Gay Games Preparations Underway

CBS2CHICAGO ^ | 16 JUNE 2006 | CBS2CHICAGO

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Opening Ceremonies Will Take Place In One Month

(CBS) CHICAGO Opening ceremonies for the Gay Games is just a month away.

More than 11,000 people are expected to participate in the games.

CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports on the preparations underway to make sure everything is ready on time.

Luis Henriquez is training for the Gay Games. He's competing in the physique competition.

"I'm so, so excited. It's a really a great opportunity to be part of it," Henriquez said.

Luis will be among the 12,000 athletes from around the world taking part in the games. He'll join them all at the opening ceremony at Soldier Field, when the park will be transformed into a party.

Some 70,000 fans are expected to attend the celebration. Like other events at Soldier Field, expect security to be tight.

"It's your typical metal detectors as you come into the stadium," said Gay Games Co-Chair Kevin Boyer.

Once inside, you won't be allowed to sit in the first tier. That's reserved for the athletes. Tickets for the public are $150 for the mid-tier and as low as $50 for the top.

"If you've seen an Olympic ceremony, you'll understand that a lot of what goes on at an opening ceremony is sometimes viewed better from higher up," said Boyer.

It'll be a three-hour show, featuring celebrities, musicians, gay activists and more.

For the first time, the opening ceremony and the week-long games will be televised on cable's Logo Network.

"We're going to show people what people are doing. There are so many interesting events here," said Logo's Jason Bellini.

[dfwgator]

Will Abe Froman, Sausage King of Chicago, be a sponsor?

[Mo1]

Gay Games????


No comment

[in hoc signo vinces]

Ahhhh, man is this thread going to be all kinds of fun.

[ClearCase_guy]

I bet they throw like girls.

[Leroy S. Mort]

I've always preferred the broad jump to the pole vault.

[Perdogg]

Watch out for the Javlin toss.

[rightwingintelligentsia]

So many jokes, so little time . . .

[The_Republican]

I thought the Soccer world cup was already underway?

[Steely Tom]

[dfwgator]

[randog]

Gay Games? Can you imagine the smell?

[Bikers4Bush]

Soldier field will probably need to be classified as a superfund cleanup site after this. Too bad they already did the renovation.

[P-40]

Like other events at Soldier Field

You'd think the conflicts with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" would be a major obstacle...

[Constitution Day]

[llevrok]

many years ago when I lived in Vancouver Canada, which has a large gay population, I saw fliers posted for the Gay Rodeo in Reno.

I always have had a curiousity about that - from a scientific point of view, of course.

[JamesP81]

This has way too much bad joke potential. The mind boggles.

[Moonman62]

Luis will be among the 12,000 athletes from around the world taking part in the games. He'll join them all at the opening ceremony at Soldier Field, when the park will be transformed into a party.

Fabulous.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

(Lispy voice) "Oh stop now, stop!"

[llevrok]

The thigh jump