Gay polo league
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We’re a community that shares a love for adventure, fun, and the beautiful, challenging sport of polo.
The Gay Polo League (GPL) is the only LGBTQ+ polo organization in the world. The guard never heard from his cousin again, learning later that he was gay and died of AIDS.
We invite you to join us!
GPL Polo Club is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
GPL Polo International focuses on creating and producing elevated polo experiences around the globe. Every GPL Polo International event balance sport and social activities to ensure all who attend experience a powerful sense of fun, excitement, and uniqueness. Our events celebrate the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. And, we promise you an experience you will think about for months after it is over.
RECENT GPL EXPERIENCE
JULY 16 - 19, 2025
Polo Club Domain De Chantilly
He launched GPL in Los Angeles in 2006 by inviting gay athletes and allies to a monthly tournament at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club.
However, we are inclusive, not exclusive,” he said. “We believe there is power and great value in allies playing on our teams and supporting our events.”
He sees it all as part of the GPL’s mission, which is “to inspire and empower those individuals who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender via the promotion of and participation in the sport of polo.”
As the league grew, it wasn’t long before McKenney set his sights on Wellington, bringing the first International Gay Polo Tournament to the village in 2010.
He saw the power of GPL just as that first tournament concluded.
As McKenney left the stage at the end of the trophy presentation, a security guard approached. We strongly advocate and advance the value of diversity and inclusion in every event we produce.
GPL is changing perceptions in the LGBTQ community, athletics and society at large one chukker at a time.
The following two years, GPL chose SAGE, a national advocacy organization that looks out for LGBTQ+ elders who face financial hardship, challenges in finding care facilities that will accept them, and other, often unseen, barriers.
This year and last, GPL chose the onePULSE Foundation, established in the aftermath of the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre, to honor the legacies of the 49 people killed.
The four pillars of the charity’s mission are to create and support a memorial, a museum, educational programs and scholarships for students who share the same ambitions as the victims.
McKenney credits Barbara Poma, owner of the Pulse nightclub and founder of onePULSE, for inspiring an exponential increase in giving — from $20,000 in 2020 to $135,000 in 2022 — through sharing her moving story at GPL events.
“OnePULSE is helping us move the needle toward visibility and acceptance,” McKenney said.
“It also gives us an opportunity to give back to the LGBTQ+ community.”
It’s a needle that McKenney will never stop moving. Beyond the joyful camaraderie of the matches, he saw the greater impact that GPL was making.
“We have an opportunity to model athletes who are LGBTQ+ in a way that shows younger people that you can be a gay person, you can participate in a team sport, and you can do both authentically and openly,” McKenney said.
McKenney also sees the Gay Polo League’s broader role in uniting all on the field.
“We are a gay-identified organization.
He shared the story of his close cousin, a Vietnam veteran, who disappeared to San Francisco after the war. The FOUR polo teams will compete for two GPL Perpetual Trophies: The Senator’s Cup & The Founder’s Cup. The Patagones Polo Club is one of the exclusive polo clubs in the world.
“There was pressure then, that still exists today, to keep quiet if someone is gay and athletic. And of course – wear your finest WIG! This year, the GPL's Charity partner is the Elton John AIDS Foundation - Join us for a fabulous evening to raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation!
Saturday, April 6 - GPL Tournament Finals
16 LGBTQ+ polo players, from around the world, will compete in this year's Lexus International Gay Polo Tournament – Presented by Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
Revelry includes music, dancing, open bar, delectable hors’ d'oeuvres, and entertainment! PURCHASE VIP TABLES FOR 8 OR INDIVIDUAL TICKETS, TAILGATES, GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS AND PARKING PASSES.