Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Champions Carry the Torch for Chicago Gay Games
2006-04-26

This article shared 421 times since Wed Apr 26, 2006
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

      More Photos


BY MARIE-JO PROULX

The much-anticipated Weekend of Champions, a double benefit for Gay Games VII, took place April 22-23 at Soldier Field's Cadillac Club. With its thousand attendees, the sold-out Saturday night gala dinner was a resounding success. Almost 500 people showed up for the Sunday morning Breakfast with Champions, where three panel discussions were scheduled. The unique two-day event brought together elite athletes, entertainers, Gay Games organizers, corporate sponsors, local leaders and members of Chicago's LGBT community. [ See photos this issue. ]

The Night of 100 Champions was hosted by Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis and honored a long list of openly gay athletes, including former NFL players Esera Tuaolo, Roy Simmons and David Kopay. Many international gay athletes were also recognized for their sporting performances in their respective disciplines as well as for their influences as positive role-models. Among them were South African volleyball player Leigh-Ann Naidoo, Dutch sprinter Martje Hoekmeijer and German cyclist Petra Roessner.

U.S. Soccer Olympic team and national team star Saskia Webber, Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Bruce Hayes, U.S. skeleton national team member Courtney Yamada and Andrea Zimbardi, former co-captain and star catcher of the University of Florida's women's softball team, also picked up awards. A number of teams were honored, including the Chicago Force pro women's football team and the Nubians, a women's softball team.

For their honest and fair portrayal of gay athletes and issues, sports writer/commentator Frank Deford of Sports Illustrated and NPR; and HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbed were commended. From the latter, interviewer and tennis commentator Mary Carillo accepted the award she also received her own Champions honor. She said a few words about discrimination in sports, expressed her strong support for the Gay Games mission, and talked about the making of a long documentary on Billie Jean King, which is to air April 26 on HBO.

Dozens of national organizations and local businesses have proudly signed on as official sponsors of Gay Games VII. Among those, Kraft Foods and Harris Bank have been the target of boycott attempts by extreme right-wing groups. For their steadfast support in the face of public pressure, the two companies were warmly applauded. The Crystal Lake Rowing Club, which earlier this month battled intense opposition by residents who did not want their suburban municipality to host the rowing competition, was also honored and cheered by the appreciative crowd of diners.

Persons and groups who have made substantial financial contributions to Gay Games VII were recognized. Interpreting for both weekend events was offered by Deaf Communication by Innovation. They will also donate interpreter services during this July's competitions. An updated list of all corporate and individual donors is available at www.gaygameschicago.com

Community leaders Dick Uyvari and Joe La Pat presented a $75,000 donation to a scholarship fund that has been set up to assist participants with limited financial means. Uyvari and La Pat would like the money to help fund the South African women's soccer team. Three international athletes were invited to receive the symbolic check.

Mayor Richard M. Daley, a longtime supporter of equal rights for LGBT people and chair of the Gay Games VII Honorary Host Committee, was not able to attend. However, City Treasurer Judy Rice, who is co-chair of the Host Committee, was greeted enthusiastically when she reached the stage. State Reps. Ken Dunkin, Sara Feigenholtz and Larry McKeon, along with Alds. Tom Tunney and Helen Shiller, were named for their sustained efforts and legislative victories in the fight against discrimination based on sexual orientation and identity.

Gay Games founder Dr. Tom Waddell, who died of AIDS in 1987, was praised by Sara Waddell Lewinstein, a medal-winning lesbian athlete and mother of their daughter. Waddell Lewinstein is a Gay Games pioneer, civil-rights activist and AIDS educator. While she insisted that the vision and realization of the original Gay Games, held in San Francisco in 1982, were her husband's, she is widely considered a co-founder in her own right because of the relentless work she did on behalf of the fledgling gay sports movement.

Another posthumous award went to Mark Bingham, the rugby player killed in 9/11 on Flight 93; he was represented by his partner, Paul Holm.

The evening also consisted of a mix of entertainment featuring, among others, singer Billy Porter, actor Jason Graae, local talent Dylan Rice, footballer-turned-singer Esera Tuaolo, comic Poppy Champlin and singer Sharon McNight. A live painting performance by artist Thom Bierdz provided a large sports-themed creation, and was later sold as part of the live auction. Cruises and other vacation packages were won in a raffle. The show, nimbly produced by Jeffrey Ortmann and his team, including event chair Tarrinna Dykes, was a definite crowd-pleaser. While it set the bar high for future Gay Games VII events, laudatory word of mouth should ensure that Chicago's LGBT community and its allies will rise to the challenge.


This article shared 421 times since Wed Apr 26, 2006
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Be here, be queer, play polo: Gay Polo League creates safe athletic space for LGBTQ community
2024-03-26
LGBTQ+ athletic clubs aren't too hard to come by, offering a variety of sports such as softball, soccer and more in cities across the country. But LGBTQ+ athletes would be harder pressed to find someplace to ...


Gay News

Chicago alder proposes renaming street after Obama
2024-03-22
Openly gay Black Chicago Ald. Lamont Robinson has proposed renaming Columbus Drive after former U.S. President and city resident Barack Obama, media outlets noted. The street stretches through the Loop from East Grand Avenue to DuSable ...


Gay News

2024 OLYMPICS U.S. women's soccer team's opponents set
2024-03-20
The United States women's national soccer team will face Australia, Germany, and either Morocco or Zambia in Group B at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ESPN reported. The tournament will mark the Americans' first competitive games with ...


Gay News

Small LGBTQ+ candidate pool nevertheless scores some important victories March 19
2024-03-20
Relatively few openly LGBTQ+ candidates were running in the March 19 Illinois Primary Election. But there were some significant contests in play at the local, state and federal levels. Openly gay Ald. Ray Lopez (15th Ward) ...


Gay News

Gay Irish prime minister to step down
2024-03-20
In a surprise move, openly gay Irish Prime Minister (or Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar has announced his resignation, citing "personal and political, but mainly political reasons," according to CNN. Varadkar said he felt he was no longer ...


Gay News

Florida settles 'Don't Say Gay' lawsuit
2024-03-11
On March 11, the state of Florida settled a multi-year lawsuit against the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law, which limits how LGBTQ+ topics can be discussed and presented in schools, The Hill reported. The settlement agreement ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Altercation, mpox research, Univ. of Fla., George Santos, tech battle
2024-03-08
Video footage uploaded to Facebook showed an altercation between a state trooper and two prominent Philadelphia LGBTQ+ leaders, the Washington Blade reported, republishing an article from Philadelphia Gay News. Celena ...


Gay News

WORLD Israeli reservist, man detained, Ghana bill, medic denied honor
2024-03-08
Hanania Ben-Shimon—the gay Israel Defense Forces reservist who was wounded as he killed one of the terrorists in the attack at the A-Za'ayem checkpoint near Ma'ale Adumim recently—published a post in which he pleaded that his ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret
2024-03-05
Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

Illinois's first openly gay elected official voices support for Cunningham
2024-03-05
Judge Thomas Chiola, who served in the Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County from 1994-2009, has officially endorsed Justice Joy Cunningham for reelection to the Illinois Supreme Court. Chiola is the first gay man to be ...


Gay News

ELECTIONS 2024 Illinois' first openly gay congressman isn't done yet: A conversation with Eric Sorensen
2024-02-23
A Rockford-born meteorologist, U.S. Rep. Eric Sorenson didn't plan on being a politician. But after seeing how his work in broadcasting impacted his viewers in both the Rockford and the Quad Cities areas, he wanted to ...


Gay News

Howard Brown Health Names Robin Gay, DMD as Interim President and CEO
2024-02-23
--From a press release - Howard Brown Health's Board of Directors announced today the appointment of Robin Gay, DMD as Interim President and CEO. Dr. Gay, who most recently served as Chief Dental Officer, assumes the role formerly held by outgoing ...


Gay News

WORLD Caribbean ruling, Pussy Riot, Russian raid, Canadian warning, anti-trans bar
2024-02-23
The top court in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines dismissed a challenge to colonial-era anti-gay laws, Reuters reported. Javin Johnson and Sean Macleish—two gay men who had pushed to decriminalize ...


Gay News

GLAAD releases report on LGBTQ+ inclusion in video games
2024-02-19
LGBTQ+ media-advocacy organization GLAAD has released a report on queer inclusion in the world of video games. Among the key findings in "Gaming: The State of LGBTQ Inclusion in Video Games" is that 17%—nearly one in ...


Gay News

Human Rights Campaign report releases new data on experiences of Black queer youth
2024-02-14
--From a press release - WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the educational arm of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, released a report in ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS






Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.