Nora McConnell-Johnson

When Nora McConnell-Johnson opened Chicago’s Babe’s Sports Bar in September 2025, the former public school educator envisioned a space to watch women’s sports—and knew it would be special given the excellence and powerful community surrounding women’s athletics. “What I didn’t anticipate was how Babe’s could be a catalyst for others to feel moved and radicalized,” the Minnesota native tells GO. “I’ve been so touched by women who go out of their way to find me when they visit and tell me that they went to college before Title IX and never imagined they’d see a place like Babe’s in their lifetime.” McConnell-Johnson’s own experience informed her understanding of gender inequality—playing on a co-ed high school team, having other schools refuse to play them, and being mocked by spectators. “I had grown up being taught that girls were just as capable and athletic as their counterparts, and to be met with such hostility and disrespect because of my gender revealed some ugly truths about how the world works.” But the former collegiate rugby player and UChicago head coach—where they won the National Championship in 2022—found grounding in queerness. “Both women’s sports and the queer community have provided spaces where I’ve felt the most empowered, joyful, strong, impactful, and connected to others, both due to and in spite of the systems of inequality that try to hold back women’s sports.” McConnell-Johnson works to embed those feelings into the community experience at Babe’s. By every measure, she’s kicking it well beyond the posts. –MH