Newspaper Page Text
/
Atlanta Ranks Seventh in Gay Games Registrations
And we'll send what may be the only all-black team
by Matt Montgomery
From returning gold medalists to novice athletes,
Celebration ’90, the Gay Games III and Cultural
Festival, has attracted enough Southeastern athletes
to make Atlanta number seven in the most "Count
Me In" registration cards returned to Games' head
quarters.
The August 4-11 event to be held in Vancouver,
British Columbia will be the second largest sporting
event ever held.It's double the size of the Goodwill
Games and four times larger than the last Gay Games
held in San Francisco in 1986. Athletes from 29
countries will participate; every continent
(except Antarctica, where little is known
about the sexual orientation of penguins)
will send entrants. Even eastern
Europe—two from Poland and five from
East Germany.
The seven-day event will include compe
tition in 28 sports—from powerlifting to bil
liards to badminton,team and individual—as
well as an international cultural festival
billed as"a showcase for the creative
achievements of gays and lesbians from
around the world." The opening and closing
ceremonies are expected to draw between
20,000 and 80,000 participants, depending
on how optimistic the source
Vancouver gays and lesbians will open
their arms, homes (and maybe more) for
their out-of-town counterparts by providing
hosted housing. And while Vancouver lodg
ings are booked nearly solid, local universi
ty dormitory space is an alternative for ath
letes.
Even national governments are in on the
act: Canada has awarded four $45,000
grants to the city of Vancouver and
Celebration '90. The Australian government
has bid their 258 gay/lesbian athletes a
"G'day" with a whopping $1.5 million to
finance their trip.
•
One lone bowling team represented Atlanta in the
'86 Games. And they brought home the gold medal.
Tim Cooper and his colleagues registered almost a
year ago for the '90 Games and plan to bowl- for-the-
gold again.
Cooper is "anxious to go and defend his title"
even in the face of almost "doubled competition."
He added that many people are attracted to bowling
because of its "social aspects;" the high retention rate
of members in Atlanta leagues has created one of the
largest groups of gay bowlers in the region. Eleven
leagues bowl all year long at Midtown and Chamblee
alleys.
As one of Atlanta's few gay games alumni,
Cooper credits the increased Southeastern participa
tion—almost 300 are expected in '90—to Larry
Lucas, Southeastern Games Coordinator.
Lucas said that it was easy for Games representatives
to enlist his help when they told him that Atlanta had
been represented by only four people at the '86 event.
"That was shameful, the South needed someone des
perately," he said.
So "the mouth of the South's Gay community"
was recruited to organize and assist Southeastern gay
athletes for the '90 Games.
And Atlanta's gay and lesbian community has
responded to Lucas' call for participants with experi
enced athletes as well as with fresh faces and new
groups.
Perhaps the only all-minority team at the Games
will come from Atlanta. Jeff Holt and his volleyball
team hope to start their own tradition at the Games
and in the South. Along with Eugene McCray, Holt
formed the all-black, Atlanta Eclipse as part of
Hotlanta Volleyball League.
Holt explained that the team was created for the same
reasons that many gay groups are formed: the need to
be accepted among peers and the creation of alterna
tive a social outlets. He adds, "people tend to like
people who are like themselves. Eclipse made it easi
er for black gay men to get involved."
The Eclipse has provided much more than volley
ball practice— sponsoring "hot 'n homy" AIDS infor
mation parties and raising money to ensure that lack
of finances don't keep people from playing with the
league. With the help of a local bar, the Pear Garden,
team officers were able to get things going with no
cost to the players.
Holt says the Eclipse's success is due to
the rules created "to make sure that it
worked." Players should be "dressed out and
ready to sweat” at practice. And if they’re
late, they get demerits.
"Yes, sir!"
In all, Hotlanta Volleyball is sending
eight teams to Games. One, the Radical
Fairies, found a way to raise money and help
the environment at the same time: collecting
paper and recycling it. It's been a lot of
work—like separating computer paper from
office trash cans and attending a government
auction to buy 6,000 pounds of the perforated
pages. But the work has paid off: they've
raised almost $800 for their team.
"People are talking athletics," said Tim
Mills, Vice President of Atlanta Team Tennis
Association, a 100-member group that recent
ly hosted the largest national gay clay court
tournament in the nation.
Competing in mixed doubles, doubles and
singles, about 20 Atlanta racquet fans will be
at the Games.
Besides bringing national gay/lesbian ten
nis stars to Atlanta and taking local stars to
Vancouver, the ATTA is serving up some
changes. A new women's tennis group, head
ed by local player Melanie Moore, is in the
making.
Mills said "membership will double when more
women get involved." Moore hopes to create a sepa
rate women's team within the already coed ATTA.
"We are the fastest growing gay sport in
Atlanta," said Steve Epstein, president of Hotlanta
Soccer League. HSL sees about 40 people at its reg
ular practices and has two teams preparing for the
Games.
Epstein who calls himself, "probably the worst
Carnival to Benefit
Games' Athletes and
Other Local Groups
It is being called the largest gathering
is planned for
Mill and Bishop
of the gay com
munity in Atlanta and organizers plan to make it an annual
event. Ga...le...bration '90, a gay and lesbian carnival,
that will bring together many of Atlanta's gay organizations
for two days of fun and fund-raising
Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20.
The Atlanta Waterworks on Howell
Roads, will be the site of the festival. A 5K run will kick
off the event at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Other Saturday high
lights include a volleyball tournament(10a.m.), western
dance lessons (2 p.m.), a country dance (3-5p.m.)
ALACC's HOTFLASH dance (7-1 lp.m.) and carnival
booths, rides, concession stands, a flea market and informa
tional exhibits (all day).
All ongoing activities will continue on Sunday; plus
Bingo (2p.m.) and a dance to benefit the Southeastern
Sports Alliance (7-10p.m.)
For more information call 875-0700.
'
Desktop publishing, conveniently located in Virginia-Highlands,
. , ■
1179 Virginia Avenue • Atlanta, Georgia 30306
HLM SERVICES, INC.
• Small Business Development •
• Full Service Accounting •
Call 659-0315 • Life and Health Insurance • MON-FRI
for An Appointment Hours: 8:30am-5:30pm
Dream the Dream of
Independence
Lynn Manning
President
Small business owners have
specific needs that only an
experienced accountant can fulfill.
Don't feel overwhelmed, ignorant or fearful. Look to
HLM SERVICES, INC. for the professional consultation
and guidance that 10 years of experience brings.
874-1588
IS/Southern Voice • May 10,1990