Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 23, No. 11, Ed. 1 Friday, July 28, 2006 Page: 34 of 72
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I ife+sty lesports
ood games
Heat, rain and disorganization couldn't spoil queer spirit at Gay Games VII;
Dallas competitors shine by medaling and exhibiting Lone Star pride
By Daniel A. Kusner Life+Style Editor
CHICAGO — There was plenty of
bitching to go around. For many, com-
miserating about the Gay Games VII
is a bonding experience: how spread
out the events were; the constant shifting of con-
test schedules; the weather ... But negative reac-
tions almost immediately switch to glowing sen-
timents when out-of-towners swap stories about
the impressive way Chicagoans welcomed the
Games into their gay-friendly city last week.
Instead of conveniently holding events in an
Olympic village, the Gay Games were scattered
all over — and not in the city of Chicago. We're
talking suburbs: Evanston to the north; Oak Park
and Palos Heights to the west; and while the
University of Chicago is in within the city limits,
the campus is 59 blocks south of the downtown
Loop. Attending events meant scouring public
transportation maps and allowing at least an hour
to get to your destination.
But getting around the city was half the fun.
Buses, trains and sidewalks were where you
mixed with chatty straight locals and met other
queers from around the globe. And while at 2
a.m. on a Tuesday, I did witness a crazy crack-
whore cuss out a male train passenger for being
a "sucking-dick faggot," practically everyone
else I encountered was effusively polite and
seemed genuinely interested in how the atten-
dees were enjoying the Games.
The Gay Games' closet
As a Dallas journalist, my initial goal was to
follow as many North Texas athletes as possible
and report on how they performed. Sounds sim-
ple, right?
All athletes had to register for competition.
But since many events were still being shifted
around after the Opening Ceremonies took
place, it was impossible to obtain contest sched-
ules beforehand. One would think that's where
the registration database would come in handy.
Wrong.
Gay Games media personnel said they could-
n't release any contestant information because
that would jeopardize the athletes' privacy.
Hadn't all those longwinded speeches at the
Opening Ceremonies congratulated the athletes
on their bravery and courage for participating in
the Gay Games? That didn't matter. And my
goal of shadowing Dallas-area athletes was
dashed.
Then something weird happened: Gay
Games began posting results on their Web site.
Results include the full names of athletes, how
they performed, and some mention the athletes'
hometowns. How come it's okay to release that
information only after contests were held?
Marketing committee chair Kevin Boyer tried to
explain the contradiction — until he flipped out
on me.
"It's a delicate balance," Boyer said, after
34 I dallasvoice.com I 07.28.06
explaining that the Chicago staff didn't install
the privacy clause.
"It's a Gay Games Federation policy," he
said. "And we're just following it."
While trying to parse his explanation that
posting results doesn't jeopardize the athletes'
privacy, Boyer lost it.
"Listen, don't you dare go off on me!" Boyer
said while pointing his finger in my face. "I
See GAMES on PAGE 38
MEDAL PRIDE
Since some final results haven't been posted,
and because the Gay Games' has a confusing pri-
vacy policy, here is a partial lift of Team Dallas
and North Texas-area athletes who took home
medals at the Gay Games VII.
Track & Field
Men 40, 4x200-meter
David Fitzgerald, Derwin
Men 40, 4xl00-meter
Hall, Justin
4x400-meter
400-meter: gc
relay: gold Trent Hagler,
Hall, Joe Justin
relay: gold Hagler,
relay: gold Fitzgerald
)ld Fitzgerald, silver
200-meter: gold Fitzgerald, silver
100-meter: goid Fitzgerald, silver
F itzgera id
• Men 40
• Men 40
Hagler
• Men 40
Hagler
• Men 40
Hagler
• Men 30, javelin: silver, Justin
• Women 40, 400-meter: silver, Sherry Henry
Cycling
• Criterium: siiver, Derwin Hall
Swimming
• Women 30, 100-meter freestyle: gold, Jennifer
Hinkle
• Women 30, 100-meter individual medley: sil-
ver, Hinkle
• Women 30, 200-meter freestyle: silver Hinkle
• Women 30, 50-meter freestyle: gold Hinkle.
• Men 40, 100 meter freestyle: gold Stanford
Young
• Men 80, 200-meter freestyle: gold Phil
Johnson
• Men 80, 200-meter breast: gold Johnson
• Men 80, 200-meter back: gold Johnson
• Men 80, 100-meter back: gold Johnson
• Men 80, 100-meter individual medley:Johnson
Martial Arts
• Men, intermediate rank weapons: goic:,
Jonathan Retamosa-Davllla
• Men, intermediate rank weapons: silver, Juan
Ramos
• Men, intermediate rank weapons: bronze,
Russell Wallace.
• Men intermediate rank self-defense: gold,
Wallace
• Men, intermediate rank self-defense; bronze:
Retamosa-Davilla
• Men, black-belt self-defense: silver Jeff
McKissack
h
Hagler and Fitzgerald get their bling on the medal stand. Joseph Justin flexes his might.
K
Fitzgerald bursts out of the 400-meter starting block.
Tony, left, and Scott ready for bloodthirsty boot scooting.
«• ' . •• • _ ,.s
v * ■ -IE v
:
Oak Lawn Soccer Club battled Team Toronto for the bronze at the University of Illinois at Chicago fields.
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Vercher, Dennis. Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 23, No. 11, Ed. 1 Friday, July 28, 2006, newspaper, July 28, 2006; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth238919/m1/34/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.