FEATURE Sports Complex Border Crossings: The Politics of 2006's Sports Events Jim Provenzano | February 14, 2005 from left Shane Blakebrough, delegate from Johannesburg, South Africa; Charles King, of the Federation of Gay Games (FGG); and Elfi Scho-Antwerpes, deputy mayor of the city of Cologne, at the 2004 FGG annual meeting. (Photo courtesy FGG) What effect will the Bush administration's policies have on attendance at Chicago's Gay Games VII and Montreal's OutGames I? Travelers to the United States are facing unparalleled scrutiny at customs and in airports, which may justify specific concerns from GLBT athletes. For example, since Jan. 4, 2004, the Department of Homeland Security has required most visitors traveling on visas to the United States to have two fingerprints scanned by an inkless device and a digital photograph taken by immigration officials upon entry at U.S. air– and seaports. In December 2004, a group of 40 American Muslims returning to the United States from an Islamic conference in Toronto were detained for half a day and coerced into being fingerprinted, despite being U.S. citizens. And in January 2005, the FBI admitted that it was keeping records of all U.S. airline passengers' personal itineraries from the months before Sept. 11, 2001, and may continue to do so. Such scrutiny may deter visiting athletes from countries where being gay is illegal. When asked about the reason for their visit, will closeted athletes be forced to explain their destination? Additionally, Gay Games and OutGames participants with HIV who must bring medications may also face problems. In 2001, the Canadian government reversed its policy to prevent HIV-positive people from immigrating to the country. For visitors to Canada, a health policy of preventing people with communicable diseases is still on the books, but not applied frequently. U.S. customs has a similar policy, which was made into law in 1993. Shortly before Gay Games IV in New York in 1994, swift work by Federation of Gay Games (FGG) officials enabled the creation of "designated event status" for HIV-positive individuals attending Gay Games IV. Charles King, one of several FGG delegates working on the issue, says that similar plans are underway with Gay Games VII. "If we go through the same channels and follow the protocols of 10 years ago, we shouldn't have any problems," he says. Among the federal offices that must approve designated event status for the Games are the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of State, the Attorney General's office, and the Department of Homeland Security. With the top positions of these departments changing, King says that the FGG and Chicago Games Inc. (CGI) – host of the seventh Games – will wait until late February to apply. "We have to await approval, but we're putting the foundation in place," says King. Obtaining designated event status may ensure entry for foreign athletes. But since travel information may be made known to athletes' home embassies, some visitors will need to be more discreet. "We need to trek delicately on how to get people from some countries where being gay is punishable by death," says King. Such people will be helped on an individual basis, King added, as their numbers are small. The majority of participants at the last Games, held in Sydney in 2002, were from North America and Europe. Any potential problems aren't stopping people from registering for Gay Games VII, says Chicago Games Vice Co-Chair Kevin Boyer. Almost 2,000 individuals have registered. "Our figures at the end of December 2004 were 40 percent above our forecast and approximately double what Sydney had this many months in advance of Gay Games VI." Montreal's OutGames claims 3,000 potential participants, with 57 percent from North America, 30 percent from Europe, and less than 3 percent from Africa, Asia, and South America. As for foreign athletes visiting Chicago, King says few problems should arise. "In addition to the designated event status, we're making sure that we have all the necessary information in place with Border Control and Immigration to handle any situation." King hopes non-Americans will see the difference between the U.S. government and dissenting U.S. citizens. Most countries and their citizens have vocally expressed antipathy towards George W. Bush and his policies. "His strong-arm tactics in the handling of Iraq are revolting to many," says King. After the tempestuous split that occurred between Montreal and FGG, officials for OutGames made dismissive comments about the seventh Games. In a Sept. 21, 2004, interview with Queersports.org, OutGames Co-President Mark Tewksbury said that, "Europeans seem to prefer Montreal to Chicago for different reasons... Montreal is in Canada and not in the States - no further comment!" And in a March 2004 La Presse interview, Louise Roy, CEO of Rendez-Vous Montreal (OutGames), dismissed the Gay Games as merely "an American trademark." Are GLBT athletes who choose Montreal making their decision to spite America or Americans? Issues directly related to gay rights – most notably, marriage equity – may give Canada an edge over the United States. Participants at either event will want to visit a friendly environment. Illinois' January 2005 passage of a statewide bill banning antigay discrimination will have a positive effect on business in Chicago. However, even as OutGames officials dismissed Chicago's Games and the FGG, in other statements they appropriate the name of U.S.–born Gay Games founder Tom Waddell, and his original phrase of "inclusion, participation, and personal best." A November 2004 OutGames press release even paraphrased Field of Dreams, a distinctly American film about an American-born sport, baseball: "Build it, and they will come." Whether or not attendance will reflect political beliefs, "There are people who want to make [the Games] political," says FGG's King. "But for us, it's not about politics. It's about inclusion and basic human rights." Jim Provenzano is the author of the novels PINS and Monkey Suits. Read more sports articles at www.sportscomplex.org Related stories Foot Work: When Is Dancing a Sport? [31/01/2005] Cologne, Johannesburg and Paris to bid for Gay Games VIII in 2010 [25/01/2005] For more info on Gay Sport in South Africa contact Gay Sport SA