QUAD CITIES — A Quad Cities LGBTQ+ sports nonprofit whose co-founder departed abruptly through a social media post is putting out word that the nonprofit’s Dec. 8 fundraiser, and registration for a 2026 volleyball league, are still on.
Out Sports Quad Cities league organizers encourage those interested in volleyball to email the nonprofit at outsportsqc@gmail.com, or reach out through Instagram at @outsportsqc. In addition, they encourage anyone interested in the Out Sports Quad Cities league to attend the Dec. 8 bingo fundraiser from 6 to 8 p.m. at Davenport’s Raccoon Motel.
Victoria Holcomb and Cirse Vertti, who helped Out Sports Quad Cities become reality over the summer, say they’re doing their best to replace communications tools removed or blocked after co-founder Travis Stanger announced on social media he was leaving the nonprofit.
They’re scrambling to build a new website, rebuild a new Facebook group, and reconnect with the 500 or so people who signed up to participate in Out Sports Quad Cities but are now connected only to the new group Stanger said on social media he is starting.
Stanger has not responded to repeated requests for an interview though he has posted frequently in the renamed Facebook group that was originally formed to serve the nonprofit he helped found and left.
Above, the Out Sports Quad Cities league during smoother times. Co-founder Travis Stanger, who said in a social media post he has left the nonprofit, is sixth from left in the front row. Cirse Vertti, one of two remaining board members, is fifth from left in the second row from bottom. Victoria Holcomb, who co-founded the noprofit along with Stanger and is also one of two remaining board members, is second from right in the back row.
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Out Sports’ slow rise to prominence, speedy leadership collapse
Holcomb and Stanger built the Out Sports league together over the summer, after Holcomb responded to Stanger’s call for help in finally moving forward with his idea for an LGBTQ+ sports league that he first floated in June 2024.
Together, the two organized a list Stanger had been gathering into informal league play. Vertti began volunteering in June. For several months, the three worked together, with Stanger delegating much of public communication to the two.
The group officially became a nonprofit in early August, with Stanger naming himself president and treasurer and listing Holcomb, Vertti and another individual as “directors.” A fifth board member joined on in late August, and Out Sports Quad Cities held a successful clothing and food drive in early November.
But small signs of differences among board members had already begun to emerge, Holcomb and Vertti said. For one, the Out Sports Facebook page had become a frequent source of fundraising solicitation for a handful of local nonprofits, prompting Vertti and Holcomb to press for a consistent policy on postings.
The leadership splinter heightened during a “post-mortem” after the clothing and food drive in early November. Over a series of meetings throughout November, a board conversation was transmitted to a third party, whose social media post about the interaction triggered hundreds of likes and commentary by scores of community members.
In that post’s fallout, Stanger and another board member said they needed time away. Stanger then announced on social media he was actually leaving the group altogether, writing in his post that the Out Sports board undertook words and actions that “don’t reflect who I am or why I started this work.” He didn’t specify in his post the actions or words to which he was referring.
That’s when Holcomb and Vertti said they lost access to the nonprofit’s website and Facebook group, which re-emerged with a new name representing the new league Stanger announced he was starting. The fifth board member who joined in August has since decided to step away, too but may return.
While Stanger has written in social media posts that he has left the nonprofit, he remains on file with the state of Iowa as Out Sports Quad Cities’ president and treasurer.
In addition, once a nonprofit is formed, its founder cannot unilaterally close it down. Iowa law requires a board vote to dissolve a nonprofit, along with several other steps. Holcomb and Vertti say they have no intention of quitting, though both say the situation has caused severe emotional stress.
“Our goal is to continue on,” says Holcomb. “We really believe in what we are doing.”
Stanger has not responded to frequent requests for an interview.
Here’s a summary of the two sports group’s statuses; specific activities mentioned by both; and how to contact both.
Status of both groups
• Out Sports Quad Cities was organized in summer 2025 and officially incorporated with the state of Iowa as a nonprofit in August 2025, with Stanger listed as the registered agent, the president, and the treasurer, and three others including Holcomb and Vertti named as “directors.” The two are the only remaining board members of the nonprofit.
• Out and Active QC is a new informal group started by Stanger last week, for a league tentatively named Pride in Motion. Neither of the entities are officially incorporated.
Upcoming Events Planned
• Out Sports Quad Cities begins accepting registration for January volleyball (announced several months ago) starting today. Email outsportsqc@gmail.com to sign up, or head to the group’s Instagram account, @outsportsqc. Out Sports will also host a fundraiser Monday, Dec. 8, from 6-8 p.m., at Raccoon Motel, 315 E. 2nd St., Davenport.
• Pride in Motion/Out and Active QC lists two events on its new website. They include a Dec. 15 “placeholder” event at Iron & Grain in Davenport, and a Dec. 27 “placeholder” event at Bettendorf Recreation Center. A message atop the website also reads, “Site is currently under construction and all data is mocked while we collect UX feedback.” It’s unclear whether the reference to “data” also includes the specific event dates mentioned on the site’s Events page. Stanger did not return repeated requests for comment and clarification.
How to Reach Both Leagues
• Out Sports can be reached at outsportsqc@gmail.com, or its Instagram page at @outsportsqc. The nonprofit has also started a new Facebook group, Out Sports Quad Cities, to replace the one taken over by Stanger’s new group. Holcomb says she and Vertti can also be reached through their individual Facebook messenger accounts. The nonprofit expects its new website will be up this week.
• Pride in Motion/Out and Active QC can be reached through its Facebook group, the one taken over from the Out Sports nonprofit and renamed to Stanger’s new league in formation. Its new website is prideinmotion.com.
Editor’s Note: This situation involves several social media posts including some that were repeatedly edited, some that clash with in-person accounts or comments provided elsewhere, and some posted by third parties not present for the board meeting, followed by comments from some community members who were also not part of the discussions at hand. Given the morass of conflicting, changing, unresearched posts and comments, we’ve decided as a publication to limit this article to what we can learn through public records and actual human interviews — except for Stanger’s pivotal social media post announcing his departure from the nonprofit he helped found. This situation also illustrates the importance of community work — and nonprofit work especially — taking place in the real world and outside of the inflammatory, incomplete and unaccountable world of social media. Watch for future articles that further analyze how social media has impacted what’s happening right now with an LGBTQ+ nonprofit that was only two months ago a source of pride and celebration for the Quad Cities region.
