Reply #49: I played softball from 4th through 12th grade.

[Dappleganger]

Competitive, private school fastpitch softball. My positions were catcher and shortstop (mostly catcher, have the dents in my shins to show for it still, LOL).

Honestly, probably 1 out of 8 women who were either on my team or we played against were lesbian. Of course in my day most weren't 'out' as often, but in our league the same girls played against each other in most sports over the years and we knew. Some of my friends on other teams were 'out', most weren't. After graduation when girls would come 'out' it never surprised me. Also, I was hit on quite often because of being such a tomboy, but laughed it off. These girls were my friends, we played together as little kids and went to sports camps together in the city so we KNEW each other.

Softball and basketball girls who excelled did tend to have similar, athletic body types so that's probably why so many people assumed we were gay unless someone looked overtly feminine or was boy-crazy (and I was neither). None of us cared about anything but having fun and beating the pants off the other team.

If the photo had been of Kagan playing basketball it would've been just as stereotypically...volleyball, not so much.