Tracy Baim

The Olympics question

The Olympics question

From my editorial in the 9-29-09 Windy City Times,

http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=23021

Because I was so involved in efforts to bring the Gay Games to Chicago in 2006, I have been asked hundreds of times by friends and strangers what my opinion is of the Olympics potentially coming to Chicago.

While the financial scale of the Gay Games is much smaller than the Olympics ( the Chicago 2016 group has spent more than five times our $10 million budget just on their bid ) , we had more than 11,000 athletes and culture participants, which is more than many summer Olympics have had. The Gay Games also inspired Mayor Daley to make a stronger push for the Olympics here. He said his experience during Gay Games VII in 2006, especially at Soldier Field's Opening Ceremony, motivated him.

But the Olympics are a city-sponsored and supported event, while the Gay Games were privately funded, and we even paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to the city for use of Soldier Field, parks, city services, and more. The city made money from us, not to mention the millions in economic impact the city experienced from tourists and residents spending money during our 10-day event.

So, what do I think about the potential of Chicago hosting the Olympics? I am quite torn. As a lifelong Chicagoan, I am so proud of this city, and I consider it the best place in the world to live. I think an event like the Olympics will be good for Chicago, but I have quite a few caveats to that statement. I do want Chicago to win the right to host the Olympics, but I also want us to hold this city and its elected and appointed officials to a much a higher standard than we have witnessed in the past.

We all know the stories of insider deals, Tax Increment Finance ( TIF ) districts run amuck, double-dipping politicians, lack of transparency, gentrification without enforced plans to build low-cost replacement housing, and, possibly worst of all, the sale of our city's income-generating assets without a full vetting. The parking meter scandal will negatively impact generations if it is not fixed.

"The Chicago Way" is a joke we live with, but it is not one we have to continue to laugh at while doing nothing.

In sum, I saw what the Gay Games did for our city, on its own scale, and I therefore think the Olympics would be an even grander way to showcase our city. But this is what I would ask us to make sure of:

1 ) We need a law that requires one-for-one housing replacement for those who will be displaced by the necessary building boom.

2 ) The parks that will be swallowed up for years because of Olympic plans must also be replaced one-for-one.

3 ) Enforcement of women and minority contract set-asides must be overseen by an independent review panel.

4 ) Security personnel ( police and others ) need ongoing training to handle a diverse population already in Chicago, one that will only get more diverse during the Olympics. No repeat of the 1969 riots, please, or of recent cases of police misconduct.

5 ) Changes to transportation should be in line with plans that will further enhance the long-term needs of the communities, not just short-term Olympic travel needs.

6 ) That every person, paid or volunteer, with the Olympics and the city must sign strict conflict-of-interest and ethics contracts. Absolutely no one associated with the Olympics process should profit from the Olympics in any unethical way. This includes through building contracts, sale of properties, no-bid contracts for restaurant vendors, etc.

7 ) When an event takes place in a neighborhood, every effort must be made to involve local businesses, not forcing them to compete against massive corporate chains for the Olympic business. We need to use this as an opportunity to grow local businesses, not line the pockets of multi-billion-dollar Olympic sponsors.

8 ) Finally, I have been pretty unimpressed with the outreach of the Olympic bid committee. It has been very top-down and secret in many of its approaches. They have paid the price for that arrogance. They have not learned the lessons of past events in Chicago or elsewhere, and they have not had a grassroots feel at all. That has to change. Native Chicagoans and our friends are living in cities throughout the world. Our own Gay Games created a vast network of Chicago fans that have gone untapped by Olympic organizers. These are athletes and cultural folks who might make easy ambassadors for our city's outreach efforts for the Olympics. The winning bid city can't afford to manage from the corporate tower. We need this event to have ownership from all parts of the city of Chicago—geographic, class, ethnic, religious, gender, and LGBT. The city needs us all to feel a fully vested interest to make the Olympics successful.

For the Gay Games, we experienced an amazing support from a wide range of city and suburban people, including from Oak Park, Evanston and Crystal Lake ( yes, Crystal Lake, which eventually supported us ) . Athletes said strangers, gay and straight, welcomed them with open arms. We had a tremendous feeling of citizenship and pride in hosting the Gay Games.

I want that for Chicago again, for the Olympics. But it is a much more difficult, and expensive, path. Let's hope our officials—those who are elected and those who are part of the Olympic team—are listening. If they are not, we may just have to shout a little louder.

Tracy Baim was co-vice chair of Gay Games VII and is publisher of Windy City Media Group.

Women's Pro Soccer in Chicago

CHICAGO RED STARS 
TEAM UP WITH 
WINDY CITY TIMES NEWSPAPER

There's a new women's professional sports team in Chicago, and they will hit the ground running in April. As part of its region-wide promotional efforts, the Chicago Red Stars soccer team will be partnering with Windy City Times newspaper on promotions targeting Chicago's lesbian and gay community.   The Red Stars kick off the inaugural 2009 Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) season on April 4 on the road against Saint Louis Athletica at Ralph Korte Stadium on the campus of Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. Following a second road game against the Washington Freedom April 11, the Red Stars will play their historic home-opener at TOYOTA PARK in Bridgeview, Ill., on Sunday, April 19 against Sky Blue FC.  The intimate, soccer-specific stadium is also home to the Chicago Fire men's soccer team, and just a short drive southwest of downtown Chicago.   Season tickets, starting at only $120 for 10 regular season games plus two bonus games, are on sale now. Call (866) WPS-2009 or log on to www.chicagoredstars.com to reserve your seats.    "This initiative is an important part of our overall plan to welcome all Chicagoans to watch amazing women athletes compete," said Red Stars director of marketing Jim Houghton. "Olympic and World Cup veterans will play alongside some of the best up-and-coming players in the world."   "Women's sports have always had a very dedicated following among the lesbian and gay community," said Windy City Times Publisher Tracy Baim. "However, some teams have shied away from promoting this partnership, leaving their fans feeling unwelcome at the gates. We are proud to partner with the Red Stars on this historic opening season of WPS. As a lifelong soccer player, I am excited about watching terrific soccer right here in Chicago this summer."   The Red Stars play a 10-game home schedule, with 9 of those 10 matches taking place on Saturdays and Sundays.  In addition to the April 19 home opener, the Red Stars play home games on the following dates: April 25 against Boston Breakers; May 10 vs. Sky Blue FC; May 16 vs. FC Gold Pride; May 23 vs. Saint Louis Athletica; June 20 vs. Boston Breakers; July 1 vs. Washington Freedom; July 12 vs. FC Gold Pride; July 26 vs. Washington Freedom; and Aug. 2 vs. Los Angeles. The playoffs will follow at the end of the regular season.   Chicago's team features top players from across the U.S. and the world.  The team's international contingent is headlined by Brazilian phenom Cristiane, whose 10 goals in 12 games earned her the title of leading goal scorer in the last two Olympic tournaments.  Other internationals include England's Karen Carney, Australia's Heather Garriock, Ifeoma Dieke of Scotland and Sweden's Caroline Jonsson and Frida Ostberg. The club's domestic talent includes US Soccer's Female Athlete of the Year Carli Lloyd, who scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal match of the Beijing Olympics in August, as well as US Women's National Team members Lindsay Tarpley, Megan Rapinoe, Marian Dalmy, and local Illinois product Ella Masar.     The 20,000-member Illinois Women's Soccer League (IWSL) has also signed on as a partner with the Red Stars.

Some of the Chicago Red Stars Players            Pictured, clockwise from top left: Cristiane, Lindsay Tarpley, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Ella Masar

The Chicago Red Stars were born as "Chicago Professional Women's Soccer"
Sept. 4, 2007 along with six other charter franchises of the WPS. For more
information, call (866) WPS-2009 or log on towww.chicagoredstars.com.

Windy City Times is produced by Windy City Media Group, whcih also publishes
Nightspots, OUT! Resource Guide, Identity online, Windy City Queercast and
QueerTVNetwork.com. See  www.windycitymediagroup.com 
or call (773) 871-7610.

How about those White Sox?

OK, so I wrote about the Cubs losing in my blog, and now my 11-year-old nephew wants to speak up about his Sox. We live on the South Side of Chicago, and I grew up both North and South.

I think the Sox should have gone all the way. I mean they've got Konerko, Dye, Swisher, and a handful of other great players. When I went to a Sox game I learned a new nickname for Elexie Ramirez. When Ramirez struck out, the person in front of me said "It's OK sexy Lexi." I started cracking up. He said that every time he went up to bat. After that I always starting calling him that. But anyway, I have to give the Sox props because they went one further game than the Cubs and had to play the better team, the Devil Rays.

I like playing sports with my friends because it is fun and because I like competition. I like to test myself against other people. My favorite sports in order are football, basketball, baseball, and soccer.

There you have it. Anthony is a great athlete, but I like that so far it's just fun and games. I dread when it becomes real teams, and real intensity that may distort his enjoyment. I want sports to continue to be fun and good exercise for him, but want to make sure that he has fun, win or lose.

The emotional wasteland of sports

I grew up playing sports, and only stopped at age 40 when my knees started to give way. I played Little League in Chicago in the early 1970s, and was among the first girls to penetrate that bastion of young male machismo (I did so at first passing as a boy, with only my coach and a few friends knowing the truth). I played softball for more than 20 years, soccer for more than 25 years, and various other team sports. I love sports. It's why I served as co-vice chair of Gay Games VII in Chicago, but I did that because sports can change perceptions and minds about LGBT people, not because I wanted to run a tournament.

But I was never much of a fan. I am not sure why. I do like watching some sports, especially football. It's great strategy sometimes, and these days it's a good way to bond with my sports-nut 11-year-old nephew. It can be enjoyable, sure, but I have never understood the sheer intensity of some fans. For example, I am a Drake University alum, but I barely know who is competing for titles and such. I started the first women's soccer team at Drake (a club sport 1981-84 where we took hand-me-down boys' uniforms), but I don't follow how they are now as a fully funded competitive school team. I have gone to women's pro basketball (Condors, Sky, etc.) and softball (Bandits) games, and will go to the new women's pro soccer team next year. I know I have to support women's teams or they will go away.

But my emotional investment is practically zero. I enjoy watching, but often do not care who wins. Maybe that is the true legacy of being a Chicago sports fan. You either care or not, and those who do care seem to me to give over power to something not just out of their control, but certainly something that does not matter in their daily lives one bit (unless you own a bar in Wrigleyville). We have a crashing economy, a horrible war, AIDS, global warming ... you name it, there are plenty of causes you can put your emotions behind. Yet we have millions of people who would rather put their emotional capital, and a lot of financial capital, behind pro sports teams filled with mostly wealthy men who could care less about their fans. We are rooting for millionaires on the golf course, the baseball diamond, the football field, the basketball court ... and we are not truly rooting for what matters. When it comes to college sports, the intensity of some fans is almost rabid.

I do understand the need for distraction, as well. We all need entertainment, whether it is movies or sports or reading, you name it, we Americans have a lot of ways to spend our leisure time. It is when it crosses over and interferes with our perspective that I have a problem. The Cubs losing yet again is not news, and it shoud not devastate the lives of anyone. Yet the amount of media space given to the Cubs is a huge distortion compared to what they give to true tragedies. Let me put it clearly: The Cubs losing is not a tragedy. It is not something anyone should cry over, fight over, or lose sleep over. Be upset for a bit, sure, but let's get some perspective. We need to shift our emotional capital elsewhere, towards true tragedies and causes.

One other thing about the Cubs. Wrigley Field and the Cubs don't need a victory to survive. Unlike most franchises, they are the boys of summer, not the winners of fall, and it never really impacts their filling of the season's seats. Even IF they ever win the World Series, like finally happened for Boston, the next year they start all over again. The Bulls won how many times? And then when they lost it was never enough to look backwards. So let's just pretend the Cubs won the World Series last year, and get on with our lives. There's always last year.

Title IX Victory

Not sure if Barracuda basketball mama Sarah Palin understands how deep the hatred and inequality for women has been in this country for generations. She seems to naively think she got to play basketball and win trophies all on her own, not on the backs of generations of women who fought for equal rights in all areas, including sports.

If she did understand this, she might not be so easily swept up in all things right wing. Because make no mistake, Title IX, which gives a (somewhat) more even playing field to girls in sports has been attacked for decades by those same boosters using Palin as their "softer side of fundamentalism" frontwoman. There have been serious fights across the country to keep Title IX, and hearings and court challenges crop up all the time.

There was a victory reported Sept. 16 from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, one of the top groups fighting for LGBT rights in this country, including for women in sports.

Below is the press release from NCLR. Check their site (www.nclrights.org) out for more details. And don't bet on Sarah Palin and John McCain defending your right to shoot hoops.

An investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR) confirmed “substantial and unjustified” Title IX violations in San Diego Mesa College’s (Mesa) athletic program. The violations OCR identified were initially the subject of a complaint by former head basketball coach Lorri Sulpizio shortly before she and her domestic partner, the former Director of Basketball Operations, Cathy Bass, were terminated from their employment with Mesa. OCR’s investigation focused on gender disparities in the treatment of student-athletes and did not include Sulpizio’s and Bass’ retaliation and employment discrimination claims, which are the subject of a pending lawsuit.

OCR investigated whether Mesa operates an intercollegiate athletic program that provides benefits, opportunities, and services to female athletes that are equivalent to those provided to male athletes. Based on its investigation of Mesa’s treatment of male and female student athletes, OCR “identified disparities with respect to the scheduling of games, the provision of locker rooms, practice and competitive facilities, and the provision of medical and training facilities.” OCR further concluded that: “These disparities were more than negligible and collectively established a violation of Title IX.” Specifically, OCR found that:

· Mesa had scheduled football games at the same time as a women’s basketball tournament, and “the result of this was that the female basketball players were not allowed to use the women’s locker room.”
· “Only female athletes have been scheduled to play at a time when they were not able to use their own locker rooms.”
· “The women’s basketball team has been displaced from the women’s locker room by a visiting football team,” forcing the women’s team to use inferior facilities and preventing the visiting team from using any restroom facilities.
· “Softball is the only College team that shares its competition field with another team of a different sport. The baseball field is used exclusively by baseball, while the softball field is shared with the men’s and women’s soccer teams.”
· Mesa’s policy with respect to student-athletes’ access to athletic service trainers “has a disparate, negative impact on female athletes.”
· The OCR determined that these gender inequities have “a negative impact on female athletes,” are “of a substantial and unjustified nature” and “established a violation of Title IX.”

As a result of OCR’s investigation, Mesa entered into a resolution agreement with OCR that addresses the issues that OCR identified. Mesa’s compliance with the agreement will be monitored by OCR.

“Mesa should comply with the law and ensure that women student-athletes and coaches have the same resources and opportunities as their male counterparts. We are pleased that the Office of Civil Rights is addressing these inequities at Mesa,” said Helen Carroll, Sport Project Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

On July 24, 2008, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and the law firms of Boxer & Gerson, LLP and Stock Stephens, LLP filed a lawsuit in state court in San Diego, California on behalf of Sulpizio and Bass. The complaint alleged that despite Sulpizio’s and Bass’s dedication and demonstrated track record of success leading the women’s basketball program at the community college, Mesa officials unlawfully fired both coaches after they spoke out about the unequal treatment of female athletes and women coaches and following publication in a local paper of an article identifying them as domestic partners.