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THE OFFICIAL STONEWALL PHILLY COVID-19 CENTER

To keep up to date on all things Stonewall Philly in light of the Coronavirus outbreak. 

August 11, 2021 Update (re: City of Philadelphia Mask & Vaccine Mandate)

Many of you may have seen by now today's COVID update from the City of Philadelphia requiring that all indoor facilities, including bars and restaurants mandate masks or vaccination for all of their patrons and staff, effective at midnight tonight. We wanted to provide a brief update as this impacts a number of our sports, activities and partnerships!

Tabu and The Tavern Group, our sponsor bars and host venues for Billiards, Trivia and upcoming Fall T-Shirt pickup, have both informed us of their intention to implement the required proof of vaccination for all patrons and employees option of this city guidance. Stonewall Sports Philadelphia fully supports these partners in this decision.

For Billiards and Trivia players, T-Shirt pickup attendees, or just post-game socialization at our sponsor bars, this means you will need to present your CDC vaccination card or a photograph of it along with your usual identification to enter these establishments, including to participate in Stonewall activities. For Sand Volleyball players, and our upcoming outdoor kickball and bocce seasons, Stonewall continues to Strongly Encourage vaccination for all participants. Information on where to get vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 in Philadelphia is available here: Philly Vaccine and Testing Info

As noted in our most recent Summer Update, Stonewall continues to requires all players stay home if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or believe they may have a positive case, welcomes and encourages mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing where possible, and asks that players notify league management, teammates and known contacts, if they come to know that they were positive for COVID at a Stonewall event.

As always, we appreciate your understanding and support in working with us to keep Stonewall operating as safely as possible for all! Please do not hesitate to reach out to Director of Sports Operations Mike Morris, Commissioner Matt Forrest or any member of the Stonewall Board if you have any questions or concerns.

Spring & Summer 2021 

For the most up-to-date information see the document linked here

The spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant and a number of breakthrough cases amongst vaccinated individuals is a reminder that though we have resumed normal leagues and play, COVID-19 is certainly not over! Given some recent spikes, especially around popular LGBTQ+ travel destinations and events, we wanted to provide a few quick reminders and updates regarding Stonewall Policies & Precautions.

Please keep in mind that Stonewall is first and foremost a mission-centered, community organization. We ask all players to exercise good judgment and respect for fellow players, event hosts and staff, and our broader community, in all COVID-related decision-making. Doing so helps to ensure our continued ability to operate and offer the sports and events we all love!

  • Persons experiencing ANY Covid-19 symptoms should NOT attend Stonewall Events!

    • Whether vaccinated or not, CDC guidelines are clear that individuals displaying any COVD symptoms should stay home. All Stonewallers agreed to adhere to this policy when they completed the Summer Sports waiver (linked here) during registration. Thus, we expect that you make the best decision, not only for yourself but for the entire community. We'd rather you miss one game and take time to recover than put yourself or others at risk.

  • Stonewall HIGHLY Encourages all players to be vaccinated.

    • Research consistently finds that vaccination significantly lessens both the likelihood of transmission of COVID-19 and the severity of illness when transmission occurs. Find more info on where to get vaccinated in Philadelphia here.

    • Most current Stonewall policies are crafted based around guidance for vaccinated persons.

  • Precautionary Measures Are Encouraged!

    • Players are welcome and encouraged to participate wearing masks if they chose and especially if they are unvaccinated, to maintain social distance when/where possible, and to wash hands frequently!

    • Stonewall masks will be available at both Volleyball and Billiards for the remainder of the season for anyone who would like one, see a board member to get one. Suggested donation $5.

    • Additionally, masks can be purchased via the Stonewall store here.

  • Stonewall is not currently conducting active contact tracing.

    • Current CDC Guidance does not require that vaccinated individuals quarantine or avoid others after contact with a positive case unless they display subsequent COVID-19 symptoms. Given this, players are not required to report positive cases, however, they are still encouraged to notify potential close contacts (such as teammates), and myself, if they believe they may have had COVID at a Stonewall event based on their testing or symptom timeline. Doing so allows all involved to make informed personal decisions for themselves, and allows Stonewall to continually reevaluate current policies and guidance. Symptomatic individuals should always stay home as noted above.

  • Stonewall does not tolerate bullying or harassment of any kind!

    • Individuals' decisions to wear a mask, avoid physical contact, travel, quarantine, be vaccinated, etc. are their own. All Stonewallers make these decisions based on their own vaccination status, personal health, comfort, home situations, etc.

    • By choosing to attend any Stonewall event you acknowledge that players around you may be exercising more or less caution than you are yourself and agree to respect their decisions.

    • Any player having a particular concern during a Stonewall event should connect with Mike Morris (mmorris@stonewallphilly.org), Matt Forrest (mforrest@stonewallphilly.org), or the Board Member or League Manager overseeing that day's event.


June 5, 2020 

Today the City of Philadelphia transitioned to Phase 2 of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the region with its Safer-At-Home Order. While the Governor's Yellow Phase calls for the suspension of stay-at-home orders, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health has continued to advise city residents that they are "safer at home" and should only leave to engage in essential activities. Philadelphia residents have been encouraged to socialize remotely and minimize social contact as much as possible. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health has continued strongly advising city residents against participating in social gatherings of any size during the Yellow Phase.

In the sector specific guidance, the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health explicitly states that during the Yellow Phase, sports leagues and organized sports remain prohibited in Pennsylvania. Therefore, Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia has no timeline for when in-person activities will resume as no guidance has been released about what the transition to the Green Phase will entail. 

Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia will continue to monitor guidance from the City of Philadelphia Department of Health and Pennsylvania Department of Health to ensure we are making decisions aligned with recommendations from health officials to ensure the health and safety of our players and community. We will continue to update as new guidelines are released. If you have any questions please reach out to info@stonewallphilly.org.


May 7, 2020

Re: Stonewall Sports Sports Leagues & Operations Update 

To the Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia Community, 


Over the last two months, we have actively monitored developments related to COVID-19 in the region and worked to make decisions based on the best information available. We have appreciated your patience, flexibility, and support as we have worked to adapt and enjoyed engaging with many of you through yoga, trivia, and on social media the past few weeks. 


As I'm sure will come as no surprise, given the current local public health guidelines, venue closures, and prioritizing the health and safety of our community, we unfortunately will not be coming together for a Spring season as hoped. Read on for more information and do not hesitate to reach out with questions.


What does this mean for my registration fees? 

As we did with our last update, we are providing you the option to donate all or part of your registration fees or request a refund. As an organization, the majority of our operating expenses and ability to donate funds to local LGBT+ nonprofit organizations are directly supported through funds raised through activity registrations. Our hope is that through your donations we will be able to make much needed donations to our nonprofit partners who are feeling the financial impact of this crisis and support our ongoing organizational operations.  


We are providing currently registered players the option of what action they would like to take regarding their registration fees. 

  1. Donate all currently paid registration fees to support our nonprofit partners and Stonewall Sports operations. If you choose this option, no further action is required at this time. As a thank you, a $20 credit will be placed on your account to be used towards future activity registrations. 
  2. Request a partial refund (approximately 50%) with the remainder being donated to support Stonewall operations and our nonprofit partners. To do so complete this form by May 20th. As a thank you, a $10 credit will be placed on your account to be used towards future registrations. 
  3. Request a full refund for all paid Spring Sports registration fees on your account. To do so complete this form by May 20th

What programming is Stonewall currently facilitating? 

While we may not be able to bring our community together in person, we are excited to provide ongoing virtual programming and resources. 

  • Trivia: We are excited to launch our first 4-week trivia league on May 14th giving you the opportunity to form a team, compete against other Stonewallers, win some great prizes, and raise money for our nonprofit partners. Register here by May 11th!
  • Yoga: Join us every Saturday at 10:30AM on Facebook Live for a free virtual yoga class facilitated by your Stonewall Yoga instructors. Classes are scheduled to run through at least June 27th and more information can be found here
  • Resources: The Stonewall Education Committee has put together a list of resources to support our community right now. Check them out here
  • Additionally, the Stonewall Board is continuing to work behind the scenes to plan for other ways for the Stonewall community to connect virtually in the weeks ahead. Keep an eye out on our Facebook and Instagram pages (and your inbox!) for more information soon! 

When will we get to play sports again? 

The short answer is we don;'t know. We will be closely monitoring developments and recommendations from health professionals and remain in active communication with our venues to identify when it is safe to bring our community back together through in person activities. Trust us, you will be the first to know when we have made a decision!


With this in mind, we are remaining flexible and open to opportunities that may allow us to bring the Stonewall community back together in ways that may look different from our typical league formats, but still allow us to enjoy organized recreational sports and physical activity together. It might not be the 2020 we imagined having, but we look forward to making the best of it when we can.


We hope to see many of you with us on Thursday nights for Stonewall Trivia, in the comments section of our Yoga live streams, and sharing your Stonewall memories on social media. 


We can't wait to see you at the fields, courts, lanes, billiards tables, and yoga mats soon! Until then, please take care of yourself, wash your hands often, practice social distancing, and feel free to suggest ways to stay active and engaged with the Stonewall community via our Facebook group


If you have any questions you can contact 

Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia Board of Directors


April 1, 2020

Re: Stonewall Sports Spring Season & Operations Update 

To the Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia Community, 


As we continue to monitor developments related to COVID-19 in the region, the Stonewall Board is suspending all in person activities for Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia through at least May 17. Given the rapidly evolving nature of this situation, we are attempting to make the best decisions possible while realizing it is difficult to understand what the state of things will be next week or in 7 weeks. Read on for more information and do not hesitate to reach out with questions.


What does this mean for the Spring Season? 

Our goal is to facilitate a modified Spring Season that will consist of 4 weeks of Kickball and 5 weeks of Bowling, Billiards, and Yoga starting in late May and running through the end of June. You can view the updated schedule via the calendar on the Stonewall website or on League Apps registration pages. 


Registration for all leagues and activities will remain open through early May at the following adjusted cost: Kickball ($25), Bowling ($25), Billiards ($20), and Yoga ($25)


Our hope is to have the opportunity to bring the Stonewall community together for this abbreviated season after a difficult few months and focus on what Stonewall is all about: bringing our community together through organized recreational sports and physical activity. 


If I already registered, what does this mean for my registration fees? 

As an organization, the majority of our operating expenses and ability to donate funds to local LGBT+ nonprofit organizations is directly supported through funds raised through activity registrations. Balancing the reality of losing over a quarter of our yearly revenue with the understanding that this is a challenging time financially for many of us, we are providing currently registered players the option of what action they would like to take regarding their registration fees. 

  1. Take no action at this time and donate all currently paid registration fees to support our nonprofit partners and Stonewall Sports operations. 
  2. Request a partial refund reflecting the new registration price points outlined above with the remainder supporting Stonewall operations and our nonprofit partners. To do so complete this form by April 15th
  3. Request a full refund for all paid registration fees. Players who select this option for financial reasons will not lose their spot in any activity. To do so complete this form by April 15th

Should we not be able to facilitate the Spring season as outlined, we will reopen this option to all currently registered players at the time that decision is made. 


Why not just cancel the Spring season?  

Honestly, because we really hope we don't have to do so. We want to put ourselves in the position to bring the Stonewall community back together as quickly as possible and leaving everything in place in League Apps as it currently is lets us act quickly should we get the opportunity to do so. As mentioned above, we are following the rapidly changing developments and making decisions accordingly and will continue to do so over the next 8 weeks.   


What is Stonewall doing in the meantime? 

The Board is working behind the scenes right now to plan opportunities for the Stonewall community to connect virtually in the upcoming weeks. Keep an eye out on our Facebook and Instagram pages (and your inbox!) for more information soon! 


Until then, please take care of yourself, wash your hands often, practice social distancing, and feel free to suggest ways to stay active and engaged with the Stonewall community via our Facebook group


If you have any questions you can contact 

Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia Board of Directors


March 20th, 2020

Re: Stonewall Sports Operations Update 

To the Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia Community, 


With registration for the Spring season of Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia set to close on March 23rd, I wanted to provide an update on the status of Stonewall operations and our Spring season. 

  • Registration for all Spring activities will remain open indefinitely at this time while we plan next steps. Therefore members of your team who have not currently registered do not have to do so until further decisions have been made about the season. We will hold all spots for those who have currently registered to allow leagues to start up as soon as conditions allow. 
  • Given the rapidly changing realities all of us have had to navigate this past week, I have asked the Board to prioritize their well-being and health over this week and next as we adjust to the changes in our professional and personal lives. Therefore, the Board will not be coming together to make decisions on the Spring season until late next week. An update will be sent to the Stonewall community no later than March 31st.
  • We are aware that the start date of our Spring season overlaps with the 8 week suspension of gatherings of 50 or more per CDC guidelines. Right now, I can say that if a Spring season is held (which I hope we can in some way) it will be a modified version of what is currently on the calendar and that all registered players will be given the option to be refunded accordingly to reflect the modified season. 

Thank you for your support and understanding. We look forward to bringing the Stonewall community back together as soon as we are able and hope to find creative ways for us to connect between now and then. We are actively monitoring the rapidly changing developments related to the COVID-19 outbreak and will be planning accordingly. 


Please take care of yourself, wash your hands often, practice social distancing, and feel free to suggest ways to stay active and engaged with the Stonewall community via our Facebook group. If you have any questions you can contact me at mattf@stonewallphilly.org


On behalf of the Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia Board of Directors, 

Matt Forrest 


March 12th, 2020

To the Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia Community, 


We are writing to provide you with an update regarding Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia and the developing COVID-19 outbreak. We have been working tirelessly behind the scenes this week to develop a plan and respond accordingly and we appreciate your patience as we navigate between our roles in a volunteer capacity with Stonewall and our other obligations. 

Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia will be canceling all events and activities from March 13th through April 9th, 2020. We have decided the best course of action is to prioritize the health and wellness of this community and to play our part in reducing public gatherings and the further spread of COVID-19.
What does this mean?

  1. Important: If you are currently registered for an event or activity that has been impacted, you will receive a separate email specific to that event or activity with more specific information on what is outlined below before the end of the day Friday. 
  2. Dodgeball: The dodgeball tournaments on March 22nd and 29th have been canceled and will not be rescheduled.  
  3. Yoga: The remaining four weeks of yoga at William Way have been canceled and will not be rescheduled. 
  4. Flip Cup Tournament: The event has currently been postponed until Saturday, May 16th. 
  5. Spring Season: We are currently planning to move forward with our Spring Season of Kickball, Bowling, Billiards, and Yoga and hope to be able to resume activities starting with our April 9th t-shirt pickup. While we will be working hard to plan these activities, we will also be actively monitoring coronavirus developments and communicating to you if plans change. If the Spring Season is impacted, we will be in touch regarding refunds and next steps. 

What if I have a question? 

What can you do? 
Recognizing that we are not health care professionals, we rely on the CDC and Philadelphia Department of Public Health which recommends observing the following health and wellness practices:

  • Recognize the symptoms (fever and dry cough are the most common). 
  • Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough and sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60-95% ethyl alcohol).
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily.

Thank you on behalf of the Stonewall Sports-Philadelphia Board for being such an outstanding community and we look forward to seeing you all soon! 


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