The Year of Moving Forward

The Year of Moving Forward
At our 4 person wedding reception in DC

Friday, July 18, 2008

Bring the Games to Birmingham

Birmingham mayor Larry Langford wants to bring the Olympics to the Magic City.

Enough has been said about that on the other blogs, but I have an idea.

Let’s bring the Gay Games to Birmingham.

Built upon the principles of Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best™, for more than 25 years the Gay Games have empowered tens of thousands of LGBT artists and athletes through fellowship and friendly competition.

From the first Gay Games in San Francisco in 1982, the ’86 games in San Fran, Vancouver 1990, New York 1994, Amsterdam 1998, Sydney 2002, Chicago 2006, and coming up in Cologne in 2010. How about Birmingham, 2014 or 2018?

Just as the mayor said, and more, “If we don’t believe in this product that we’re selling called {an inclusive} Birmingham, we have no business expecting any one else to believe in us."

It would be a money maker. Remember Show me the money - Gays ?

  • Gay men and lesbians go out more, buy more, have more disposable income and are extremely loyal consumers
  • Gay and lesbian consumers purchase from companies/brands that advertise in gay media, deliver product messages in gay-specific advertising, support gay and lesbian community causes and are good to their own gay and lesbian employees
  • 60 percent took a foreign trip in the last three years
  • 59 percent buy themselves whatever they want

That is money to spend, Birmingham!

Each Gay Games since 1994 has drawn over 12,000 athletes, which compares to the Olympics.
Add to that tens of thousands of spectators and you have a world class event.

How about it, Mayor? And I will volunteer to be on the committee!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, we'd be just as likely to get the olympics as have the mayor agree to that. But it's a cool suggestion nevertheless.
Another Cali poll:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2008/07/18/BA7U11R8T4.DTL&o=0

Kevin Boyer said...

Information on the 2014 bidding cycle for the Gay Games is located at www.gaygames.org. The announcement is at http://www.gaygames.com/en/media/releases/2007/FGG071207PR.pdf.