Posted on 02/20/2006 12:54:16 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
When Elden Steele and his boyfriend, Jeff Bauer, went to Paris this fall, Steele was struck by how nonchalant the French were about seeing two men walk down the street hand in hand.
"Nobody batted an eye," Steele said in an interview.
That's not been their experience in the United States and it's one reason why Steele is looking forward to attending the Gay Games this summer in Chicago, where Bauer will compete in swimming.
"It's the one event where we won't have to be looking over our shoulder every five minutes," said Steele. Both men live here. (Madison, WI)
The Gay Games debuted in San Francisco in 1982. It had been billed the Gay Olympics, but was immediately forced by the International Olympic Committee and U.S. Olympic Committee to drop "Olympics" from its name. But like the Olympics, it returns every four years. Other host cities have included New York, Vancouver, Amsterdam and Sydney.
The focus, says Kevin Boyer, co-vice chair of the board of directors of Gay Games Chicago, is on "participation, inclusion and personal best.
"It's designed for everyone to participate," Boyer said. "Most are here to do the best they can. It may not mean winning. It may be swimming your best time."
There are age divisions in nearly every sport and straight athletes are also invited to compete. In 2002, about 6 percent of participants were not gay.
Having the games in Chicago should be a particularly strong lure for Midwestern athletes, Boyer said.
"It might be a real once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete on an international level," he said.
'In our back yard'
Madison resident Karen Coombs, who will be competing in her third Gay Games, is glad the event this year is just a few toll roads away.
"It's great because a lot of teams from the Midwest will be able to participate easily and it definitely feels likes it is in our back yard," said Coombs, who has helped organize a competitive women's soccer team for the games. "It's an opportunity we can't pass up. We're really very, very excited."
Coombs was just 20 in 1994 when she traveled to New York to compete in her first Gay Games as a member of the Bovine Babes, a local soccer team that also competed in the 1998 Gay Games in Amsterdam. She says she remembers being awestruck at the opening ceremonies when gay athletes and their supporters packed a huge stadium at Columbia University.
"At that point I didn't know that that many gay people existed," Coombs said. "It was very empowering."
The opening ceremonies for this year's games, which run July 15 through July 22, are slated for Soldier Field, home of the Bears. The closing ceremonies will take place at Wrigley Field, where the Cubs play. Ticket packages for the ceremonies go on sale this Saturday.
Competitions are held in 30 sports, including tennis, softball, golf, volleyball, body building, swimming and track and field and participants can choose recreational or competitive tracks. There will also be a weeklong arts festival, band and choral performances and parties throughout the week.
The various sports will be clustered in five "sports villages" around Chicago.
Three of the villages are centered around universities - Northwestern, the University of Chicago and University of Illinois. The Lakefront Village stretches from the new Millennium Park to Belmont Park along Lake Michigan. Almost all locations will be easily accessible by train, Boyer said.
Approximately 12,000 participants from 70 or more countries are expected to compete; 8,000 have already signed up.
The strong early registration has meant that two sports - golf and sailing - are already filled to capacity. Others, including ice hockey, are getting close.
Early registration closes April 15. After that, fees increase and some sports may close registration.
Coombs, Steele and others are helping to recruit participants and supporters from Madison.
Steele and a friend, Travis Green, are hosting a "Meet and Greet" party in early March for folks interested in being part of "Team Wisconsin."
The idea is to form a group that will do some cheering in the stands and provide a social safety net for Wisconsin residents who may be attending the games on their own.
"We want to establish a nice network of Wisconsinites," Steele said.
Grant Westfall of Verona signed up for the games without any formal recruitment. Registered to compete in the Olympic distance triathlon, Westfall said he's looking forward to playing sports in an environment where one's sexual orientation is a non-issue.
"I think it's a great opportunity for people in our little subculture to get together," he said. "It's a bonding opportunity for people all across the world."
Must... resist... urge to... make cheap gay jokes...
I hear the Pole Vault is a popular event there.
Wrestling?
Pitching and catching does not an athelete make.
Hampster racing.
I guess none of us really want to see what kind of gear they might be using.
If two gay guys feel they have to "look over their shoulder" in Mad City, then I don't where else in Wisconsin they'd ever feel comfortable.
The 4x400 meter gerbil relay is very popular.
How is sexual orientation an issue in other sports? I don't get it. Maybe they have kissing timeouts?
Even worse. Greco-Roman Wrestling.
The Men's Figure Skating program is being previewed in Torino 2006.
"Steele and a friend, Travis Green, are hosting a "Meet and Greet" party in early March for folks interested in being part of "Team Wisconsin.""
Any guesses as to what his devolves into?
'. . .Steele was struck by how nonchalant the French were about seeing two men walk down the street hand in hand.'
Why should they even take notice - arab men always walk together hand in hand.
Don't ask me why, I don't want to know.
These guys have obviously never been to Rehoboth, DE, gay heaven if there ever was.
A friend of mine went on a {straight} guys week skiing in Telluride CO recently - unbeknownst to them, it was Gay Ski Week there. He said he'd perfected his line - when asked if he was AC or DC, he simply said he was "not an electrician".
Like:
The Clean and (circle) Jerk
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