Happy Pride!
In true HOPE Volleyball SummerFest fashion, we’re celebrating by highlighting two LGBTQ+ volleyball icons and announcing a change to our gender requirements for teams. During this month, it’s essential we celebrate the LGBTQ+ volleyball players and audience members who make our community more rich and diverse. We love that these out and proud players are making people feel seen.
There were 193 openly LGBTQ+ Olympians in the 2024 summer games. It’s lovely to see the ways diversity in sports has improved over the years. According to Douglas Souza, “Speaking specifically of volleyball, the LGBTQ+ community has always been very active, especially in women's volleyball. I think now we have more of a space to speak, more groups. I think it [the change] is very positive.”
Douglas Souza – Gay Icon
Douglas Souza is an extremely accomplished volleyball player in Brazil. He is openly Gay and a loud advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. He played on the Brazil National team for ten years and helped bring home a gold medal in the 2016 Olympics, as well as fourth place in the 2020 Olympics. He also won a gold medal in the 2019 World Cup, a silver medal in the 2014 World Championship, and is the two-time champion of the South-American Championship. Douglas currently plays for the Farma Condé Vôlei club in Brazil.
His goal was to be remembered as the first gay man to play volleyball at a high level in Brazil. He said, “I am proof that an LGBT athlete can make it to the top without paying for his courage. I don’t want to be an example, but a mirror, the mirror that I didn’t have. I would like people who are ashamed or lonely to be able to say: if he made it, I can make it. That’s why I said publicly that I was gay.”
He has always been open about his sexuality in football clubs, with friends, and on social media. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. He is currently the most followed volleyball player in the world over on Instagram and he regularly receives positive messages from people who identify with him. There is a great deal of power in seeing yourself represented by people who are accomplished. He is an inspiration for so many young LGBTQ+ athletes.
His words of wisdom for people coming to terms with their identity are, “I think we have to live with love, love those who are around us. Find your community, because it is big and very supportive. When you are ready and feeling good about it, you will not be alone.”
Haleigh Washington – Bisexual Icon
Haleigh Washington is an inspirational volleyball player on the US National Women’s team. She helped bring Team US their first-ever gold medal in the 2020 Olympics and was named as the best middle-blocker of the games. She followed it up with a silver medal in the 2024 Olympics. She placed fourth at the 2022 World Championships and has won two FIVB Nations League gold medals.
She officially came out when she tweeted, “I am not cuffing my pants because I am tall, I am cuffing my pants because I am BISEXUAL!!! I just wanna be appreciated.” She then followed it up with another post, surprised that people were seeing this as coming out: “Wait I’m screaming, was my tweet yesterday considered as coming out??? I always thought my Bi-Vibes were VERYYY apparent.” For her, being open with her sexuality is all about authenticity. “I’m not trying to talk about my sexuality because I want to be brave or a trailblazer. I talk about my sexuality because I want to be myself.”
Haleigh is a founding member and player for League One Volleyball (LOVB), a community-focused volleyball league. She was named as LOVB’s Woman of the Year in 2025. She also inspires the next generation of volleyball players. She’s a mentor with Voice in Sport, an organization that focuses on empowering young female athletes. Beyond her work in volleyball, she’s known for engaging the community in other ways like connecting with people at local hospitals and universities.
Her words of wisdom for young LGBTQ+ people are, “If there are things that are holding you back from being your most authentic self, I hope you find a way to combat that, and to just be you, because you are perfect and beautiful exactly as you are, whatever that may be.”
HOPE Volleyball SummerFest Gender Requirement Change
Just in time for Pride, we have adjusted our gender requirements for HOPE Volleyball SummerFest teams to make our event more inclusive. We no longer require our teams to have a minimum of two women per team. We first implemented this rule decades ago when gender equality in sports was in a very different place. Back then this requirement helped make sure more genders were included in SummerFest teams. Luckily, we have come a long way since then.
We got some feedback from community members that it was making people feel like they were just filling a quota. When we thought about this rule in the present day, we didn’t like the message it sent. Like why wouldn’t you want women on your team? We all know that women athletes can and do crush it on the field.
There was also a misconception that we were policing gender or expecting a specific presentation of our players. That has never been true but with this rule change, we want to make it crystal clear. We always encourage inclusivity for all genders at HOPE. Your team can be made up of whichever genders you like! All women, all men, all non-binary people, or a beautiful combination.
A big shout out to our community partner Pride Capital Volleyball for their expertise and discussions with us as we came to this decision. If you’re looking for inclusive volleyball in Ottawa once HOPE Volleyball SummerFest wraps up, you should definitely check them out!
Further Reading:
'When you're ready, you will not be alone': Douglas Souza tells his coming out story - ESBN
Haleigh Washington is an out bi Olympic USA volleyball champ - Outsports
