News
2006-03-09
Gay Games welcome
in Chicago suburb after all
Following a
heated debate, the Crystal Lake park district board on
Tuesday reversed an earlier decision to ban a Gay Games
eve
Following a
heated debate, the Crystal Lake park district board on
Tuesday reversed an earlier decision to ban a Gay Games
event in the Chicago suburb. Members of a
standing-room-only crowd talked about God, sex,
and the law in debating the event, reports the ChicagoSun-Times. Some hissed, others clapped, but in
the end a rowing event for the 2006 Gay Games was
approved to hit the shores of Crystal Lake.
Last Thursday the
board was deadlocked in a 2–2 vote over the
application by organizers of the Games to use the
lake, a highly regarded venue for such events. A tie
vote on a measure means a proposal has failed. But a
fifth board member was out of town on vacation, and the vote
was rescheduled for Tuesday, when the full board
narrowly approved the application 3–2.
Board member
Jerry Sullivan, who had just returned from Mexico and cast
the decisive vote, told the Sun-Times, "I think it
shows our openness as a community and our fairness."
Gay Games
organizers still have to clear hurdles with city officials
and other suburbs. Chicago is host city of the Games.
The Gay Games Sports and Cultural Festival will be
held in Chicago July 15–22. (Advocate.com)
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