The New York Giants are proud to support the New York Gay Football League, which is celebrating its 21st season.
The NYGFL is a 7-on-7 flag football league inclusive to all, but primarily catering to the LGBTQIA+ community in and around New York City. Since being founded in 2004 with just six teams and roughly 70 players, the league has evolved into one of the largest gay football leagues in the country with more than 20 teams and a community of several hundred active members annually.
The Giants have been proud sponsors of the NYGFL for more than eight years, hosting practices and clinics for NYGFL athletes at their practice facility. The partnership between the Giants and NYGFL began in 2017. Natalie Wizel, content producer in the Giants' marketing department, has been an active member of the NYGFL since 2016 and a captain since 2017. Upon becoming a captain that year, Wizel participated on some of the league's tournament teams.
The NYGFL sends teams consisting of the league's most competitive players to several tournaments each year, including the Florida Sunshine Cup every February, Chicago Pride in June, and the national Gay Bowl in October. These tournaments require booking flights and hotels, so team members reach out to people within their circles for sponsorship opportunities. That sparked the connection between the NYGFL and the Giants, a partnership that has only grown over the years.
The 2025 campaign represents the 21st season of play for the league, which they were able to help commemorate with a visit to the Quest Diagnostics Training Center during Pride Month in June. Members of the NYGFL visited the team facility, where they held their Hall of Fame induction ceremony with president and CEO John Mara and other members of the organization, before getting an opportunity to step onto the practice field to toss the football around.
"The support that the Giants have continued to bestow on our league and on our community, it has just felt very genuine and authentic," NYGFL Commissioner Monty Clinton told Giants.com. "Our community is incredibly appreciative of the support and the partnership. People come to this organization for football, but they stay for the community. Having the support of the Giants to help continue to elevate our community, and to help give us a voice and add to the credibility of what we do, it shows that football is for everyone.
"The Giants' involvement has been transformative. Twenty years ago, a collaboration of this magnitude between an NFL team and a gay flag football league would have seemed unimaginable. However, the Giants' commitment to inclusivity has set a powerful example in professional sports, demonstrating how far both the league and the broader community have come. This partnership underscores the endless possibilities for the future as both organizations continue to grow and expand, making sports a more inclusive space for all. The support from the Giants is more than just symbolic; it actively contributes to the NYGFL's mission of breaking down stereotypes and fostering community. As the NYGFL celebrates its 21st season, the enduring partnership with the Giants highlights how much progress has been made and the exciting potential that lies ahead for both organizations."
As the organization has done in previous years, the Giants Foundation also gave the NYGFL a $10,000 contribution to assist with operating costs of the league.
The partnership between the Giants and the NYGFL will continue later this summer, as members of the league will be invited to attend a preseason game in August.
"Over the years, the relationship between the New York Gay Football League and the New York Giants has only continued to grow," Wizel told Giants.com. "All of the touchpoints we have each year demonstrates that not only are the Giants happy to give a monetary contribution, but they also truly care to engage and support the NYGFL community. As a member of the NYGFL and an employee of the New York Giants, it is an amazing feeling to feel the support and community on both ends."
Continuing a fun tradition, the Giants will also host the New York Gay Football League for a football clinic in the fieldhouse at the team's facility this fall. This event will be open to members of the NYGFL of all levels of experience and ability. This year's clinic will include instruction of football techniques, including offensive and defensive line play, route running, and defensive coverage, as well as general conditioning. Last year's event was coached by former Giants players Jay Alford and Jonathan Casillas, and the Giants are looking forward to opening their doors once again for a fun night of instruction and competition.
