Hundreds of LGBTQ+ Arizonans gathered at Encanto Park in Phoenix on Sunday for OutLoud Sports’ Saguaro Cup, an annual kickball tournament. However, what had begun as a pleasant neighborhood event became contentious when a park ranger, followed by numerous Phoenix police officers, arrived to break up the activities, leaving attendees on edge.
According to Maddison Phillips, a long-time league participant, it is not uncommon for park officials to attend tournaments. She recalls that their presence had always been positive and helpful.
This time, Phillips claims the ranger — eventually identified as Danielle Flowers by video footage and witness reports — forced attendees to leave, claiming the league’s permit had expired at 2 p.m. However, Phillips stated that league managers later confirmed their permit was valid until 4 p.m.
When bystanders didn’t leave right away — some were grilling or watching games and claimed they weren’t breaking any rules — Phillips overheard Flowers say, “Do you think I’m stupid? I understand what you’re doing… You should pack up. “Don’t make me make you.”
Phillips saw two Phoenix police SUVs come as the guys were packing up their equipment. The first two officers appeared to be as perplexed as the players, she claims, until Flowers pulled them aside for a private talk.
Following that, several police SUVs arrived. Officers then joined Flowers in forcing the crowd, which had shrunk to around 60 people from several hundred, to leave the park.
“The police didn’t say anything to us directly — they totally dealt with us through (Flowers),” Phillips says. “But I could tell there was no reasoning with everybody. We all had questions, and they had no answers. The police presence was intimidating and made it clear we didn’t have a choice.”
Jeffery Perales, a former league sponsor and current player, claims the parks department was previously supportive and accommodating. But he observed a change a few weeks ago, when a ranger briefly interrupted a match to examine their permit — an interaction he claimed was far less disturbing than Sunday’s.
“They’ve always been accommodating and good to work with; I’m not sure what’s changed,” he says. “I don’t know what their beliefs are regarding the fact that the people in this tournament are queer. But it’s a concern that always pops into our heads automatically — that we’re not wanted.”
In a joint statement, Phoenix Police and Phoenix Parks and Recreation stated that the incident was solely administrative:
“Staff alerted the organization that their reservation had expired at 2 p.m., and another event was scheduled in the same space at 4 p.m. As the afternoon progressed, the group had not left. Park rangers responded as they worked toward a solution respectful of all reservation commitments.
“The park ranger on duty requested assistance from Phoenix Police as part of standard operating procedure,” the statement said.
Players and homeowners vented their frustrations on Facebook, claiming to have contacted the office of Mayor Kate Gallego about the incident. Many people questioned whether the same reaction would have occurred at a huge family event or one that did not include LGBTQ+ participants.
The status of the answer remains unclear. OutLoud Sports encourages further outreach and has provided a letter template for individuals to write to city leaders.
Kyle Hale, manager of OutLoud Sports, declined to comment for this article but did tell LOOKOUT that the business is working with city officials to remedy the situation.
But for Phillips, the disruption raises questions about the enforcement’s goal.
“The queer community isn’t naive enough to think we’re safe everywhere we go,” she says. “We knew right away this was going to be an uphill battle.”
Local police have already dispersed queer community activities. Tempe Police also disbanded the “Really Free Market” community event last month, which featured harm reduction goods and other LGBTQ+ resources.
