MILWAUKEE — One of the founding members of the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) is still going strong after 45 years. Milwaukee’s Saturday Softball League (SSBL) is a summer staple on the city’s south side.

Founded in 1977, SSBL and leagues in Toronto, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco formed what became the foundation of NAGAAA. Each summer since, hundreds of players travel from across the continent for the Gay Softball World Series, a series of tournaments which Milwaukee hosted in 1979, 1985 and 2009.

Kurt Baldwin has participated in SSBL for 25 years, in just about every capacity. He’s been a player, manager and - for the past four seasons - the league commissioner. He says the league’s success is worth celebrating, like the many important victories for the LGBTQ community over the last half century.

“Forty-five years ago, there were people where this was not a safe place for us to be,” Baldwin said. “Using that opportunity to get together and build those relationships, that’s something that I’m proud of, and something I’m always going to try to strive to keep us going another 45 years.”

SSBL takes over Wilson Park each spring, and it attracts players from southeast Wisconsin and beyond. Scott Mattison and his fiancé drive two hours from Freeport, Ill. to play with Fluid Twist, one of many teams sponsored by Milwaukee gay bars. Mattison, a teacher, plans most summer weekends around the Saturday League.

“A lot of it is the opportunity to get out and play,” Mattison said. “The camaraderie, the people are really nice and really fun to play with. It’s a community that’s really fun to be together.”

SSBL offers recreational and competitive divisions, and many players choose to play in both. The league is open to all people, regardless of skill, gender or sexuality. One of its goals is to develop skills so players can confidently join teams playing elsewhere during the week. However, Saturday softball continues to hold a special place in Milwaukee after almost a half century.