Local org makes the case for the Gay Games to come to Boston

Grassroots organization Boston 2014 will be hosting a kick-off rally celebrating the city's bid to host the 2014 Gay Games. The rally will take place on August 6 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at The Estate nightclub, and it will give Bostonians a chance to meet with representatives from the Federation of Gay Games and make the case for Beantown as the Games' 2014 host city.

Marc Davino, chair of Boston 2014's sports committee, remains upbeat and positive about Boston's chances of successfully completing the bid, touting "the backing of civic leaders," including Gov. Deval Patrick, Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, Mayor Thomas Menino, and at-large City Councilor John Connolly. Menino will be meeting with Gay Games representatives during their upcoming site visit. Boston 2014 hopes the city's strong commitment to Gay Games' core values - participation, inclusion, and personal best - won't hurt their chances either, organizers say.

"Our bid to bring the Gay Games 2014 to Boston shows that our wonderful city is not only a great venue for large sporting events, but that its diversity and culture make it an exceptional choice," Mayor Menino said in a statement to Bay Windows. "Boston has always been at the forefront of gay rights and it would be the perfect city for the Gay Games, I am truly excited by this possibility."

Given the Bay State's history as the first state to legalize marriage for same-sex couples, it is the organization's hope that Boston will continue to make LGBT history by hosting the Games in five years. "I'm not sure it will be significant," Davino said of Massachusetts' marriage equality legacy, "but we did bring it up in the bid and will bring it up again."

The search for the 2014 Games' host city began in 2006. The list of cities that are still actively undergoing consideration by the Federation of Gay Games has been narrowed down since then from the original fourteen applicants to three: Cleveland, OH, Washington, D.C., and Boston are still in the running.

Over the next two months the Federation of Gay Games will be sending a series of questionnaires to Boston 2014 and its counterparts in Cleveland and Washington covering everything from sports to transportation to marketing. Voting by members of the Federation of Gay Games General Assembly will take place in Cologne, Germany, the site of next summer's 2010 Games, on September 29.

The rally will be an integral part of Gay Games representatives' three-day site visit to the city (Cleveland and DC are hosting similar events during their cities' site visits). Davino views it as an opportunity to "show that Boston is fully committed to a successful bid." Representatives will also visit sports venues at Harvard and Boston Universities, where all sporting events will be held should Boston's bid prove successful. According to Kelly Stevens, officer of communications for the Federation of Gay Games, the representatives examine venues closely, making sure they can accommodate the Games' varied sporting events, such as water polo and synchronized swimming.

The close proximity of different sporting events to one another is "a big strength in our bid," Davino said, along with Boston's "rich sporting tradition"; local sports groups and their members have been invited to attend the rally and show their support.

The 12,000 participants the Games usually draw could provide an economic boon for the city to the tune of $70 million spent on accommodations, transportation, and tourism, according to Davino. "The impact on the economy is huge," he said.

One of the world's largest amateur athletic events, the first Gay Games were held in San Francisco in 1982. The athletic competition typically draws athletes from 20 sport categories (including martial arts, softball, figure skating, and a triathlon), and features a Cultural Festival put on by the host city. For example, according to Stevens, the Chicago Public Library featured an exhibition of LGBT photographers when they hosted the Games in 2006.

The Boston 2014 kick-off rally will be held August 6 at The Estate, 1 Boylston Rd., from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but attendees are asked to RSVP at www.Boston2014.com.