behind you, and a glass of world-class wine waiting to toast your forever. Welcome to Cape Town, Africa’s undisputed gay capital and quite possibly one of the most stunning wedding and honeymoon destinations on the planet. If you’ve been …

Cape Town Chic: South Africa's Top Gay Wedding SpotsRead More

If your idea of the perfect honeymoon involves more mindfulness than mimosas, more temples than tequila shots, then Kyoto is calling your names. This isn’t the destination for couples who want to party until dawn, it’s for the ones who want to watch the sun rise over ancient gardens, hand in hand, wondering how something …

Kyoto Calm: A Zen Honeymoon for Queer CouplesRead More