Parting Thoughts on the Gay Games

The Seventh Gay Games wrapped up this past Saturday. My buddy Matt got tickets for the closing ceremonies and called me late that morning to see if I wanted to go with him, so we took the train up to Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon to watch the spectacle. It's a delicious irony that I had worn my White Sox T-shirt to work that morning, and thus got to wear it to Wrigley Field for my first visit to that heralded baseball park.

The closing ceremonies started late -- it largely was run with, for and by gay men, after all -- but the wait was worth the payoff. I felt a little old because the only musical act of whom I had ever heard was Cyndi Lauper, who sang (duh) "True Colors". Among the many performers I didn't know was the duo Jason and deMarco. Their performance was very nice, although for the life of me I couldn't tell if the blonde (whom I know now is Jason) was a gay man or a lesbian -- fault my distance from the stage and Jason's really high singing voice.

There was a fun performance by Chicago's ROTC -- Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps. If, like me, you've never seen them before, think about the "camp" soldiers skit from Monty Python and you'd be pretty close. The other very enjoyable performance came from the DC Cowboys. These boys are just delicious, and did a lovely sendup of Brokeback Mountain (it was not nearly so tired as it sounds).

I must admit that I was a bit disdainful about the Gay Games, figuring that they were as much about socialization as about athletic endeavor. However, in meeting a few of the athletes and visitors in town for the festivities, and having attended the closing ceremony, I find that I've changed my mind. Now I regret that I didn't attend any of the games, even though some events were hosted at the Ratner Center at the U of C.

The Gay Games were, I believe, a boon for Chicago. Hearing Mayor Daley speak so graciously and movingly about this city's gay and lesbian population, and about how this city welcomes its gay and lesbian citizens and visitors, was quite profound.

And besides, the locker room at the Ratner Center has never smelled better.