Welcome to the 2026 Gay Softball World Series. Whether you are joining us as a player, coach, umpire, volunteer, family member, or fan, we are honored to welcome you to Columbus, Ohio.

For one week, thousands of athletes and supporters from across North America gather to celebrate competition, community, and pride. While you are here, we want you to know that support, connection, and resources are available whenever you need them.

This guide connects you with affirming healthcare, mental health support, recovery resources, veteran services, accessibility assistance, crisis support, and LGBTQ+ community organizations throughout Central Ohio.

Above all, we want you to feel one thing:

You belong here.

Columbus is one of the most welcoming and inclusive cities in the Midwest. For decades, the LGBTQ+ community has worked to build spaces where people can gather, compete, celebrate, and live authentically. Organizations such as Stonewall Columbus, Equitas Health, TransOhio, Mozaic, and many others have shaped a city where diversity is embraced and community is celebrated.

The Columbus Lesbian & Gay Softball Association (CLGSA) has been part of that story since 1986. For 40 years, CLGSA has created opportunities for connection, competition, friendship, and chosen family.

We are honored to welcome the Gay Softball World Series to Columbus and hope you leave with new friendships, unforgettable memories, and the feeling that this city welcomed you exactly as you are.

The GSWS 2026 Host Committee is committed to ensuring an accessible and inclusive experience for all participants.

Support includes:

• ADA‑compliant tournament facilities
• Accessible transportation options
• On‑site accessibility assistance
• Accommodations for mobility, sensory, and communication needs

Community Housing Network

Supportive housing, case management, and stability services.

Lutheran Social Services

Emergency assistance, food access, housing support, and community programs.

Mount Carmel Crime & Trauma Assistance Program

Trauma‑informed counseling and support for survivors of violence, crime, and traumatic events.

We encourage you to explore the neighborhoods and spaces that make Columbus vibrant and welcoming:

• Short North Arts District
• German Village
• Franklinton Arts District
• North Market
• Stonewall Columbus
• LGBTQ‑owned businesses
• Community gathering spaces

Additional resources will be available throughout tournament week, including:

• Tournament medical information
• Accessibility assistance
• Transportation resources
• Recovery meeting schedule
• Volunteer support
• Safe spaces
• Tournament contact information

Whether you are LGBTQ+, transgender, nonbinary, in recovery, a veteran, living with a disability, traveling alone, attending your first GSWS, or returning for your twentieth, you are part of this community.

You are welcome here.
You belong here.
Welcome home.