Oral History with Steve Weinberg
Description
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Abstract
Steve Weinberg was born in 1952 in Brooklyn, NY, to a very sports-oriented family. While attending the University of Buffalo in the early 70s, he began grappling with his sexuality, and
decided to see a psychiatrist. However, after an unhelpful experience with psychiatry, he abandoned this initial attempt to come out. Steve subsequently moved to DC in 1974 to attend
law school, and was closeted and dating women for several years. However, in 1979 Steve noticed an ad in the Washington Blade for the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard, and decided to reach out to them for guidance. Steve joined their programs and social gatherings for gay men seeking to come out, and eventually began to enjoy living as a gay man in DC. However, he still
yearned to find fellow sports enthusiasts in the gay community.
Steve met law school acquaintance Cal Steinmetz at drag bar the Rogue. The two became best friends––bonding over their similar upbringings, and intense love of sports––and Steve eventually joined Cal’s law practice in Dupont Circle. Meanwhile, gay sports leagues began forming in DC in the early 80s with the creation of DC Sports, and Steve and Cal enthusiastically joined various gay leagues. Steve played softball, bowling, and tennis, finding the leagues a great way to meet other gay men, make friends, and engage in friendly competition.
In 1993, after learning that the 1994 Gay Games were set to be in New York, Steve––an ice hockey fanatic––decided to create DC’s very own gay ice hockey team. His team competed in
both the 1994 and 1998 Gay Games, winning the gold medal in ‘94! In September of 2025, Steve currently splits his time between Florida and Silver Spring, and continues to bowl and play pickleball. He notes that the gay leagues are far less popular than they once were, and wonders how growing acceptance of LGBT people has affected their existence.
He is nostalgic for the time when gay sports spaces were all the rage, where one could share a space with other gay people and be fully understood. Steve critiques the current political
atmosphere in 2025 of LGBT repression and hate, and wonders how this will affect all the progress of acceptance that’s been made. He also muses that in recent times, he’s been more forthcoming with telling people he’s gay.
decided to see a psychiatrist. However, after an unhelpful experience with psychiatry, he abandoned this initial attempt to come out. Steve subsequently moved to DC in 1974 to attend
law school, and was closeted and dating women for several years. However, in 1979 Steve noticed an ad in the Washington Blade for the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard, and decided to reach out to them for guidance. Steve joined their programs and social gatherings for gay men seeking to come out, and eventually began to enjoy living as a gay man in DC. However, he still
yearned to find fellow sports enthusiasts in the gay community.
Steve met law school acquaintance Cal Steinmetz at drag bar the Rogue. The two became best friends––bonding over their similar upbringings, and intense love of sports––and Steve eventually joined Cal’s law practice in Dupont Circle. Meanwhile, gay sports leagues began forming in DC in the early 80s with the creation of DC Sports, and Steve and Cal enthusiastically joined various gay leagues. Steve played softball, bowling, and tennis, finding the leagues a great way to meet other gay men, make friends, and engage in friendly competition.
In 1993, after learning that the 1994 Gay Games were set to be in New York, Steve––an ice hockey fanatic––decided to create DC’s very own gay ice hockey team. His team competed in
both the 1994 and 1998 Gay Games, winning the gold medal in ‘94! In September of 2025, Steve currently splits his time between Florida and Silver Spring, and continues to bowl and play pickleball. He notes that the gay leagues are far less popular than they once were, and wonders how growing acceptance of LGBT people has affected their existence.
He is nostalgic for the time when gay sports spaces were all the rage, where one could share a space with other gay people and be fully understood. Steve critiques the current political
atmosphere in 2025 of LGBT repression and hate, and wonders how this will affect all the progress of acceptance that’s been made. He also muses that in recent times, he’s been more forthcoming with telling people he’s gay.
Date
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Citation
“Oral History with Steve Weinberg,” Rainbow History Project Digital Collections, accessed February 3, 2026, https://archives.rainbowhistory.org/items/show/2133.
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