Suburb's park board says no to Gay Games

Suburb's park board says no to Gay Games

By Jeff Long
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 3, 2006. COPYRIGHT BY THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Amid voices of support and opposition Thursday night, the Crystal Lake Park District board rejected a proposal to hold a controversial rowing competition in town that will be part of this summer's Gay Games in Chicago.

With one commissioner on vacation, the board voted 2-2 on allowing the rowing event to be held on the lake for which the city is named. The event needed three votes in favor to be approved.

Commissioner David Phelps, who joined Scott Breeden in opposition, said he believes that the Gay Games are more about politics than athletics.

"I do not believe the Crystal Lake Park District should be a vehicle for the promotion of an agenda," he said.

Commissioners Candy Reedy and Michael Zellmann voted for the event,

"I think this is a nice opportunity to further showcase the lake," Reedy said.

Tracy Baim, co-vice chairwoman of the Gay Games board of directors, said she was not surprised, adding: "It's upsetting that homophobia still lives."

Gay Games VII will be held July 15 to 22, with opening ceremonies at Soldier Field. Scheduled for July 16, the rowing event is one of 30 competitions that will be held across the Chicago area that week.

Other sports and sites include weightlifting and wrestling at Northwestern University in Evanston and soccer, cycling and badminton in Oak Park.

Games organizers are now looking at other possibilities in the Chicago area for the rowing event. Crystal Lake was their first choice.

"[The lake] was ideal. It's a beautiful lake," said Nancy Harris, sports director of the Games.

About 90 people crowded the meeting at the Park District's headquarters. The Crystal Lake City Council and Lakewood Village Board also had to approve the rowing event.

Crystal Lake resident Scott Spencer told the Park Board that homosexuality is "contrary and detrimental" to traditional family values. Saying that view doesn't make him a bigot, he added: "Let me point out what my prejudice is toward: my wife, my children, my grandchildren and the sanctity of the home."

Rev. Dan Larson of Congregational Unitarian Church in Woodstock spoke in support of allowing the Games' rowing event to be held. "Everyone has a right to row their boat," he said.

Baim said the announcement of Crystal Lake as a possible location churned up more opposition than she expected.

"The farther you go from the city of Chicago, the more controversial it becomes," Baim said before the board meeting.

Baim said fliers had appeared around Crystal Lake warning of the potential for "inappropriate and lewd behaviors" at the rowing competition.

"Straight people have lewd behavior too," Baim said.

She said that, based on past Gay Games, only about 300 rowers and spectators would be expected in Crystal Lake. She said lewd behavior is not on the agenda.

"There's nothing we can say to that," Baim said. "You get stereotyped as a group."

he said that perhaps having the event in Crystal Lake would change people's perceptions of gays and lesbians.

"It's a teachable moment," Baim said.

One Crystal Lake resident who publicly raised questions about the event is Mel Ingram, 73. But he said his concern was not about homosexuality but about whether more people than expected might show up, straining the city's resources.

"Upon whose authority do you accept this claim that there will only be 200 or 300 people?" he said.

Ingram said hand-holding or kissing by same-sex couples should not be a reason to oppose the event, even if he doesn't want to see that.

"I don't even like it when a man and a woman are kissing in public," Ingram said. "I'm old school."

Park District Director Kirk Reimer said before Thursday's meeting that his office had been contacted two dozen or three dozen times about the event in Crystal Lake.

"More pro than con," he estimated.

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jjlong@tribune.com