Sydney Women’s Baseball League Hits a Home Run for Queer Inclusion on 30th Anniversary

In the soft autumn light of Marrickville’s HJ Mahoney Park, it’s not just leather mitts smacking balls and cheers echoing in the dugout — it’s the warm thrum of community.

This year, the Sydney Women’s Baseball League (SWBL) marks 30 years since its very first pitch, a milestone that speaks not just to sporting longevity but also to their long-lasting, dedicated inclusion to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Founded in 1995 on the red dirt of Moore Park, SWBL was always about more than just the game. It began as a place for women to play baseball in a safe and welcoming environment, but quickly evolved into a vital hub for Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community — particularly for queer women, trans and non-binary players.

Now based in the Inner West queer haven of Marrickville, the league fields ten teams and nearly 200 players, with a growing waitlist — a testament to its deep community roots.

“Serving as President during our 30th anniversary fills me with immense pride,” says SWBL President Ruth Lindsay.

“Our league represents more than just baseball; we’re a family that has united and uplifted diverse members of our community for three decades. Looking ahead, our vision is to continue expanding our reach while preserving the inclusive spirit that makes SWBL special. We’re not just building a sporting league – we’re creating a legacy of belonging where everyone can participate regardless of identity, ability, or background.”

Sydney Women’s Baseball League: a safe space with zero tolerance for discrimination

That legacy has been built not just on innings and scoreboards, but on rainbow flags and late-night hospital fundraisers. At various times over its three decades, SWBL has paraded with pride at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, stood visible at community events like Fair Day, and dug deep for its members when they needed it most — raising funds for players undergoing cancer treatment or gender-affirming surgery.

In a sporting landscape that can often feel exclusionary or hostile to gender-diverse and queer athletes, SWBL has long modelled a different way.

Its Code of Conduct centres values that many mainstream leagues still struggle to embed: “kindness, respect, and zero tolerance for discrimination.”

“What sets SWBL apart,” says the league, “is its unwavering commitment to diversity.”

And it’s not just players who bring this ethos to life—families, friends, and children regularly pitch in at BBQs, events, and games, forming an extended community of care around the diamond.

The results of that commitment speak for themselves: not just in a packed season calendar and expanding team numbers, but in the smiles from the bleachers, the joy in the dugouts, and the quiet assurance that this is a place where people are safe to be exactly who they are.

The league’s journey has also been buoyed by long-standing supporters like The Golden Barley Hotel, ACON, and RBI, who’ve backed the community both on and off the field. As the league steps into its next decade, it does so with these partnerships — and a field of passionate volunteers — at its back.

From its very first bat crack in the ’90s to today’s celebratory 30th season, SWBL has not only offered a place to play, but a place to belong. It’s community sport, yes — but it’s also a love letter to the queer resilience that has always found ways to gather, support, and thrive.

For more information about the Sydney Women’s Baseball League, or to join the waitlist for the next season, visit swbl.org.