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Take Me Out to the Outgames
An Observer's Commentary
by Mikhael Yowe
What
do you get when 109 nations come together in the party capital of North
America? You get the 1st World Outgames in Montreal, Quebec.
It began on the 26th of July with
the International Conference on LGBT Human Rights. Roughly 2,000 delegates
from around the world came together for workshops and discussions. The
conference ended on July 29th with the adoption of the Declaration of
Montréal, an LGBT human rights proclamation.
International tennis champion Martina
Navratilova and Canadian Olympic champion Mark Tewksbury presented the
Declaration during the opening ceremony of the Outgames. Among the Declaration’s
provisions: Protection against state and private violence; freedom of
expression, assembly and association; freedom to engage in (private, consensual,
adult) same-sex sexual activity; and a worldwide information campaign
to be launched at the 2nd World Outgames in Copenhagen in 2009.
In the spirit of true inclusiveness,
the games were open to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, age,
gender, race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, physical challenge, political
beliefs, physical ability, athletic and artistic skills or HIV/ health
status.
The Outgames’ ideals were based
on the principles of Participation and Celebration, Respect and Fairness,
Innovation, Diversity and Empowerment (PRIDE). There were no minimum athletic
standards to qualify for the Outgames. The only requirement was the desire
to support the stated ideals of the event.
People with specific needs or disabilities
were integrated as full fledged participants, volunteers, officials and
spectators.
By accepting the Outgames’ challenge,
all participants automatically became winners.
I went to the Outgames to watch
my friend from Detroit swim the 1500-meter freestyle. At 49 he needed
all the encouragement that we could give him. Besides, I’m a people
watcher and a room full of Speedo-clad athletes just can’t be missed.
My friend stayed in the upper one-third of all of his events. Not bad
for some one pushing half a century.
About 15,000 athletes from 109 nations
came together for 35 different events. Everyone from seasoned athletes
to beginners showed their mettle in usual Olympic sports; and in things
not so usual, like badminton and bodybuilding.
Living up to its reputation, Montreal
could not leave out the parties. Six huge cultural parties were thrown
through out the week, celebrating the events and the athletes.
Some 250,000 visitors came to watch
the events and the people. Montreal’s ban on indoor smoking pushed
patrons outside to the sidewalks, so city leaders closed St. Catherine
Street during the games. It was a good thing, too. The foot traffic took
to the street and was shoulder to shoulder, a literal sea of people from
around the world, laughing and celebrating life.
It was a bonus that the International
Fireworks Event was happening the same week. Every night a different country
hosted the display of “pyro-art” over the city.
To say the least, it was a great experience
and the eye candy wasn’t so bad, either.
Mikhael Yowe is a married trans-queer leatherman who lives in Williamstown,
Vermont.