New A League of Their Own seri hailed gayt shows ever

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• SUBSCRIBESIGN {"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","URL":","MAENTYOFPAGE":","HEADLE":"THE HIDN QUEER HISTORY BEHD \"A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN\"","SCRIPTN":"THE ALL-AMERIN GIRLS PROFSNAL BASEBALL LEAGUE DID EVERYTHG ULD TO KEEP LBIANS OFF THE DIAMOND. SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER, S GAY STARS ARE FALLY OPENG UP.","IMAGE":[{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":"}],"DATEPUBLISHED":"2018-05-30T00:00:43+00:00","DATEMODIFIED":"2018-05-30T00:00:43+00:00","ISACCSIBLEFORFREE":TE,"THOR":[{"@TYPE":"PERSON","NAME":"FRANKIE LA CRETAZ","URL":","SCRIPTN":NULL,"INTIFIER":"ER:146412877"}],"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"NARRATIVELY","URL":","SCRIPTN":"DISVER EXTRAORDARY TE STORI CELEBRATG THE DIVERSY OF HUMANY.","TERACTNSTATISTIC":{"@TYPE":"INTERACTNCOUNTER","NAME":"SUBSCRIBERS","TERACTNTYPE":","ERINTERACTNCOUNT":10000},"INTIFIER":"PUB:1404134","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","NTENTURL":","THUMBNAILURL":"},"IMAGE":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","NTENTURL":","THUMBNAILURL":"}}}SHARE THIS POSTTHE HIDN QUEER HISTORY BEHD "A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN"COPY LKFACEBOOKEMAILNOTOTHERDEEP DIVTHE HIDN QUEER HISTORY BEHD "A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN"
• THEY FALLY MA ‘A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN’ GAY: INSI THE MAKG OF THE REMARKABLE NEW SERIBATTER UP!PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEAST/AMAZONABBI JABSON, D’ARCY CARN, AND THE TEAM BEHD THE REIMAGG OF THE 1992 FILM TELL OBSSED WHAT TOOK TO MAKE A SERI ABOUT SPORTS THAT IS SO UNABASHEDLY QUEER.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDPUBLISHED AUG. 18, 2022 5:01AM EDT FOR LENNIALS AND MEMBERS OF GEN X—OR, REALLY, PEOPLE OF ANY AGE WH GOOD TASTE—PENNY MARSHALL’S 1992 FILM A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN IS A FOUNDATNAL MOVIE. THERE’S NO CRYG BASEBALL! GEENA DAVIS TCHG THE BALL WHILE DOG THE SPLS! MADONNA SWG DANCG! ROSIE O’DONNELL WAS SO GOOD!IN THE 30 YEARS THAT HAVE PASSED SCE S RELEASE—A HORRIFYG STATISTIC THAT MA MY KNE CREAK AND ACID REFLUX ACT UP AS I TYPED —OUR RELATNSHIP WH THE MOVIE EPENED. A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN WAS ALREADY HUGE, MD YOU; MARSHALL BEME THE FIRST WOMAN TO DIRECT A FILM THAT GROSSED $100 LN AT THE BOX OFFICE WH BIG, AND A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN ALSO ACPLISHED THAT FEAT. BUT EARNED S STAT AS ONE OF THOSE MOVI THAT, IF ’S PLAYG ON TBS ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON, YOU ARE SPIRUALLY OBLIGATED TO STAY WH UNTIL ’S OVER. IF I MAY BE SO BOLD, ’S A PERFECTLY STCTURED FILM.AND AS PEOPLE’S RELATNSHIPS WH THE MOVIE CHANGED AND THE WORLD CHANGED AROUND THEM, WE HAD THE SAME (AND IF WE’RE BEG HONT) MORTIFYG REVELATN, AN EPIPHANY THAT WE’RE EMBARRASSED TO ADM NEVER DAWNED ON UNTIL WE WERE ADULTS—OR MAYBE NOT EVEN UNTIL THE NEW AMAZON A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SERI BEGAN STREAMG LAST WEEK. OH MY GOSH, YOU REALIZE. THEY WERE PROBABLY GAY.SURE, ’S OBV NOW. WE SAID ’S EMBARRASSG! AMAZON “I DIDN’T GROW UP AWARE OF THOSE UNRTON EHER,” ABBI JABSON (BROAD CY), WHO -CREATED AND STARS THE NEW SERI, TELLS THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED. “BUT I THK THE MOVIE WAS SOMETHG THAT QUEER PEOPLE FELT A NNECTN TO, WHETHER OR NOT WE KNEW WHY.”“A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LOVE THE MOVIE—GAY PEOPLE, STRAIGHT PEOPLE— DIDN’T DAWN ON THEM UNTIL THEY’VE THOUGHT OF AS AN ADULT,” SAYS D’ARCY CARN (THE GOOD PLACE), WHO -STARS. “AND THEN THEY’RE LIKE, WELL, OF URSE THEY WERE GAY!”BOTH MARSHALL’S FILM AND THE NEW AMAZON SERI CHRONICL THE FORMG AND SURPRISG SUCCS OF THE ALL-AMERIN GIRLS PROFSNAL BASEBALL LEAGUE 1943, A SEISMIC MOMENT SPORTS THAT HAD BEEN ALL BUT LOST TO HISTORY. IT WAS WARTIME, AND, WH THE MEN AWAY, OWNERS OF PROFSNAL BASEBALL TEAMS FLOATED THE IA OF DRAFTG WOMEN TO THE FIELD ORR TO KEEP AMERI’S FAVORE PASTIME THE SPOTLIGHT DURG WHAT WERE OTHERWISE UNSETTLG DAYS.THE WOMEN WERE SUTED OM ALL OVER THE UNTRY AND BROUGHT TO CHIGO FOR TRYOUTS. ONE OF THE TEAMS ASSEMBLED, THE ROCKFORD PEACH, BASED ILLOIS, BEME THE SPIRATN FOR THE MOVIE—AND, NOW, THIS TV REIMAGG AND EXPANSN. THE FILM FEATURED DAVIS, MADONNA, O’DONNELL, AND LORI PETTY AS THE ATHLET UP TO BAT AGAST GENR BIAS—ATTENDG FISHG SCHOOL BETWEEN PRACTIC, PLAYG SKIRTS—WHILE WOWG FANS WH THEIR UNNIABLE SKILLS. AMAZON’S SERI, WHICH JABSON -CREATED WH WILL GRAHAM (WH MARSHALL’S BLSG BEFORE HER ATH), STARS JABSON AND CARN ROL THAT ULD BE SEEN AS ANALOGO TO THE FILM. BUT, AT EIGHT EPISOS, ALSO GETS TO ROUND BAS THAT MARSHALL ULDN’T, CLUDG FOLLOWG THE CHARACTER OF MAX CHAPMAN (PLAYED BY CHANTé ADAMS), A BLACK WOMAN SPERATE FOR THE OPPORTUNY TO PLAY THE LEAGUE AT A TIME WHEN SEGREGATNIST POLICI MA THAT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE. ADVERTISEMENT THERE’S A STORY THAT GRAHAM LIK TO TELL, WHICH IS RELAYED OM A STORY THAT ROSIE O’DONNELL—WHO MAK AN CREDIBLY MOVG MEO THE SERI—TOLD HIM. APPARENTLY, WHEN O’DONNELL WAS MEETG WH MARSHALL ABOUT THE FILM AND HER CHARACTER, THE BRASH, SPFIRE THIRD BASEWOMAN DORIS, SHE BLUNTLY TOLD MARSHALL: DORIS IS OBVLY GAY. “AND PENNY WAS JT LIKE, ‘NO,’” GRAHAM LGHS. “THERE WERE JT PLAC YOU ULDN’T GO AT THAT TIME.” (O’DONNELL ME OUT PUBLICLY 2002.)THEN THERE’S THE MEMORABLE SCENE WHEN, DURG TRYOUTS, A STRAY BALL THE OUTFIELD IS PICKED UP BY A BLACK WOMAN, WHO LNCH LIKE A NNON BACK TO HOME PLATE. SHE’S NEVER SEEN AGA. MARSHALL CLUD THE SCENE TO REFERENCE THE NEGRO LEAGUE PLAYERS AND THEIR RICH HISTORY. “I KNEW WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DO THAT STORY, BUT I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.” WHEN THEY MET WH MARSHALL BEFORE HER ATH 2018, SHE TOLD GRAHAM AND JABSON THAT HER ORIGAL CUT OF THE FILM WAS FOUR-AND-A-HALF HOURS LONG. (RELEASE THE MARSHALL CUT, YOU WARDS!) “SHE SAID, ‘THERE WAS SO MUCH THAT I WANTED TO DO THAT I DIDN’T GET TO DO,’” GRAHAM EXPLAS. THEY ASKED ABOUT THAT MOMENT, SPECIFILLY. “SHE WAS LIKE, ‘YEAH, I KNEW WE DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO DO THAT STORY, BUT I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.’”THE NEW A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN IS THAT OPPORTUNY. IT’S A URSE RRECTN. IT’S A VALIDATN OF THE EXPERIENC OF THE REAL-LIFE WOMEN; MAYBELLE BLAIR, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PLAYER WHO SERVED AS THE SPIRATN FOR CARN’S CHARACTER, GRETA, ME OUT AS GAY JT THIS YEAR AT AGE 95, SPIRED BY WORKG AS A NSULTANT ON THE SERI. AND ’S PROOF THAT A REBOOT/REMAKE/REIMAGG—WHATEVER IS THAT WE’RE LLG THE DAYS—HAS VALUE WHEN ’S THE TALYST FOR EPENG A STORY.“WE WERE NEVER TRYG TO RECREATE THE FILM, BUT REALLY TRYG TO SHOWSE AND DIVE TO THE STORI THAT WE FELT WERE NOT SHOWN THE FILM,” JABSON SAYS. THE QUEER WOMEN AND THE WOMEN OF LOR EXISTED. NOW WE FALLY GET TO MEET THEM. ADVERTISEMENT THERE’S A PHENOMENON POP CULTURE THAT HAS ALWAYS SEEMED BAFFLG. STEPPG UP TO THE PLATE THERE ULD BE A PERSON FOR WHOM WATCHG LIVE SPORTS IS A FORM OF TORTURE. (THAT PERSON IS ME.) YET THAT SAME PERSON ULD BE OBSSED WH SPORTS MOVI AND TV SHOWS: VOUR THEM, GH OVER THEM, CRY LIKE A BABY AT THE CLIMAX EACH TIME, AND UNT ANY NUMBER OF THEM AMONG THEIR FAVOR. (OH HI, ME AGA!) SPORTS? GROSS! SPORTS MOVI? I’M ALREADY WEEPG AND MAKG PLANS TO SEE AGA.“THERE’S A LOT OF A BASEBALL GAME, IF WATCHED S ENTIRETY, WHERE YOU’RE LIKE, ‘I’M GONNA GO GET A DRK FOR A SEC,’” JABSON SAYS. BUT MOVI AND TV SERI ABOUT SPORTS SPRT RIGHT TOWARD THE MOST DRAMATIC MOMENTS. THEY’RE SIGNED TO BE EXCG, SORT OF THE WAY “YOU MIGHT NOT WATCH SPORTS, BUT YOU’LL NEVER MISS THE SUPER BOWL,” ADAMS ADDS.WHILE WORKG ON A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, JABSON WAS NSTANTLY TALKG ABOUT THE FILM RUDY. "‘WHAT’S THE RUDY MOMENT THIS?’ IT’S ABOUT THE LOVE OF THE GAME, AND ’S ABOUT THE GUY WHO GETS TO FALLY PLAY. AND ALMOST SURPASS WHETHER THEY W OR LOSE.”FOR CARN, THERE WAS SOMETHG ABOUT THE 1992 A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, PARTICULAR. “I DON’T UNRSTAND A SEND OF FOOTBALL. I UNRSTAND SOCCER. I REALLY DO LOVE BASEBALL, THOUGH,” SHE SAYS. “AND I LOVE SPORTS MOVI. I REMEMBER WATCHG BULL DURHAM AND BEG LIKE, ‘HUBBA HUBBA…’” BUT MARSHALL’S FILM WAS A WATERSHED, SEEG-THE-WORLD-DIFFERENTLY KD OF MOMENT FOR HER, “BEG A LTLE SPORTY GIRL AND NOT SEEG ANY GIRLS ANY OF THE OTHER MOVI.” ADVERTISEMENT “GETTG TO SEE 50 DIRTY, SPORTY GIRLS A MOVIE ON SCREEN AT ONE TIME BROKE MY BRA OPEN,” SHE SAYS. “I REMEMBER WAS A FEELG OF, LIKE, THIS IS POSSIBLE. THIS WAS REAL. THIS WAS ALLOWED. I WAS LIKE, ‘I NEED TO DO THAT.’” AMAZON GRAHAM, ON THE OTHER HAND, ADMS TO HAVG A TORTURED RELATNSHIP WH SPORTS. HIS HBAND IS A FOOTBALL FAN, AND HE’S TRIED LOVG FOR HIM. GROWG UP, HIS FATHER ENURAGED HIM TO PLAY LTLE LEAGUE, “WHICH, AS A LTLE QUEER KID WHO FELT LIKE HE WAS UNRVER AS A BOY, WAS VERY STRSFUL.”HE NOW REGNIZ THE VALUE OF THAT, THOUGH, AND N NNECT TO WHY HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SO MOVED TO EMBARK ON ADAPTG A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, SPE HIS EXPERIENCE AS A TRMATIZED YOUTH ATHLETE. (WHERE IS THE SUPPORT GROUP FOR THAT?)“WATCHG BASEBALL WAS A WAY FOR ME TO MUNITE WH MY DAD, EVEN WHEN I FELT LIKE I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO BE THE RIGHT KD OF SON,” HE SAYS. “SO ’S EMOTNAL FOR ME. ON THE OTHER HAND, I LOVE A SPORTS MOVIE. I ULD WATCH FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGA. AND HALF OF THE CHARACTERS THAT SHOW PROBABLY DON’T THK I SHOULD HAVE RIGHTS! I WOULD STILL WATCH ! I THK ’S ABOUT THE FEELG OF BELONGG TO A GROUP AND TO A TEAM THAT I THK, FOR QUEER PEOPLE PARTICULAR, N BE SO POWERFUL.” AMAZON ADVERTISEMENT IT’S HARD TO UNRSTATE THAT POWER WHEN YOU WATCH THE NEW SERI, PECIALLY IF YOU’RE A FAN OF THE ORIGAL A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN AND PECIALLY IF YOU’RE A QUEER FAN OF . THE QUEER REPRENTATN AND THE DIGNY GIVEN TO THE CHARACTERS’ STORYL IS LIKE A FIREWORKS SHOW OF PROGRS, EACH DIVIDUAL EXPLOSN UNIQUE AND SPECIFIC, TOGETHER PROVIDG THIS LORFUL, KALEIDOSPIC DISPLAY OF VARIED THENTIC EXPERIENCE.BUT ’S THE MATTER-OF-FACTNS WH WHICH THE SHOW APPROACH THIS CLIVY THAT MAY ACTUALLY BE THE SPECTACLE. THERE WAS NO FANFARE LEADG UP TO THE RELEASE THAT THIS WAS GOG TO BE THE GRAND QUEERIFITN OF A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, AND ’S TREATED THE SERI AS LTLE MORE THAN AN ATTEMPT TO ACCURATELY REFLECT THE HUMANY OF THE WOMEN AS THEY LIVED .THERE’S A BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE. JABSON’S CARSON, WHO IS MARRIED TO A MAN WHO IS OFF AT WAR, HAS THE SLOW REALIZATN THAT SHE’S ATTRACTED TO CARN’S GRETA AS THEIR BOND GROWS THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. GRETA AND HER BT IEND JO (MELANIE FIELD) ARRIVE WH A REFUL SET OF L FOR HOW TO ACT ON THEIR SAME-SEX ATTRACTNS WHILE REMAG SAFE OM BEG OUTED. ROBERTA COLDREZ’S LUPE AND KELLY MCCORMACK’S JS WEAR THEIR GENR NONNFORMY AND QUEER NFINCE ON THEIR SLEEV, ECHOG BACK TO CHARACTERS THE 1992 FILM WHO WERE QUEER-D, BUT WHOSE SEXUALI WERE NEVER FURTHER VELOPED. AND ADAMS’ MAX DISVERS, THROUGH A NEW GENR NONBARY IEND, A VERABLE FANTASIA OF BLACK QUEERNS THAT REORIENTS HER ENTIRE WORLD AND HOW SHE SE . AMAZON “NOW MORE THAN EVER, THERE ARE MORE QUEER CHARACTERS BEG REPRENTED ON SCREEN, BUT THERE’S UALLY STILL, LIKE, ONE A SHOW,” JABSON SAYS. “THIS IS REALLY DIVG TO A VERY BROAD RANGE OF QUEERNS.”GOG BACK TO THE NAIVE A-HA MOMENT THAT THE CHARACTERS THE 1992 FILM WERE PROBABLY A LTLE GAY, WE START TALKG ABOUT THE 2020 NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY A SECRET LOVE, WHICH WAS PRODUCED BY RYAN MURPHY. SPEAKG PERSONALLY, THAT WAS WHEN MY EY WERE OPENED TO THE FACT THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE THAT THE WOMEN WERE SHOULRG BEYOND THE PRSUR WE SAW MARSHALL’S MOVIE: AS JABSON SAYS, “BEG ASKED TO PLAY BASEBALL AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME—WHICH IS WILDLY ATHLETIC, GRTY, DIRTY, AND DIFFICULT—WHILE UNR THE MALE GAZE AND FULL MAKP, FULL HAIR, WEARG LIPSTICK, AND WEARG SHORT SKIRTS.” ADVERTISEMENT THEY ALSO HAD TO NAVIGATE A WORLD THAT WOULDN’T ACCEPT THEIR LOVE STORI. THE FILM REUNTS THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN TERRY DONAHUE, WHO PLAYED THE BASEBALL LEAGUE OM THE FILM AND THE SERI ALL THOSE YEARS AGO, AND HER PARTNER OF 72 YEARS, PAT HENSCHEL, AND WHAT TOOK FOR THEM TO E OUT TO THEIR FAI AFTER A LIFETIME TOGETHER. “THAT DOC TORE ME UP,” JABSON SAYS. DONOHUE AND MAYBELLE BLAIR KNEW EACH OTHER DURG THOSE BASEBALL DAYS THE ’40S. JABSON’S NVERSATNS WH BLAIR WERE VALUABLE SCRIPTG THE AMAZON SERI; A SECRET LOVE ADD EVEN MORE EMOTNAL NTEXT.“HEARG MAYBELLE’S STORI AND HEARG OTHER ACUNTS OF WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE... LISTEN, I THK SHE TALKS ABOUT MORE A POSIVE WAY THAN MAYBE SHE SHAR ABOUT HOW DANGERO WAS—AND STILL IS A LOT OF PLAC THE WORLD TO BE TO BE QUEER,” SHE SAYS. “I MEAN, SHE JT ME OUT AT 95. SO THAT ALONE TELLS YOU THERE’S A LOT OF STAK AND THERE’S A LOT OF FEAR G OUT. IT JT REALLY MATTERS TO SHARE THOSE STORI.” AMAZON THE A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SERI HAS SENT VIEWERS DOWN RABB HOL, SPERATE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REAL-LIFE WOMEN WHO SPIRED THE ROCKFORD PEACH THE SHOW—A JOURNEY WHICH TAK THEM TO NAM LIKE MAYBELLE BLAIR, TERRY DONAHUE, AND NEGRO LEAGUE PLAYERS LIKE MAMIE JOHNSON, CONNIE MAN, AND TONI STONE, WHO WERE SPIRATNS FOR ADAMS’ CHARACTER. ADVERTISEMENT “ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO BE A LOVER OF BASEBALL SHOULD KNOW THEIR NAM ONT TO BACK—WHO THEY PLAYED FOR AND EVERYTHG LIKE THAT—BEE ’S SO INIC, AND ’S SO HISTORIC WHAT THEY DID,” ADAMS SAYS.BUT ALL OF THIS IS AN ENAVOR THAT, REALLY, STARTED WH PENNY MARSHALL 30 YEARS AGO—SOMETHG THAT, AS THE SERI IS PRAISED FOR THE CLIVY THAT HER FILM LACKED, GRAHAM IS QUICK TO REMD PEOPLE. “HAVE A GREAT TIME. THE STORI CHANGED MY LIFE. AND THEY'LL CHANGE YOURS, TOO.” HIS AND JABSON’S PHONE NVERSATN WH HER WAS, AS ONE WOULD IMAGE, NERVE-WRACKG; THE SE OF A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, AK TO VISG GOD TO ASK ABOUT REIMAGG THE BIBLE. THEY TALKED FOR A LONG TIME. AT ONE POT, SHE SAID SHE NEED TO E THE BATHROOM AND DISAPPEARED FOR 15 MUT. THEY WONRED IF THEY HAD BEEN GHOSTED. BUT SHE RETURNED AND EXPLAED ALL THE THREADS THAT SHE SPERATELY WISHED SHE ULD HAVE EXPLORED. THEN SHE TOLD THEM, “HAVE A GREAT TIME. THE STORI CHANGED MY LIFE. AND THEY’LL CHANGE YOURS, TOO.”EVERYONE I TALKED TO SHARED THE SAME SENTIMENT: WHAT THE MOVIE DID AT S TIME, DID PERFECTLY. AND NOW THEY’RE JT LUCKY AND PRIVILEGED TO GET TO DO MORE.“THERE’S SOMETHG REALLY POWERFUL ABOUT HAVG YOUR STORY TOLD ONE WAY,” GRAHAM SAYS. “AND ISN’T THAT TERTG HOW WE ACCEPT THE STORY THAT WE’RE GIVEN?” THAT’S WHY HE THKS THIS SHOW WILL BE PROFOUND TO MANY PEOPLE. “THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVG TO READ YOURSELF TO SOMETHG AND BEG ABLE TO SEE YOURSELF RIGHT THERE.” ADVERTISEMENT KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. KEV FALLON
• THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN WAS TWO THIRDS GAY, SHAR 95-YEAR-OLD MAYBELLE BLAIR
• D’ARCY CARN PROMIS THE ‘LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN’ SERI REALLY IS ‘SO GAY’

SUBSCRIBESIGN {"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","URL":","MAENTYOFPAGE":","HEADLE":"THE HIDN QUEER HISTORY BEHD \"A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN\"","SCRIPTN":"THE ALL-AMERIN GIRLS PROFSNAL BASEBALL LEAGUE DID EVERYTHG ULD TO KEEP LBIANS OFF THE DIAMOND. SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER, S GAY STARS ARE FALLY OPENG UP.","IMAGE":[{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":"}],"DATEPUBLISHED":"2018-05-30T00:00:43+00:00","DATEMODIFIED":"2018-05-30T00:00:43+00:00","ISACCSIBLEFORFREE":TE,"THOR":[{"@TYPE":"PERSON","NAME":"FRANKIE LA CRETAZ","URL":","SCRIPTN":NULL,"INTIFIER":"ER:146412877"}],"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"NARRATIVELY","URL":","SCRIPTN":"DISVER EXTRAORDARY TE STORI CELEBRATG THE DIVERSY OF HUMANY.","TERACTNSTATISTIC":{"@TYPE":"INTERACTNCOUNTER","NAME":"SUBSCRIBERS","TERACTNTYPE":","ERINTERACTNCOUNT":10000},"INTIFIER":"PUB:1404134","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","NTENTURL":","THUMBNAILURL":"},"IMAGE":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","NTENTURL":","THUMBNAILURL":"}}}SHARE THIS POSTTHE HIDN QUEER HISTORY BEHD "A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN"COPY LKFACEBOOKEMAILNOTOTHERDEEP DIVTHE HIDN QUEER HISTORY BEHD "A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN"

The show, which is helmed by “Broad Cy” -creator Abbi Jabson, has spawned a kd of grassroots, word-of-mouth marketg mpaign led by queer women exaltg the show for s unapologetic gayns, tersectnal storytellg and much-need sense of humor.

While none of their characters were explicly gay, the film still beme a queer touchstone for more than one generatn of moviegoers. ”“There’s a batch of ‘90s movi that a lot of queer women say ma them gay, ” Bernard said wh a lgh, “like ‘Fried Green Tomato, ’ ‘Girl, Interpted, ’ ‘The Craft, ’ ‘Now and Then, ’ and ‘Foxfire. Even O’Donnell mak a brief appearance as the owner of the players’ favore unrground gay bar.

THEY FALLY MA ‘A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN’ GAY: INSI THE MAKG OF THE REMARKABLE NEW SERIBATTER UP!PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEAST/AMAZONABBI JABSON, D’ARCY CARN, AND THE TEAM BEHD THE REIMAGG OF THE 1992 FILM TELL OBSSED WHAT TOOK TO MAKE A SERI ABOUT SPORTS THAT IS SO UNABASHEDLY QUEER.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDPUBLISHED AUG. 18, 2022 5:01AM EDT FOR LENNIALS AND MEMBERS OF GEN X—OR, REALLY, PEOPLE OF ANY AGE WH GOOD TASTE—PENNY MARSHALL’S 1992 FILM A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN IS A FOUNDATNAL MOVIE. THERE’S NO CRYG BASEBALL! GEENA DAVIS TCHG THE BALL WHILE DOG THE SPLS! MADONNA SWG DANCG! ROSIE O’DONNELL WAS SO GOOD!IN THE 30 YEARS THAT HAVE PASSED SCE S RELEASE—A HORRIFYG STATISTIC THAT MA MY KNE CREAK AND ACID REFLUX ACT UP AS I TYPED —OUR RELATNSHIP WH THE MOVIE EPENED. A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN WAS ALREADY HUGE, MD YOU; MARSHALL BEME THE FIRST WOMAN TO DIRECT A FILM THAT GROSSED $100 LN AT THE BOX OFFICE WH BIG, AND A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN ALSO ACPLISHED THAT FEAT. BUT EARNED S STAT AS ONE OF THOSE MOVI THAT, IF ’S PLAYG ON TBS ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON, YOU ARE SPIRUALLY OBLIGATED TO STAY WH UNTIL ’S OVER. IF I MAY BE SO BOLD, ’S A PERFECTLY STCTURED FILM.AND AS PEOPLE’S RELATNSHIPS WH THE MOVIE CHANGED AND THE WORLD CHANGED AROUND THEM, WE HAD THE SAME (AND IF WE’RE BEG HONT) MORTIFYG REVELATN, AN EPIPHANY THAT WE’RE EMBARRASSED TO ADM NEVER DAWNED ON UNTIL WE WERE ADULTS—OR MAYBE NOT EVEN UNTIL THE NEW AMAZON A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SERI BEGAN STREAMG LAST WEEK. OH MY GOSH, YOU REALIZE. THEY WERE PROBABLY GAY.SURE, ’S OBV NOW. WE SAID ’S EMBARRASSG! AMAZON “I DIDN’T GROW UP AWARE OF THOSE UNRTON EHER,” ABBI JABSON (BROAD CY), WHO -CREATED AND STARS THE NEW SERI, TELLS THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED. “BUT I THK THE MOVIE WAS SOMETHG THAT QUEER PEOPLE FELT A NNECTN TO, WHETHER OR NOT WE KNEW WHY.”“A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LOVE THE MOVIE—GAY PEOPLE, STRAIGHT PEOPLE— DIDN’T DAWN ON THEM UNTIL THEY’VE THOUGHT OF AS AN ADULT,” SAYS D’ARCY CARN (THE GOOD PLACE), WHO -STARS. “AND THEN THEY’RE LIKE, WELL, OF URSE THEY WERE GAY!”BOTH MARSHALL’S FILM AND THE NEW AMAZON SERI CHRONICL THE FORMG AND SURPRISG SUCCS OF THE ALL-AMERIN GIRLS PROFSNAL BASEBALL LEAGUE 1943, A SEISMIC MOMENT SPORTS THAT HAD BEEN ALL BUT LOST TO HISTORY. IT WAS WARTIME, AND, WH THE MEN AWAY, OWNERS OF PROFSNAL BASEBALL TEAMS FLOATED THE IA OF DRAFTG WOMEN TO THE FIELD ORR TO KEEP AMERI’S FAVORE PASTIME THE SPOTLIGHT DURG WHAT WERE OTHERWISE UNSETTLG DAYS.THE WOMEN WERE SUTED OM ALL OVER THE UNTRY AND BROUGHT TO CHIGO FOR TRYOUTS. ONE OF THE TEAMS ASSEMBLED, THE ROCKFORD PEACH, BASED ILLOIS, BEME THE SPIRATN FOR THE MOVIE—AND, NOW, THIS TV REIMAGG AND EXPANSN. THE FILM FEATURED DAVIS, MADONNA, O’DONNELL, AND LORI PETTY AS THE ATHLET UP TO BAT AGAST GENR BIAS—ATTENDG FISHG SCHOOL BETWEEN PRACTIC, PLAYG SKIRTS—WHILE WOWG FANS WH THEIR UNNIABLE SKILLS. AMAZON’S SERI, WHICH JABSON -CREATED WH WILL GRAHAM (WH MARSHALL’S BLSG BEFORE HER ATH), STARS JABSON AND CARN ROL THAT ULD BE SEEN AS ANALOGO TO THE FILM. BUT, AT EIGHT EPISOS, ALSO GETS TO ROUND BAS THAT MARSHALL ULDN’T, CLUDG FOLLOWG THE CHARACTER OF MAX CHAPMAN (PLAYED BY CHANTé ADAMS), A BLACK WOMAN SPERATE FOR THE OPPORTUNY TO PLAY THE LEAGUE AT A TIME WHEN SEGREGATNIST POLICI MA THAT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE. ADVERTISEMENT THERE’S A STORY THAT GRAHAM LIK TO TELL, WHICH IS RELAYED OM A STORY THAT ROSIE O’DONNELL—WHO MAK AN CREDIBLY MOVG MEO THE SERI—TOLD HIM. APPARENTLY, WHEN O’DONNELL WAS MEETG WH MARSHALL ABOUT THE FILM AND HER CHARACTER, THE BRASH, SPFIRE THIRD BASEWOMAN DORIS, SHE BLUNTLY TOLD MARSHALL: DORIS IS OBVLY GAY. “AND PENNY WAS JT LIKE, ‘NO,’” GRAHAM LGHS. “THERE WERE JT PLAC YOU ULDN’T GO AT THAT TIME.” (O’DONNELL ME OUT PUBLICLY 2002.)THEN THERE’S THE MEMORABLE SCENE WHEN, DURG TRYOUTS, A STRAY BALL THE OUTFIELD IS PICKED UP BY A BLACK WOMAN, WHO LNCH LIKE A NNON BACK TO HOME PLATE. SHE’S NEVER SEEN AGA. MARSHALL CLUD THE SCENE TO REFERENCE THE NEGRO LEAGUE PLAYERS AND THEIR RICH HISTORY. “I KNEW WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DO THAT STORY, BUT I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.” WHEN THEY MET WH MARSHALL BEFORE HER ATH 2018, SHE TOLD GRAHAM AND JABSON THAT HER ORIGAL CUT OF THE FILM WAS FOUR-AND-A-HALF HOURS LONG. (RELEASE THE MARSHALL CUT, YOU WARDS!) “SHE SAID, ‘THERE WAS SO MUCH THAT I WANTED TO DO THAT I DIDN’T GET TO DO,’” GRAHAM EXPLAS. THEY ASKED ABOUT THAT MOMENT, SPECIFILLY. “SHE WAS LIKE, ‘YEAH, I KNEW WE DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO DO THAT STORY, BUT I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.’”THE NEW A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN IS THAT OPPORTUNY. IT’S A URSE RRECTN. IT’S A VALIDATN OF THE EXPERIENC OF THE REAL-LIFE WOMEN; MAYBELLE BLAIR, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PLAYER WHO SERVED AS THE SPIRATN FOR CARN’S CHARACTER, GRETA, ME OUT AS GAY JT THIS YEAR AT AGE 95, SPIRED BY WORKG AS A NSULTANT ON THE SERI. AND ’S PROOF THAT A REBOOT/REMAKE/REIMAGG—WHATEVER IS THAT WE’RE LLG THE DAYS—HAS VALUE WHEN ’S THE TALYST FOR EPENG A STORY.“WE WERE NEVER TRYG TO RECREATE THE FILM, BUT REALLY TRYG TO SHOWSE AND DIVE TO THE STORI THAT WE FELT WERE NOT SHOWN THE FILM,” JABSON SAYS. THE QUEER WOMEN AND THE WOMEN OF LOR EXISTED. NOW WE FALLY GET TO MEET THEM. ADVERTISEMENT THERE’S A PHENOMENON POP CULTURE THAT HAS ALWAYS SEEMED BAFFLG. STEPPG UP TO THE PLATE THERE ULD BE A PERSON FOR WHOM WATCHG LIVE SPORTS IS A FORM OF TORTURE. (THAT PERSON IS ME.) YET THAT SAME PERSON ULD BE OBSSED WH SPORTS MOVI AND TV SHOWS: VOUR THEM, GH OVER THEM, CRY LIKE A BABY AT THE CLIMAX EACH TIME, AND UNT ANY NUMBER OF THEM AMONG THEIR FAVOR. (OH HI, ME AGA!) SPORTS? GROSS! SPORTS MOVI? I’M ALREADY WEEPG AND MAKG PLANS TO SEE AGA.“THERE’S A LOT OF A BASEBALL GAME, IF WATCHED S ENTIRETY, WHERE YOU’RE LIKE, ‘I’M GONNA GO GET A DRK FOR A SEC,’” JABSON SAYS. BUT MOVI AND TV SERI ABOUT SPORTS SPRT RIGHT TOWARD THE MOST DRAMATIC MOMENTS. THEY’RE SIGNED TO BE EXCG, SORT OF THE WAY “YOU MIGHT NOT WATCH SPORTS, BUT YOU’LL NEVER MISS THE SUPER BOWL,” ADAMS ADDS.WHILE WORKG ON A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, JABSON WAS NSTANTLY TALKG ABOUT THE FILM RUDY. "‘WHAT’S THE RUDY MOMENT THIS?’ IT’S ABOUT THE LOVE OF THE GAME, AND ’S ABOUT THE GUY WHO GETS TO FALLY PLAY. AND ALMOST SURPASS WHETHER THEY W OR LOSE.”FOR CARN, THERE WAS SOMETHG ABOUT THE 1992 A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, PARTICULAR. “I DON’T UNRSTAND A SEND OF FOOTBALL. I UNRSTAND SOCCER. I REALLY DO LOVE BASEBALL, THOUGH,” SHE SAYS. “AND I LOVE SPORTS MOVI. I REMEMBER WATCHG BULL DURHAM AND BEG LIKE, ‘HUBBA HUBBA…’” BUT MARSHALL’S FILM WAS A WATERSHED, SEEG-THE-WORLD-DIFFERENTLY KD OF MOMENT FOR HER, “BEG A LTLE SPORTY GIRL AND NOT SEEG ANY GIRLS ANY OF THE OTHER MOVI.” ADVERTISEMENT “GETTG TO SEE 50 DIRTY, SPORTY GIRLS A MOVIE ON SCREEN AT ONE TIME BROKE MY BRA OPEN,” SHE SAYS. “I REMEMBER WAS A FEELG OF, LIKE, THIS IS POSSIBLE. THIS WAS REAL. THIS WAS ALLOWED. I WAS LIKE, ‘I NEED TO DO THAT.’” AMAZON GRAHAM, ON THE OTHER HAND, ADMS TO HAVG A TORTURED RELATNSHIP WH SPORTS. HIS HBAND IS A FOOTBALL FAN, AND HE’S TRIED LOVG FOR HIM. GROWG UP, HIS FATHER ENURAGED HIM TO PLAY LTLE LEAGUE, “WHICH, AS A LTLE QUEER KID WHO FELT LIKE HE WAS UNRVER AS A BOY, WAS VERY STRSFUL.”HE NOW REGNIZ THE VALUE OF THAT, THOUGH, AND N NNECT TO WHY HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SO MOVED TO EMBARK ON ADAPTG A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, SPE HIS EXPERIENCE AS A TRMATIZED YOUTH ATHLETE. (WHERE IS THE SUPPORT GROUP FOR THAT?)“WATCHG BASEBALL WAS A WAY FOR ME TO MUNITE WH MY DAD, EVEN WHEN I FELT LIKE I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO BE THE RIGHT KD OF SON,” HE SAYS. “SO ’S EMOTNAL FOR ME. ON THE OTHER HAND, I LOVE A SPORTS MOVIE. I ULD WATCH FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGA. AND HALF OF THE CHARACTERS THAT SHOW PROBABLY DON’T THK I SHOULD HAVE RIGHTS! I WOULD STILL WATCH ! I THK ’S ABOUT THE FEELG OF BELONGG TO A GROUP AND TO A TEAM THAT I THK, FOR QUEER PEOPLE PARTICULAR, N BE SO POWERFUL.” AMAZON ADVERTISEMENT IT’S HARD TO UNRSTATE THAT POWER WHEN YOU WATCH THE NEW SERI, PECIALLY IF YOU’RE A FAN OF THE ORIGAL A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN AND PECIALLY IF YOU’RE A QUEER FAN OF . THE QUEER REPRENTATN AND THE DIGNY GIVEN TO THE CHARACTERS’ STORYL IS LIKE A FIREWORKS SHOW OF PROGRS, EACH DIVIDUAL EXPLOSN UNIQUE AND SPECIFIC, TOGETHER PROVIDG THIS LORFUL, KALEIDOSPIC DISPLAY OF VARIED THENTIC EXPERIENCE.BUT ’S THE MATTER-OF-FACTNS WH WHICH THE SHOW APPROACH THIS CLIVY THAT MAY ACTUALLY BE THE SPECTACLE. THERE WAS NO FANFARE LEADG UP TO THE RELEASE THAT THIS WAS GOG TO BE THE GRAND QUEERIFITN OF A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, AND ’S TREATED THE SERI AS LTLE MORE THAN AN ATTEMPT TO ACCURATELY REFLECT THE HUMANY OF THE WOMEN AS THEY LIVED .THERE’S A BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE. JABSON’S CARSON, WHO IS MARRIED TO A MAN WHO IS OFF AT WAR, HAS THE SLOW REALIZATN THAT SHE’S ATTRACTED TO CARN’S GRETA AS THEIR BOND GROWS THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. GRETA AND HER BT IEND JO (MELANIE FIELD) ARRIVE WH A REFUL SET OF L FOR HOW TO ACT ON THEIR SAME-SEX ATTRACTNS WHILE REMAG SAFE OM BEG OUTED. ROBERTA COLDREZ’S LUPE AND KELLY MCCORMACK’S JS WEAR THEIR GENR NONNFORMY AND QUEER NFINCE ON THEIR SLEEV, ECHOG BACK TO CHARACTERS THE 1992 FILM WHO WERE QUEER-D, BUT WHOSE SEXUALI WERE NEVER FURTHER VELOPED. AND ADAMS’ MAX DISVERS, THROUGH A NEW GENR NONBARY IEND, A VERABLE FANTASIA OF BLACK QUEERNS THAT REORIENTS HER ENTIRE WORLD AND HOW SHE SE . AMAZON “NOW MORE THAN EVER, THERE ARE MORE QUEER CHARACTERS BEG REPRENTED ON SCREEN, BUT THERE’S UALLY STILL, LIKE, ONE A SHOW,” JABSON SAYS. “THIS IS REALLY DIVG TO A VERY BROAD RANGE OF QUEERNS.”GOG BACK TO THE NAIVE A-HA MOMENT THAT THE CHARACTERS THE 1992 FILM WERE PROBABLY A LTLE GAY, WE START TALKG ABOUT THE 2020 NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY A SECRET LOVE, WHICH WAS PRODUCED BY RYAN MURPHY. SPEAKG PERSONALLY, THAT WAS WHEN MY EY WERE OPENED TO THE FACT THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE THAT THE WOMEN WERE SHOULRG BEYOND THE PRSUR WE SAW MARSHALL’S MOVIE: AS JABSON SAYS, “BEG ASKED TO PLAY BASEBALL AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME—WHICH IS WILDLY ATHLETIC, GRTY, DIRTY, AND DIFFICULT—WHILE UNR THE MALE GAZE AND FULL MAKP, FULL HAIR, WEARG LIPSTICK, AND WEARG SHORT SKIRTS.” ADVERTISEMENT THEY ALSO HAD TO NAVIGATE A WORLD THAT WOULDN’T ACCEPT THEIR LOVE STORI. THE FILM REUNTS THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN TERRY DONAHUE, WHO PLAYED THE BASEBALL LEAGUE OM THE FILM AND THE SERI ALL THOSE YEARS AGO, AND HER PARTNER OF 72 YEARS, PAT HENSCHEL, AND WHAT TOOK FOR THEM TO E OUT TO THEIR FAI AFTER A LIFETIME TOGETHER. “THAT DOC TORE ME UP,” JABSON SAYS. DONOHUE AND MAYBELLE BLAIR KNEW EACH OTHER DURG THOSE BASEBALL DAYS THE ’40S. JABSON’S NVERSATNS WH BLAIR WERE VALUABLE SCRIPTG THE AMAZON SERI; A SECRET LOVE ADD EVEN MORE EMOTNAL NTEXT.“HEARG MAYBELLE’S STORI AND HEARG OTHER ACUNTS OF WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE... LISTEN, I THK SHE TALKS ABOUT MORE A POSIVE WAY THAN MAYBE SHE SHAR ABOUT HOW DANGERO WAS—AND STILL IS A LOT OF PLAC THE WORLD TO BE TO BE QUEER,” SHE SAYS. “I MEAN, SHE JT ME OUT AT 95. SO THAT ALONE TELLS YOU THERE’S A LOT OF STAK AND THERE’S A LOT OF FEAR G OUT. IT JT REALLY MATTERS TO SHARE THOSE STORI.” AMAZON THE A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SERI HAS SENT VIEWERS DOWN RABB HOL, SPERATE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REAL-LIFE WOMEN WHO SPIRED THE ROCKFORD PEACH THE SHOW—A JOURNEY WHICH TAK THEM TO NAM LIKE MAYBELLE BLAIR, TERRY DONAHUE, AND NEGRO LEAGUE PLAYERS LIKE MAMIE JOHNSON, CONNIE MAN, AND TONI STONE, WHO WERE SPIRATNS FOR ADAMS’ CHARACTER. ADVERTISEMENT “ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO BE A LOVER OF BASEBALL SHOULD KNOW THEIR NAM ONT TO BACK—WHO THEY PLAYED FOR AND EVERYTHG LIKE THAT—BEE ’S SO INIC, AND ’S SO HISTORIC WHAT THEY DID,” ADAMS SAYS.BUT ALL OF THIS IS AN ENAVOR THAT, REALLY, STARTED WH PENNY MARSHALL 30 YEARS AGO—SOMETHG THAT, AS THE SERI IS PRAISED FOR THE CLIVY THAT HER FILM LACKED, GRAHAM IS QUICK TO REMD PEOPLE. “HAVE A GREAT TIME. THE STORI CHANGED MY LIFE. AND THEY'LL CHANGE YOURS, TOO.” HIS AND JABSON’S PHONE NVERSATN WH HER WAS, AS ONE WOULD IMAGE, NERVE-WRACKG; THE SE OF A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, AK TO VISG GOD TO ASK ABOUT REIMAGG THE BIBLE. THEY TALKED FOR A LONG TIME. AT ONE POT, SHE SAID SHE NEED TO E THE BATHROOM AND DISAPPEARED FOR 15 MUT. THEY WONRED IF THEY HAD BEEN GHOSTED. BUT SHE RETURNED AND EXPLAED ALL THE THREADS THAT SHE SPERATELY WISHED SHE ULD HAVE EXPLORED. THEN SHE TOLD THEM, “HAVE A GREAT TIME. THE STORI CHANGED MY LIFE. AND THEY’LL CHANGE YOURS, TOO.”EVERYONE I TALKED TO SHARED THE SAME SENTIMENT: WHAT THE MOVIE DID AT S TIME, DID PERFECTLY. AND NOW THEY’RE JT LUCKY AND PRIVILEGED TO GET TO DO MORE.“THERE’S SOMETHG REALLY POWERFUL ABOUT HAVG YOUR STORY TOLD ONE WAY,” GRAHAM SAYS. “AND ISN’T THAT TERTG HOW WE ACCEPT THE STORY THAT WE’RE GIVEN?” THAT’S WHY HE THKS THIS SHOW WILL BE PROFOUND TO MANY PEOPLE. “THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVG TO READ YOURSELF TO SOMETHG AND BEG ABLE TO SEE YOURSELF RIGHT THERE.” ADVERTISEMENT KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. KEV FALLON

“We were, like, ‘Oh, my God, and she’s gay, too. ”“I [thought], ‘They certaly aren’t gog to have all of them be gay.

THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN WAS TWO THIRDS GAY, SHAR 95-YEAR-OLD MAYBELLE BLAIR

”Many people on social media echoed Bernard’s sentiments spoof reactn vios, D’Arcy Carn-themed mem and posts scribg the show as “gay gay gay. An origal player the AAGPBL — the spiratn for "A League of Their Own" — me out as gay. For many years, she "thought she was the only gay person the world, " acrdg to Adweek's Mollie Cahillane.

Here are 10 of the gayt moments om this televisn masterpiece.

D’ARCY CARN PROMIS THE ‘LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN’ SERI REALLY IS ‘SO GAY’

Rosie O’Donnell Appears at the Gay Bar (Episo 6).