Chicago 2006 continues our efforts to prepare the re-bid for Gay Games VII in 2006.
Local sports and culture groups have been sending letters of support, in addition to letters of support from individual athletes and teams around the world, including Team Paris, Team New York, rowers, sailors, runners, cyclists, and many more.
That is not to say, of course, that there is unanimous support for this effort.
Local critics point to several reasons this may not be a good idea. In fact, the healthy debate which we have witnessed has been a good way to strengthen our bid. And it also helped as we made the difficult decision whether or not to even bid.
The core issues we had to decide on locally were:
1) Is there enough time to do these right?
2) What about the competition with Montreal?
3) How can we do this successfully when the past three Gay Games have lost money?
4) Can Chicago work with the Federation of Gay Games given that Montreal could not?
On the Web site for Chicago 2006, these questions and many more are answered in greater detail than I have space for here. But I will address as best as possible, from my own personal point of view, why we proceeded with the bid once we researched these critical issues.
First, I want to say that all of us on the Chicago 2006 board and all of our volunteers did not march into this lightly. Until the day of the vote, we went back and forth on an hourly basis about what was right. Up until the last minutes, we were assessing the letters of support, the finances, the sports program, and all the other important points.
What swayed us? Our original bid book, two years ago, actually had most of the work gearing up in 2004. The Sydney Gay Games registrations mostly occurred in the 12 months prior to the events. Most of the difficult work, especially that involving volunteers, starts up in mid-2005. That was according to our original plan, and also makes sense in our revised bid.
The issue of international competition is very relevant. We had to assess input from other athletes around the world to decide if the ‘brand’ of the Gay Games carries enough weight to overcome the competition. Our feeling, in the end, was that athletes want the Gay Games. Some may also compete in other sports/culture events like Montreal, Eurogames, or Hotlanta, but the Gay Games are the Gay Games—and nothing else is like them. This is what Chicagoans have told us, this is what Americans have said, and this is what we hear from around the world.
Some may choose Montreal, some Chicago, some both. But we do feel there is enough of a history that the Gay Games will have a unique draw for this city.
Remember, too, that the majority of athletes in every Gay Games have been from the U.S.—far outpacing even the host countries of Amsterdam and Australia.
On the issue of finances, we have spent a great deal of time reassessing and downsizing our original bid, focusing exclusively on sports and culture requirements. The Federation has also emphasized the things they have learned from past Gay Games—that the parties can drain the mission of the event. Let’s license outside groups to host the social and cultural events—and then we can focus on the required sports and culture.
We have also included reduced expectations on the fundraising side, trying to create a break-even budget that emphasizes revenues from participant fees, and a lesser amount from corporate donors.
Another important question is how to judge success. Both the Amsterdam and Sydney economies benefitted from tens of millions of dollars from tourists—and not just during the Gay Games. Sydney is now known worldwide as a gay-friendly destination, and the Gay Games have gone a long way to make that a reality. The local organizations did lose money, but the overall events make the cities money. So the model of how to measure success of events must also include economic impact. Every gay bar, and many other gay and straight businesses, will benefit by the huge influx of tourists—and that benefit will come for years beyond the Gay Games.
Finally, can Chicago work with the Federation of Gay Games? Many of our volunteers have worked with the Federation for years, as Gay Games athletes and as supporters of the movement. The recent annual meeting in Chicago went smoothly, and the Federation proved to be a group of dedicated, hard-working volunteers. They certainly have made mistakes—including allowing the negotiating process with Montreal to go on for two years—but their commitment, in my opinion, is clear. They are stewards of the Gay Games movement and they have every right (legal and otherwise) to oversight of the Gay Games brand. If they do not end up choosing Chicago, perhaps because our financial model pushes for a shared-risk model they do not agree with, I will still wish them great success in 2006. This is an issue far larger than Chicago or Montreal or Los Angeles. This is about a movement which has impacted tens of thousands of people, started by a man (Dr. Tom Waddell) who saw athletics as a means to push for social change.
We decided to move forward because we looked at the questions, saw the obstacles, and—after much research—decided that pursuing the bid was in the best interests of all of Chicago’s communities. We don’t expect everyone to agree, and we hope that if we do win the bid that people will not create new obstacles. I love this city and see the Gay Games as a way to showcase it to the worldwide GLBT community. I understand and respect the opposition, and I certainly don’t underestimate the worldwide barriers. But hundreds of us have stepped forward to try to make this dream a reality. Sometimes the process of creating such a dream is in itself the reward. If we are selected as the winning city in mid-March, I look forward to working with even more people to make this a reality.
Technical and Fundraising Proposals
Chicago Games, Inc., the nonprofit organization preparing Chicago’s bid to host Gay Games® VII in 2006 is seeking qualified contractors to submit proposal for services in the following areas: RFP #1: Technology, Database, Registrations, Online Ordering, E-mail and Web Support. RFP #2: Corporate Sponsorship and Fundraising.
Details regarding the RFPs are available online at www.ChicagoGamesInc.org. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. Jan. 21, 2004.
Chicago Games, Inc. c/o 5443 N. Broadway, Suite 101, Chicago, IL 60640, ChicagoGamesInc.org, or e-mail to Volunteer@ChicagoGamesInc.org.
Sport Shorts
Windy City Athletic Assc. men’s basketball, with recreational and competitive play, is at Margate Park Fieldhouse, 4931 N. Marine, call (773) 327-WCAA, or e-mail mens.basketball@wcaa.net, www.wcaa.net.
CMSA Women’s Volleyball Call (312) 498-5159 or (773) 972-2787, e-mail jraimond@mmbmlaw.com
WCAA’s Women’s Basketball See www.wcaa.net or email womens.basketball@wcaa.net.
Chicago Gay Hockey Association hosts Open Hockey / Practice / Skills Clinic, for details see www.chicagogayhockey.org.
Women’s Sports Association Floor Hockey League is forming. Games will be played at Windy City Fieldhouse, Friday nights starting, Dec. 12 thru March 12. Martha @ 847-452-2561 or marthavaldes816@yahoo.com.
CMSA Friday night doubles tennis is at Midtown Tennis, 2020 W. Fullerton. See secondcitytennis@hotmail.com, www.secondcitytennis.com.
Chicago Force Women’s Pro Football Team Tryouts info at Web site chicagoforcefootball.com. With an undefeated 9-0 regular season record in their inaugural 2003 season, Chicago Force is preparing for another unforgettable year. They are looking for female athletes, 18 or older, to join their ranks. The team has switched divisions this year, to the Mid-Atlantic Division, where they will be up against the feared New York Sharks … one of the dominant teams in all of women’s football. The matchup has all the makings of a great rivalry.
The I.W.F.L. (www.iwflsports.com) is getting bigger and better. This year, the league is up to 30 teams from throughout the nation … and will likely grow in the coming months. ‘We’ve also introduced a new game ball designed especially for us by Nike. It’s red, white, and blue and called the ‘All-American Girl’ ball. We’re looking forward to getting our hands on it when our season begins on April 3,’ the team stated.