Barriers Broken by Outgames Will Not Be Forgotten
Some are shocked at the dismal show of support for several events at the Outgames. Some events take place with the stands empty. The logic behind it is rather simple. Take an event like Bridge. Yes, that’s right Bridge is an outgames event. I don’t wanna watch anybody play bridge, just cuz the participants are gay doesn’t mean I am gonna drop everything and go watch people play cards.
Either way, don’t be bothered by the empty stands. Everybody knows the party is not in the arena but at night. Gays are not exactly known for their competitive sports but when it comes to parties, it’s a whole different story of Olympic proportions.
Hanging around some areas of Montreal at night are beginning to put a smile on my face. A genuine smile. To see as many gay people outside the gay village has been a shock for many Montrealers. It was as if gays were “supposed” to be holed up in the ghetto that is so aesthetically called the gay village. Now everybody is “out and about” the city.
However, Saturday night something I saw changed me forever. I was in the middle of another long shift at work scooping ice cream as hard as I could (lol) and in walked 2 men about the age of 30, either way, they could have passed for my age. With them was a young boy named Jamie. It was still early and it wasn’t as busy yet, so I spoke to the clients and you could tell they were from Australia. So as I made the young boy try the ice cream so he could choose what he wanted, I found out these two guys, Michael and Jake were Jamie’s parents. They came to Montreal to visit at the time that coincided with the Outgames. The boy called both of them daddy and it just seemed so natural. I spoke with them for about 5 minutes and I peppered them with questions. (some people know how I can get) They told me how they got a surrogate mother to carry Michael’s and her baby. She signed over custody after the birth and voila, a gay family. You could not wipe the smile off my face Saturday. I had seen it with my own two eyes. If they can have a family, why can’t I?
Although we worked six more gruelling hours that night, I had all the energy I needed. I was always a naysayer for the Outgames. Isn’t singling yourself out only opening you up more to the attacks that you do not really seek equality? I finally realized the Outgames was not about the events, but about the message the gay community was sending by saying we are doing this because we can. So don’t judge the success of the Outgames by the attendance figures, judge it by the barriers that it has broken for the City of Montreal and the many people around the world who they will inspire just by saying “we are here.”
Either way, don’t be bothered by the empty stands. Everybody knows the party is not in the arena but at night. Gays are not exactly known for their competitive sports but when it comes to parties, it’s a whole different story of Olympic proportions.
Hanging around some areas of Montreal at night are beginning to put a smile on my face. A genuine smile. To see as many gay people outside the gay village has been a shock for many Montrealers. It was as if gays were “supposed” to be holed up in the ghetto that is so aesthetically called the gay village. Now everybody is “out and about” the city.
However, Saturday night something I saw changed me forever. I was in the middle of another long shift at work scooping ice cream as hard as I could (lol) and in walked 2 men about the age of 30, either way, they could have passed for my age. With them was a young boy named Jamie. It was still early and it wasn’t as busy yet, so I spoke to the clients and you could tell they were from Australia. So as I made the young boy try the ice cream so he could choose what he wanted, I found out these two guys, Michael and Jake were Jamie’s parents. They came to Montreal to visit at the time that coincided with the Outgames. The boy called both of them daddy and it just seemed so natural. I spoke with them for about 5 minutes and I peppered them with questions. (some people know how I can get) They told me how they got a surrogate mother to carry Michael’s and her baby. She signed over custody after the birth and voila, a gay family. You could not wipe the smile off my face Saturday. I had seen it with my own two eyes. If they can have a family, why can’t I?
Although we worked six more gruelling hours that night, I had all the energy I needed. I was always a naysayer for the Outgames. Isn’t singling yourself out only opening you up more to the attacks that you do not really seek equality? I finally realized the Outgames was not about the events, but about the message the gay community was sending by saying we are doing this because we can. So don’t judge the success of the Outgames by the attendance figures, judge it by the barriers that it has broken for the City of Montreal and the many people around the world who they will inspire just by saying “we are here.”
par / by Anthony à / at 1:05 p.m.
2 Commentaires:
Bridge is an outstanding game requiring superior command of strategy and sophisticaded familiarity with rules. We should all aspire to be bridge players.
I'm gay and I have always been perplexed by the inclusion of such events at gay events. I would assume it is to give the 60+ crowd something to do but to actually have it as an event? The outgames should have been approached differently, it did not need all the kitch and drag queens as it seems to make the games look more like a variety show than a sporting event. Its always been my beef with gay events. Drag Queens can be quite scary and I understand if many didn't feel up to it.
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