Anecdotal evidence (read: what lands in our inbox) suggests Cleveland was the most enthusiastic about securing the 2014 Gay Games, but Boston and Washington, D.C. are still in it to win it. At 12:30pm EST the Federation of Gay Games will announce which American city is going to reap a few million bucks in tax revenue — and the largest concentration of hot jocks. (UPDATE: Cleveland gets it!)
THIS JUST IN: It’ll be Cleveland, Ohio, that will host the 2014 games, officials in Cologne, Germany (site of the 2010 Games) just announced. With 15,000 athletes and 28 events, it’s a boon to the local economy and, let’s face it, that giant Cleveland bathhouse.
And locals will say, they deserved it.
As we noted before, Cleveland’s LGBT community has been active in rallying support (and media attention) for the Games. And Cleveland’s City Council even approved a $700,000 grant to help host the event.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
At Chicago’s 2006 games, Gay Games officials estimated 140,000 spectators came, generating between $50-80 million in additional tax revenue.
Says Valarie McCall, Cleveland’s government affairs chief: “Whether you are LGBT or GLBT or straight or minority or not, this awarding of the games to the beautiful city of Cleveland will really help take it to the next level … I promise you that on behalf of our leadership, when you come to Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A., we will, we will, rock you.”
EARLIER: Should the Gay Games Choose a Gay-Friendly City?
(Photo: Nodame)
AlanInSLC
Boy on right…MMM MMM Delicious!!!
terrwill
I don’t care who gets the games…….Who gets the little hottie on the left???? Check out that basket! (even with shrinkage!!!)
pc
ironically, the state of Ohio has passed one of the most viscious, anti-gay marriage laws in the country.
terrwill
@AlanInSLC: One question: Did he bump his head on the diving board or the head board??? ;-P
ThatguyFromBoston
BOOO! HISSSS!
AlanInSLC
@terrwill:
Hopefully the headboard. Either way, he’s still hot!
YellowRanger
So they opted to hold them in a state boasting one of the most sweeping anti-equality laws in the country…Providing said state with all those fun tourism dollars that will inevitably flow in because of this.
Nice call, jackasses.
PopSnap
@pc:
I know. It’s weird, seeing as how Ohio is normally moderate. I’ve had little to no troubles being openly gay here. Maybe I just live in good areas?
naprem
Isn’t there a hellmouth there, or something? Could turn the whole city gay.
vernonvanderbilt
@naprem: There is, indeed, a hellmouth in Cleveland. However, no one really notices it. Ohio in general is chock full of demons and strangeness. Take it from someone who lives here.
terrwill
@PopSnap: Popper~ I wanted to give you kudos for your post on the last thread…..cool to see GTs out and proud…………
jwalker666
yum…hot hot hot and they have nice packages 😉
one on the left is a little hottie sluuurp
mattskal
Also be sure to check out that “other” HOT bathhouse in Cleveland, at http://www.theclubs.com
Jason
15,000 jocks? Spare me.
More like 2 jocks and 14,998 swishing marys looking for sex.
Paul
Have to say, I’m with Jason here. In Chicago, the only hot athletes were from the West Hollywood water polo team. Kinda sad for an international sporting event.
Guytano Parks
Upon hearing the grrreeeaaat news that Cleveland has been named host city for the 2014 Gay Games, I just sat down at my piano and played a rousing rendition of Everything’s Coming up Roses – with anticipation of grrreeeaaat things to come – to honor Cleveland!!!
michael
Why do we even need a Gay Games? We should be striving for integration into the mainstream, not segregating ourselves.
The Gay Games is basically an excuse for men to get together for easy sex with men they’ve never seen before.
terrwill
@michael: The purpose of the games is supposed to create solidarity between the Gay population. You have a point to a degree about integration into mainstream but there is a whole hell of a lot to be said to be amongst ten thousand Gays knowing that you can look to the left,right,up,down,or to the rear (please no puns) and know that almost everyone else is also Gay or at least Gay accepting. My ex insisted we go to the Gay games when they were in NY. One of the ceremonies was at Yankee Stadium of all freakin places (the ghosts of Yankees past must have been mighty confused ’bout the fans in the stands that nite) and it was really empowering to see all those people together who you knew didn’t want to deny us our rights, bash us, or throw us in a gulag. You could just simply be Gay……..Another plus of having any mass gathering of the Gays is that there is stregnth in numbers. I like to think that some politician dithering on some measure effecting us might cast a vote in our favor knowing there are so many of us around……………
scottyscott
BRAVO! Good call. Cleveland is a much better choice than DC or Boston because it will allow the gay games to showcase to a state that needs to see positive public images of gays and lesbians. Great call Gay Games.
adam
Positive public images? Give me a break. Sub-standard sporting performances are hardly good for our public image. And neither is men walking around with their tops off so as to attract the attention of the man in the next row.
They ought to call it the slut games, not the gay games.
Jack
Cleveland?*!%# For what rational reason?
I’ve said it before. I live in Podunk. It’s a treat for me to visit a metropolitan area that has a gay ghetto like Dupont Circle, and I would love to visit Boston again.
If you are trying to draw people to an event, shouldn’t you hold the event in a place that people would like to visit?
Even Pittsburgh would have been a better choice. At least Pittsburgh has a Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and I believe Pittsburgh and Allegheny County have half-decent nondiscrimination against gays ordinances. People might even want to visit the Andy Warhol Museum.
I wish Cleveland and the Gay Games every success, but I think a different formula would have yielded much better results.
mikeincleveland
living in cleveland, i find this a great “get” for our city…the people behind making this come true deserve a lot of kudos…
yeah, the state did pass an insanely anti-marriage law in 2004 when the GOP ran the state- and to have something like this come here is going to be a great way to stand up to those still left in state government that backed it (the state went Dem in 2006 so we’re in better hands for now.)
if we ghettoize ourselves to hold gay events only in NYC, DC and LA we’re not going to get anywhere (and don’t start me on how big of whores the guys in those towns are- hello? none of my gay friends in those towns have steady relationships because their bf’s keep finding better prettier meat on the next block within two months).
it’s important we showcase our community throughout the country, in areas where we normally would have walked away from (remember Dean’s 50 state strategy? uhm, IT WORKED, hello??)
our city needs this sort of exposure and this sort of revenue BAD. we were hit the worst by predatory lending and the Feds are investigating and arresting our local county officials and judges left and right after decades of corruption run wild.
so for the next year, the gyms will be full, the bars will be spruced up and everyone will be working their butts off to look their best when the boys come to town.
to tell you the truth, yes, we did deserve it.
sorry, sometimes it can’t be all about you.
YellowRanger
@scottyscott:
If you’re trying to tame a wild animal, you don’t start rewarding it until after it stops trying to maul you.
Brian
@Jack: I agree. Pittsburgh would have been a much better choice. At least, Pittsburgh has a gay newspaper. I wouldn’t have minded Columbus, but I don’t think Ohio deserves to be rewarded for their rigid anti-gay marriage law. Philadelphia would have also been a better choice. I guess we’ll express our reservations with our non-reservations.
chris
Ha! Someone else who loves their Buffy.
vernonvanderbilt
@chris: Only because it’s the greatest program in the history of television. 😉
iltman
Best.TV.Show.Ever
Columbus Chris
Bath houses…so Walmart gay.
terrwill
@adam: Another voice rises from the BOQB (bitter old queen brigade)…How many of the events would you excel in?
bryan
WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!
OHIO, THIS IS A JOKE. OF ALL THE PLACES IN THE WORLD OHIO. THIS IS BS THERE IS NOTING TO DO OR SEE IN OHIO. WTF PEOPLE GET A CLUE. I’M SURE IT WILL BE A HUGE IT..LOL
Johnny
Ummmmm…. where is Cleveland? is it near a beach?. the rest of the world has no idea.
I think Cape Town….. at least all of South Africa has marriage equality….
bluemeanie
the FGG site selection committee did not choose the host city to strike the fancies of you catty queers that are bitching about their choice. rather, they realized Cleveland was far better organized and enthusiastic than its competitors. not to mention, city council and private sources offered up about $2million in funding. living in the belly of the beast, being a resident of the buckeye state, i can tell u this is going to have a ripple effect across the state; affecting everything from gov. policy to moderating and marginalizing the views and rhetoric of the lunatics. gay friendly legislation already passed one chamber of the ohio house. this is a great thing for the state and for queer ohioans.
hardmannyc
@mikeincleveland: You’re right. Ohio is changing, and that’s all the more reason to have the games there. If gay groups boycott every governmental jurisdiction that has any gay-unfriendly legislation, they’d be limited to:
Massachusetts
New York
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maine
Iowa
New Jersey
Oregon
Washington (State, not D.C., which has some anti-gay legislation thanks to congress)
Pretty limiting.
Guytano Parks
There is a reason why committees are amassed with influential and intelligent leaders who are in-the-know (and don’t include you bitches). Research and read about all that is involved with making this type of important decision before spewing inane comments. Or do all of you poo-pooers enjoy revealing your bitchy ignorance?! BRAVO TO CLEVELAND FOR THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY!!!
I pliss
i went to the gay games in Montreal! my god i met a swimmer and we fucked for like 8 hours! all day. it was the longest and best sex I ever had!!! I would have marry that boy if he wasn’t from the west coast. thanks gay games Montreal cause I was singing the Dirty Dancing theme song. come on you know Say I had the time of my life no I never felt this way before Never felt this way and I swear I owe it all to you i had the time of my life and I owe it all to youuuuuuuuwhoooouuuuuh lol I still smile from that memory!
Citiboi
Yes…Ohio does have HORRIBLE anti-gay laws / sentiments…BUT Cleveland has ALWAYS been welcoming, going against the grain of the rest of the state. We have a domestic partnership registry, in OPPOSITION to our Ohio state constitution. Cleveland is standing as a beacon in Ohio and the Midwest, and these games will help move us forward…further, faster.
To those who think that Cleveland cannot host a large scale event, note that Cleveland hosted the 38th International Childrens Games in 2004. It was the first time the games were held in the US, and athletes, their families, and spectators from 50 nations attended. Don’t believe it? Check the ICG’s website
http://www.webicg.org/history/38.html
anyway
What’s up with the prudes so worried about the athletes getting some action?
During the Olympics there are also stories galore about all the sex going on at the Olympic Village.
The Gay Games provide a showcase for gay athletics — both the “personal best” recreational variety as well as elite performances. I have to wonder, if the whiners are so aghast about the Gay Games, what must they think of Folsom?
Really, people, get a grip.
Josh
Cincy and Columbus are the anti-gay Ohio you are all thinking of. Cleveland is traditionally one of the more progressive areas of the country. Most Clevelanders wouldn’t dare associate themselves with anyone south of Akron.
Freddie
“i went to the gay games in Montreal! ”
Um, no, Mary. You went to the rip-off OutGames, which went bankrupt after stealing the idea from the real Gay Games.
Glad you had a good time, but it was hosted by devious greedy Quebecers who stole millions.