Park board plans new vote on Gay Games

[kweerwolf]

The Crystal Lake Park District Board will reconsider its rejection of a request from organizers of this summer's Gay Games in Chicago to hold a rowing competition in the lake, park officials said Friday.

The request was rejected Thursday night by a 2-2 vote at a meeting that attracted about 90 people. But on Friday, Commissioner Jerry Sullivan, who missed the meeting while vacationing in Mexico, told park officials that he wanted to vote on the matter.

"He told me he was surprised at the vote," Park District Director Kirk Reimer said. Sullivan could not be reached for comment.

The board is scheduled to vote again at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Park Place, 406 W. Woodstock St., Crystal Lake.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0603040057mar04,1,558704.story?coll=chi-newslocalchicago-hed

[Bluzmann57]

1. Ok call me an idiot

but I, as a straight man, do not understand why it would matter whether or not a person is a homosexual when it comes to athletic competition, especially something like rowing. Do the homosexual teams have an advantage over others? They may have an advantage over me, but it doesn't have anything to do with sexual preference. It has to do with being in shape and exercising. Ah, the weird world in which we live...

[sui generis]

2. talk about idiots

Tens of thousands of people, not all gay, booking rooms, spending money on food and beverages, crowding the restaurants, shops and stores, DUMPING MONEY into the town, which creates a tax and revenue windfall.

Gays doing something outside the absurd stereotype of wandering around in buttless chaps and randomly decorating things, wholesome, healthy sporting events, mostly indistinguishable from the general population, CANNOT BE ALLOWED!

How sad, that they're that bigoted.

[Xeric]

3. More info

There's more info in the Daily Herald:
http://www.dailyherald.com/search/searchstory.asp?id=162801
The various excuses used by the bigots are all obvious canards. One is that the event is "political". How is rowing "political"? And even if it were, is that really an excuse to deny people the right to use the lake? If the Kane County Republicans wanted to use the lake for an event would they be denied? I strongly doubt it. Another excuse is that bigots have made threats of violence and the board is afraid of that. Way to give in to a minority of thugs. Yet another fake excuse is that the event will bring too many people. Yet other events held there have brought in far more.
The opposition is being led by professional bigot Pete Labarbera of the Illinois Family Institute. He has been lobbying businesses to pull out their endorsement of the Gay Games without much success. He regularly uses slanderous statements about the "dangerous lifestyle" of gays to push for discrimination. He can often be seen at various gay events doing what he calls "research". He seems to be inordinately concerned about what gay males are up to, not so much about lesbians. Hmmm.
I'll be at the board meeting on Tuesday and I hope anybody in the neighborhood will show up. I'm not sure if anybody will get to speak but it's time to show we won't put up with this kind of nonsense.
The Daily Herald also has an online poll going on that has been severely freeped: http://www.dailyherald.com/

Also you can email or call the board via the website at: http://www.crystallakeparks.org/page2-%20business%20information.html
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

[kweerwolf]

5. Pete Labarbera is so far right ...

... that he accused the "Rev." Fred Phelps of being a gay plant who creates sympathy for gay rights.

Oh ... and welcome to DU, Xeric! :hi:

[insleeforprez]

4. I'm a gay rower

Don't have much to add to this discussion...but I thought I'd just throw it out there...

:)