Pride House: Safe Haven at the Olympic Games

With homophobia still rampant in the world of sports, the Vancouver Games have something new that has never been previously done before: an unofficial safe haven for gay competitors. With fears of outing and/or loss of promotional endorsements, not to mention competition on an unbelievably high level, the goal of Pride House is provide a sense of safety and welcome. It is unfortunate that in the 21st century it is still necessary for gays to face such bigotry, but sports seems to be one of the remaining bastions of homophobia. In a CBC article, a former Olympian describes his feeling of being in "enemy territory" during past Olympic games. I look forward to the day when no one will care who one loves and instead look merely to one's athletic prowess. Here are some story highlights:
*
Pride House, in the heart of Vancouver's West End, is welcoming the world. The first of its kind at an Olympics, the unofficial pavilion is tucked away on a quiet side street in Vancouver's gay village, striving to be an education centre and a safe and welcoming venue for gay and lesbian athletes, coaches, friends and families.
*
Canadian swimmer and former Olympian Mark Tewksbury, visiting Pride House during the Games' opening weekend, said such a venue would never have been tolerated when he was competing. Tewksbury, who announced he was gay in 1998, won gold and bronze medals in the 1992 Barcelona Games and a silver medal in Seoul in 1988.
*
"Being at the Olympics was like being in an occupied country where you're never sure who you can talk to," said Tewksbury, who published the book Inside Out: Straight Talk from a Gay Jock in 2006. "If I made a mistake, it could have been the end of my livelihood and that climate is definitely [still] present."
*
A sister Pride House has opened in Whistler, a rowdy pavilion considered a popular party venue. Vancouver's Pride House is much quieter, located three kilometres (a 20-minute walk) from B.C. Place and the centre of the Olympic Village.
*
In his opinion, Pride House is a step in the right direction, but added it's not about athletes coming out at the Games. "The value [of Pride House] is not so much about gay people coming out, but straight people coming in. [That is] what will empower the gay teenagers [whether they are athletes or not] to feel comfortable enough to come out," Tewksbury said.

*

Truth be told, we are just like everyone else - would that more folks could recognize this simple fact.

Vancouver Reflections; Most Liveable City

Watching the 2010 Winter Games has so far brought back memories of one of the best trips of my life: July 2004 when my son and I spent a week in and around Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria, British Columbia. The photo above is one that my son took from the car as we drove up the "Sea to Sky Highway" that runs from Vancouver up to Whistler. As the photo suggests, the scenery is so spectacular that it's hard to believe that it is real at times.

*

The trip was remarkable and wonderful in ways far more important that the scenery. It was a time my son and I got to spend quality time together and experience our own special adventure if you will. It was a happy time before the divorce nightmare destroyed so much, before the collapse of my former law firm and the financial ruin that followed, and before my son largely ceased to communicate with. The trip generated memories that I will treasure always.

*

Of course, the other memories that I have of Vancouver is that it is everything that Norfolk and this part of Virginia is not: tolerant, protective of all minority groups, open to diversity, cosmopolitan. The list goes on and on. Which is probably one reason that Vancouver was recently chosen as the world's most livable city by the The Economist:

*
VANCOUVER is still the most liveable city in the world, according to a new ranking from the Economist Intelligence Unit. The Canadian city topped a "liveability survey" of 140 cities, as it did in 2008.
*
The ranking scores each city from 0-100 on 30 factors spread across five areas: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Vancouver's average score was 98—0.8 less than last year—but the margins at the top are all tight, with the best ten cities scoring over 96.
*
What is also interesting three of the top cities are in Canada - a country much derided by the American far right - and three more of the top ten are in Australia. Obviously, those nations are doing some things right - just maybe the USA could lean from their examples.

Winter Olympics Start in 8 Days

Growing up through high school in the snow country of central New York State I had plenty of exposure to winter sports. Perhaps as a result, I have always enjoyed the Winter Olympics far more than the summer games. And this year, having been to both Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, the games will have even a stronger sense of connection. One of my favorite events is the ice skating. First because I skated myself before switching to snow skiing and, therefore, respect the skill, talent and artistry required to be a top skater. Second, having had a daughter who was a competitive skater some years back (see the photo below of my daughter), I have a true sense of the sacrifice and cost involved in reaching the upper levels of amateur figure skating (competitions sound exciting, but in reality involve a lot of waiting around and killing time). Representing the USA in the men's competition will be Jeremy Abbott (who took first place at the U.S. Nationals and is pictured above right), Evan Lysacek and the ever flamboyant Johnny Weir (pictured above left)

*

One of the most amazing things I was fortunate enough witness during my daughter's competitive years was the Russian Ice Dancing gold medalists who used the University of Delaware ice facility as a training base. They were nothing short of amazing and watching on television fails to allow one to realize the speed with which they skate. Anyone who thinks make figure skaters are not top athletes doesn't know the true rigors of the sport - even if skaters like Johnny Weir like to push the envelop. Here are highlights about Weir's latest run in with animal rights supporters:

*

This was only a matter of time. Johnny Weir has been forced to switch from real to fake fur. Weir wore a costume for his free program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships two weeks ago that included a small amount of -- gasp! -- white fox fur on his left shoulder. Not surprisingly, he received enough protests and hate mail from animal rights advocates that he has decided to replace the fox with faux fur.
*
The death toll in Haiti is more than 150,000. Soldiers are dying in Afghanistan and Iraq. One in 10 Americans are unemployed and homeless shelters are swelling. But hey, Johnny Weir wore a piece of fur on his costume! We can't have that!
*

"I would like to announce that due to pressures and threats from a certain animal rights group, I will be changing the genuine fox fur on my free program costume that I will use in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, B.C., to white faux fur," Weir said in a statement first posted on icenetwork.com. "I made this decision after several threats were sent to me about disrupting my performance in the Olympic Games and my costume designer, Stephanie Handler, was repeatedly sent messages of hate and disgust.
*

Here's the above referenced photo of my daughter a number of years back (she's still beautiful).

Incredible Natural Beauty

I mentioned in an earlier post today the wonderful trip I had with my son to British Columbia. I wanted to post a few more photos, including the 21 story waterfall on the road to Whistler (my son took the photo since I have a fear of heights), a fabulous view of an arm of Puget Sound, and a gorgeous beach on the west coast of Vancouver Island.