From the Guardian:
Around 10,000 gay and lesbian athletes from around the globe are expected to descend on the western German city of Cologne tomorrow to participate in the international Gay Games.
Entrants from more than 70 countries are due to take part in an eclectic mix of events including football, transgender ballroom dancing and cheerleading. A cultural programme includes art exhibitions, choir concerts and film screenings.
Many of the participants have adopted false identities because of fears that they will be persecuted on their return home.
"We want to demonstrate that the exclusion of gays and lesbians, especially in the sporting world, has to end," said Thorsten Moeck, of the organisation committee.
"Among the represented countries are plenty in which it's still an absolute taboo to out yourself."
While most participants come from Germany and the US, the list of countries represented will also include Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico and Zimbabwe.
Since I'm not much of a sports fan, my favorites to see would probably be the "transgender ballroom dancing and cheerleading" events. I'm just saying.
Read the rest at the Guardian
UPDATE: One day, in the not too distant future, one would hope that gay athletes will not need to hold special games but will be welcomed as full participants in the regular games.
They began, Mimi, as the Gay Olympics. The Olympics people sued!
ReplyDeleteI hope Cologne is better prepared than New York was in 1994.
ReplyDeleteWe had the Gay Games, and Stonewall 25 at the same time. There was very little publicity about both, other than the occasional sneering comment in the local press. It was dismissed as some fringe thing that would attract only a handful of people.
Instead, New York was swamped with perhaps over a million visitors. Hotels and restaurants were completely unprepared for the crowds. That tiny little fringe sports event filled every seat in Yankee Stadium, and then some. There were crowds of people from around the country and around the world for both events. The official Stonewall parade (and the unofficial ACT-UP protest which joined the parade at 59th street) was one of the largest political gatherings in New York's history.
I had lots of old friends from Saint Louis and elsewhere come into town for that weekend, some who stayed with me because the hotels were all full up.
I don't think the International Olympic Committee has been in any position to get onto a moral high horse since 1936.
ReplyDeleteLapin, a sad commentary.
ReplyDeleteCounterlight, I hope Cologne is better prepared.
CL, we cross-posted. No moral high ground for the Olympic Committee, indeed.
ReplyDeleteTransgender ballroom dancing does sound rather jolly.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the false identities thing would really work these days where the internet and cameras everywhere etc means there's no privacy really? ...
Cathy, I wondered, too, about whether the false identity would be enough protection these days.
ReplyDeleteOn your UPDATE...I'm with you!
ReplyDeleteCiss, one day!
ReplyDelete