2006 Gay Games®, Chicago Games, Inc., (CGI) the host organization for the event, announced this week that it has completed the post-Games fundraising and wind down process and that the 2006 Gay Games broke even. Such a positive financial result reverses a 20-year trend, having not been achieved since Gay Games II in 1986. CGI accomplished the result with 2 fewer years planning time than most Gay Games.

“We are extremely grateful to our many donors, sponsors, volunteers, partners and vendors whose commitment and contributions made today’s announcement possible,” said Tracy Baim, CGI board Co-Vice Chair and leader of the wind-down efforts. “Each deserves the appreciation of our city and the worldwide LGBT sports community.”

“We would like to extend special appreciation to partners Dick Uyvari and Joe La Pat, Chicagoans who significantly funded the 2006 Gay Games international scholarship program and created a Gay Games matching grant program to assist in the post-Games fundraising,” said Sam Coady, CGI Board Co-Chair.

After a heat wave and other circumstances increased expenses and created the need for additional fundraising, Uyvari and La Pat donated additional financial support. Uvyari is a long-time Gay Games supporter, having competed in six of the seven Gay Games. Other key post-Games donors included Fred Eychaner, Michael Leppen, and former U.S. Ambassador James Hormel and his partner, Tim Wu.

The Gay Games have always been a boon for the local economy. Nevertheless, the past three Gay Games host committees lost significant amounts of money, threatening the future of the quadrennial sports & culture festival. For the first time ever, the Gay Games also faced a competing LGBT sports event. Held in Montreal just one week after the Gay Games, that competing event’s host organization ended up losing several million dollars.

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Chicago’s business model differentiated itself by dramatically increasing corporate partnerships, relying significantly upon volunteer professionals and pro bono services, establishing a sponsored worldwide marketing and media campaign, and outsourcing non-core elements to third parties.

The 2006 Gay Games themselves contributed $50 to $80 million to the local economy, with some estimating that another 10 years of positive LGBT tourism visibility will generate millions more dollars in the long term.

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Walt Disney Co. has changed its policy to allow same-sex couples to participate in a popular Fairy Tale Wedding program it runs mainly at its two U.S. resorts AND cruise line, a Disney
spokesman said this week!

Disney previously had allowed gay couples to organize their own weddings or commitment ceremonies at rented meeting rooms at the resorts, but had barred them from purchasing its Fairy Tale Wedding package and holding the event at locations at Disneyland and Walt Disney World that are set aside specifically for weddings.

“We are updating our Fairy Tale Wedding guidelines to include commitment ceremonies,” Disney Parks and Resorts spokesman Donn Walker said. “This is consistent with our policy of creating a welcoming, respectful and inclusive environment for all of our guests.”

Disney’s Fairy Tale Wedding packages start at $8,000 and include a wedding planner, the ceremony, food and beverages, flowers and table decorations. – It better be fabulous!

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LAS VEGAS has been welcoming gay ceremonies for a couple years now. Gay Chapel of Las Vegas is Las Vegas’s only gay owned and operated ceremony chapel. “We take pride in offering the finest facilities available to our community”.  Several other chapels in the city also welcome gay unions. And if you really want to whoop it up,  HARRAHS CORP  which runs Caesars, Flamingo, Rio and  Paris, all offer same-sex union packages!  (Treasure Island was offering packages – I don’t know if they still are or not, but I would assume all of the WYNN hotels offer something…)  I had a couple friends who got hitched at Paris and had their cake done by the famed Parisian baker LeNotre! Talk about fabulous! And they said Paris was super gay-friendly!

  Getting back to Disney for a moment – Jeffrey Epstein and Eddie Shapiro’s “Queens in the Kingdom: The Ultimate Gay & Lesbian Guide to the Disney Theme Parks,” has just come out now in a revised and expanded second edition.

The book features more than 400 pages of tips on optimum visiting times, prime gay and lesbian Disney attractions and even the best places to share a gay kiss without suffering Ursula’s wrath. “Queens in the Kingdom” is campier than Tinkerbell, but answers each and every question that a gay Disney lover could ever have.