More than 100 Irish athletes took part in the Gay Games in Cologne, joined by their partners and supporters
IF YOU GO down to Cologne today you’re in for a big surprise: more than 10,000 men and women from 70 countries, and thousands more supporters, celebrating the closing of the 2010 Gay Games.
From swimming to badminton, sailing to bridge, the games have been the leading sporting event in the gay community since they were founded in San Francisco in 1982.
Now in their eighth edition, this year’s Gay Games Cologne marked a strong showing for Ireland with over 100 athletes taking part, joined by their partners and supporters.
With 3,000 participants, host nation Germany comprised the biggest team, followed by 2,200 athletes from the US. The biggest sport represented this year in Cologne was soccer, with around 1,000 participants in men’s and women’s teams.
Events kicked off last Saturday with a huge opening ceremony at the RheinEnergie Stadium in Cologne. Trailing national and rainbow flags behind them, beaming athletes streamed into the stadium to enthusiastic applause: the Irish strutted out proudly alongside British colleagues bearing pink Union Jacks.
Giving the opening ceremony a touch of glamour were Thai athletes dressed up as ladyboys in full drag while 1980s diva Taylor Dayne got the stadium rocking with her hit Tell it to My Heartbefore singing the Gay Games anthem, Facing a Miracle.
Openly gay foreign minister Guido Westerwelle was patron of the games, but as he began his welcome speech he was loudly booed. Westerwelle, it seems, has more than just friends in Germany’s gay community.
Nevertheless the politician won over the audience with a speech recalling how homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender people still face repression around the world.
“In more than 75 countries there are laws stopping consenting adults from being with the man or the woman they love,” he said, accompanied by his partner Michael Mronz. “In at least seven countries, gays and lesbians must fear the death sentence. These countries use religion as a pretext to turn prejudice and hatred into law. No religion can ever justify murder. Killing and torturing minorities can not be justified by culture. This is not culture, this is exactly the opposite.”
Managing Team Ireland was Frank Kelly, who two years ago set up Out in Ireland as an umbrella organisation bringing together gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people with an interest in sport.
Outinireland.net allows people to connect with others in the LGBT community who share their interests. The group already has networks for tennis, badminton, rowing and squash and is growing all the time. He hopes the Gay Games will increase the visibility of gay athletes.
“When people think about the gay community, a lot of it revolves around the gay scene and Gay Pride,” says Kelly. “The Gay Games gives people a chance to do the sport they enjoy without having to look around them.”
Kelly says Donal Óg Cusack coming out last year was momentous for GAA and for Ireland. “It was probably a seminal moment in Irish gay history. He really made people aware there are gay people playing sport and broke through a lot of preconceptions.” Although Kelly admits a queue of others waiting to come out has yet to form behind the Cork hurler.
“For the next person who comes out it won’t be as big an issue and probably won’t make the headlines. It’s always an individual decision, the most important thing in any sports club is that the environment is tolerant and accepting.”
The Irish team was sponsored by Ryanair and Tourism Ireland and, on their wishes, athletes sported special “Team Ireland” t-shirts with the slogan: “I’m not the only reason to visit Ireland.”
Waterford swimmer Nick Flanagan matched his five-medal record from the last Gay Games in Copenhagen. Badminton player Joe Ruddy is going for gold in doubles with his match partner Shaun Doyle early this morning after losing in the singles quarter finals.
Ruddy praises the Gay Games for encouraging a “personal best” philosophy that allows all age groups and skill levels to compete with each other.
“A lot of people are playing at a social level who wouldn’t normally play in competition. But at the top level in all disciplines there are serious sports people who would be at home in any regular competition,” says Ruddy (48), who works at Martyn Evans Sports in Dublin’s Fitzwilliam Tennis Club.
“At the top level it’s hard-fought and people want to win. But in general the atmosphere is less contentious, more friendly and there is a strong element of fair play and sportsmanship.”
That’s a view shared by tennis player David McCrystal, a 35-year-old bank official from Belfast. “We’re not playing gay tennis here,” he said. “I play tennis competitively as do a lot of people here. This tournament motivates me to train and get fit. But it’s great to be here, see all the countries represented and see the flags everywhere. We’ve taken over the city!”
With Germany’s largest gay community, Cologne is a fairly gay place at the best of times. Irish team spies report some younger players burning the candle at both ends early in the week before a collision of hangovers and early competition starts brought them back on the straight and narrow, so to speak.
At a reception organised for the Irish team by the Irish embassy, the recent passing of the civil partnership legislation was on everyone’s lips.
“I know that many of you have been waiting for this for a long time,” said Irish ambassador Dan Mulhall, joined by his wife Greta. “I am delighted for you and for Ireland that this legislation is nearing completion. It is yet another reason to celebrate here today.”
Cologne’s deputy mayor Angela Spizig got the biggest cheer of the evening when she congratulated the Irish team on the partnership legislation.
Referring to it by its official title – “Houses of the Oireachtas Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010” – she added wryly: “I hope that’s more fun than it sounds.”
outinireland.net
