When I moved to South Florida, I didn’t know a single soul. After leaving Jacksonville—where I never quite felt seen or understood—I carried with me the residue of years spent shrinking myself to fit in, masking who I truly was just to survive. I was tired. Tired of being overlooked, tired of being invalidated, tired of being told—sometimes silently, sometimes directly—that who I am didn’t matter.
Then came the Rainbow Sports League.
Joining the kickball league wasn’t just about playing a game. It was about finding connection again. From the moment I stepped onto that field, I began to feel something unfamiliar: seen. The league, made up of gay men, lesbians, trans folks, and allies, was more than a place to play—it was a place to belong. A place where your story, your smile, your silence, and your wins and losses were all met with genuine care.
After years in Jacksonville where it felt like I was shouting into the void, here—people listened. They cared. And maybe for the first time in a long time, I believed them. I wasn’t a nobody with no rights. I was a human being. A person with feelings that mattered, with thoughts worth hearing, with a presence worth embracing.
It reminded me of the version of myself I once knew in Atlanta—the vibrant, joyful, open-hearted me that had long been buried under years of gaslighting, manipulation, and emotional abuse. Rainbow Sports League gave me the space to uncover that version of myself again.
This community has become a place of celebration. Whether we win or lose a game, we cheer each other on. Whether someone’s having a great week or barely holding it together, we show up. This isn’t just a sports league—it’s a chosen family. It’s healing in action.
Every time I take the field, I reclaim a little more of myself. And with every laugh, every team huddle, every “good game” hug, I remind myself:
I am John Palmer Payne.
I am smart.
I am kind.
I am good.
This is my home now—at least for now. And that’s something worth celebrating.
If you bare new to South Florida and are looking to connect with people who are eager to connect and let you be, well, you, then start here.
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