- The Gay Games are no laughing matter.
Boston lost out to Cleveland for the right to host the 2014 International Gay Games, the quadrennial Olympics of the homo world. Based on an article published this month in the gay newspaper Boston Spirit, it appears they’re not taking it well.
“Gay Games 2014 in Boston? It was a no-brainer,” the article proclaims in typically whiny New England prose. It quotes numerous Boston gay dignitaries who claim that Cleveland cheated during the bidding process by loosely interpreting various guidelines, from the number of events offered to distance between venues. The deal was locked up for Cleveland when it was noted that Akron’s vast athletic facilities lie just beyond the outfield grass at Progressive Field.
More damning was the suggestion that Cleveland may have bought the games for the mere price of an Ohio City condo. The article points out that the selection committee’s lead judge, Darl Schaaf, was so impressed by a visit to Cleveland that he bought a property here. Schaaf defended his decision in the Spirit, saying it wasn’t the condo but the envelopes stuffed with hundred-dollar bills from county commissioners that tipped the scale in Cleveland’s favor.
This article appears in Jul 21-27, 2010.
I’m a Boston gay. I have never heard of Boston Spirit, and I think bashing Boston based on the comments of people most gays have never heard of is a bad choice. To say that “Boston” is “not taking it well” that it lost out on the Gay Games is odd when the vast majority of Bostonians, even the majority of Boston gays, didn’t even know we were in competition for the games!
Boston deseves to be bashed. They are nothing more than sore losers, Ever since it was announced Cleveland won the bid to host the games, Bostonians have done nothing but whine and complain about it. Blogs and news rags are teaming with their bitter comments. Get over it already! You lost, Cleveland is just better.