FANS IN LIP-LOCK HOOPLA
AT THE GARDEN
By JESSIE GRAHAM
 DOUBLE DRIBBLE:
Organizer Robyn Overstreet (left) and Jenni Paul kiss before last night's game.
- R. Miller |
August 3, 2002 -- Liberty fans just expecting a women's basketball game also got to see some tonsil hockey last night, as lesbian fans locked lips in the stands to protest "being ignored" by the team they love. Some women in the stands at Madison Square Garden stood up and smooched during timeouts in the nationally televised game against the Miami Sol. "Are you tired of the WNBA and the New York Liberty denying that lesbians are packing Madison Square Garden week after week for women's basketball games?" read an e-mail sent by Lesbians for Liberty, the group that organized the same-sex kiss-in. Other WNBA teams, such as Seattle, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Minnesota and Miami, have acknowledged the league's large lesbian fan base with special promotions, such as discounts for gay groups. Even big-league men's baseball teams like the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves, have set up gay-fan appreciation nights. But not everyone noticed the lip-locking protest. "I've been watching the game," said Bob Race, 42, a Liberty fan from Lyndhurst, N.J. "I'm a season-ticket holder and I want to get my money's worth." Although the Liberty boasts the only "out" general manager, Carol Blazejowski, and player, Sue Wicks, in the entire league, they aren't openly courting the lesbian market. "They run away from using the word ‘lesbian' at any of the games," said Robyn Overstreet, 22, an organizer of the mass lip-lock. The protesters are asking the team to celebrate the Lesbian and Gay Pride March at a game and to have players attend community events for lesbian fans. The team has similar events to mark Black History Month and Father's Day. "Reflecting the diversity of New York, our games bring together all facets of the city, including the gay and lesbian community," the Liberty said in a statement. League insiders said the WNBA advised its franchises last year to aggressively court special groups, like lesbians, as potential season-ticket buyers to help boast sagging attendance numbers. "Our directive is to sell as many tickets as you can, including going after any group or target audience," said league spokeswoman Traci Cook. |
