Zenon Evans on the Gay Games’ Enduring Value to the LGBT Community

The ninth Gay Games kicked off in Cleveland
and Akron, Ohio this weekend. It’s the world’s largest LGBT sports
and culture events, boasting over 50 countries represented, more
than 35 sports played, and around 7,000 athletes (10 percent of
whom are straight) competing. But as the LGBT world grows ever more
established and makes substantial ground in culture and law, a big
question looms over the Games: Why are they still
relevant? They hold onto a history of struggle, writes Zenon Evans,
who went to the Games. They’re also played in such a proximity, a
familiarity to the audience that makes them not only meaningful,
but successful in a way that the pomp-and-pretense-filled Olympics
cannot be. Frankly, it makes for a more engaging watch, too. Some
Games’ athletes are record-breaking pros, but many are not. They’re
on a pedestal, but one that appears within reach. You’re close
enough to see the unpolished humanness of their struggle when they
slip, hit the ground, and bleed, and those who excel are
illuminated against the backdrop of all that grit. 

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