“With these games and the procession of the arts, we hereby serve notice that we are fully vested citizens of this world with a thriving and bonafide culture and that we are worthy of the respect and the esteem of every other citizen in this world. Today and for this week, we see ourselves as we really are…active, productive, creative, and healthy!! Let the games begin.”
Dr. Tom Waddell, GGII, 1986
San Francisco
Every four years since 1982, the LGBT community has joined together in the athletic and cultural celebration known as the “Gay Games.” From San Francisco in 1986 to Cologne, Germany in 2010, thousands of athletes, artists and spectators descend upon a host city to bring a fresh perspective and insight into our community.
The pulsating excitement and lasting memories generated at these Games are truly life-changing to all involved. Fleishman-Hillard had the great opportunity to serve as the communications agency-of-record for the Chicago Gay Games in 2006, and I still hear about how rewarding and impactful the project was for my colleagues around the network.
Last week, the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) announced that Boston, D.C. and Cleveland were the finalists to host the Gay Games in 2014. The LGBT media and social media channels were abuzz with coverage on this announcement, and message boards were on fire with ongoing debates about which city will be the best host for the LGBT community.
Let me provide a little behind-the-scenes perspective on the Cleveland bid. In October 2008, a local TV station (yes, local news still exists!) reported on a press conference here in Cleveland announcing the Cleveland Synergy Foundation’s (CSF) announcement that the organization was pursuing the opportunity to host the ninth Gay Games in Cleveland in 2014. My mother (pause for dramatic effect…) called me and told me about the news segment. After I picked myself up off the floor for how far she and I have come in our mother-gay son relationship, I reached out to the CSF team to see if we could help in the process.
I admit that I was a bit nervous… I have never been involved in organized athletics beyond show choir and shuffleboard. How would I be able to provide PR strategy and marketing recommendations for a sporting festival? And then, I met the CSF boys, and was blown away by their commitment to bringing the Games to Cleveland. Their passion for the Games, and for Cleveland, was simply remarkable. They recognized the economic impact that an event of this nature could have on Ohio, but more importantly, they recognized the impact that the Games could have on the perception of the LGBT community, in Ohio and in the heartland of the U.S.
After meeting with the CSF, I realized that our collective challenge would not be marketing the Games to the LGBT audience—12,000 athletes from around the world are regular participants in the Games. The challenge was how could we build state and regional support for our bid, and then if Cleveland is selected, how can we appeal to the LGBT audience to come to Cleveland for the Games?
The first challenge was surprisingly a bit of a homerun (I am finally learning sports metaphors!). From Ohio Governor Ted Strickland to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, the amount of committed support and endorsement was overwhelming. It was not only support for the CSF, but support for the global LGBT community and the Games. Additionally, cultural and athletic organizations from around the state and country jumped at the chance to be involved with Cleveland’s bid to help showcase the best of Ohio to our global friends.
The second challenge remains our current focus. Since we are in the middle of the bidding process, I won’t reveal too much of our marketing strategy. What I will share are the sentiments I have heard from the LGBT community in Ohio, from message boards over the past week, and from my FH colleagues around the world.
If you closely analyze the intent of the Games as addressed in the quote above by FGG founder Dr. Tom Waddell, the Games are a way to bring an appreciation and understanding of our community to allies and detractors. They are intended to show that “we are fully vested citizens of this world with a thriving and bonafide culture and that we are worthy of the respect and the esteem of every other citizen in this world.”
I have lived in all three finalist cities. Boston and D.C. are known for vibrant LGBT communities and have global reputations as great travel destinations. And Cleveland? We are known as the “Rock and Roll Capital of the World” on Lake Erie and for being a pretty economically-challenged town. Are we a big LGBT destination? Probably not.
But, that’s the point of the Games. We could stay in our comfort zone and host the Games in Boston or D.C., or we could live up to the Games motto and reach out to a region that needs a better understanding of our community. By bringing the Games to Cleveland, we will be making people in Ohio, and America’s heartland, take notice of our community and help them begin to understand who we are and how inclusive we can be.
Yes, I am biased here—Fleishman-Hillard is working closely with the CSF to bring the Games to Cleveland. But, I wouldn’t have put my agency’s name behind the project if I didn’t feel that Ohio, and the LGBT community, could truly benefit from this synergy.
I promise to provide regular updates on the 2014 bidding process and the excitement here in Cleveland. In the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts on which city (Boston, Cleveland, or D.C.) should be the next host of the Gay Games in 2014. Tell me which city, and why.
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Michael, I totally agree that a city with a rather low LGBT-profile is the perfect host. Creating awareness and tolerance in such cities and regions should be the prime target.
I’m already looking forward to the Games being in Cologne next year, just an our away from Frankfurt. The LGBT infrastructre in Cologne is outstanding (being the gay capital of Germany) and at the same time the city is kinda the center of the Catholic church in Germany. So I hope to see not only great Games in terms of sports achievements but also interesting and controversial discussions.