Pictured Jim Hahn with Team San Jose, Calif., in the 1986 Gay Games in San Fran. Hahn in 2006, at right. John Kelly at rest, and in a triathlon.
____________________
Jim Hahn
Age: 45
Hometown: Guerneyville, Calif.
Status: Partnered to Kevin Burton, 39, for almost two years
Job: Owns a quilting shop, selling supplies to quilt-makers
Gay Games sport: Bowling
High game: 270
Sports fact: Runs his sewing machine while watching baseball and football games.
Favorite teams: San Francisco Giants and New England Patriots
Favorite athlete: Benito Santiago
Likes: Old cars. Has a 1950 Buick Super Convertible with 150,000 miles and a 1965 Buick Riviera
Jim Hahn was there for the Opening Xeremony of the very first Gay Games back in 1982 in San Francisco, on a blustery Saturday with about 6,500 people in the stands cheering.
'I knew right then that the Gay Games was going to be a part of history, and I knew I had to be a part of the Gay Games going forward,' he said.
Jim Hahn is now one of the few and the proud, one of about 50 who has attended all six Gay Games. And he's set for number seven this summer in Chicago.
'I absolutely envisioned the success of the Gay Games,' Hahn said. 'Tom Waddell had a pretty good idea of what he wanted in the Gay Games. It primarily was a sporting event for people to come and do their best and to walk away knowing that they had done that. That was the primary focus of the Games. Over the years, the Games have gotten bigger, grander and there's been a lot more entertainment value pumped into it.'
Hahn's joy in San Francisco was quickly silenced, though. He bowled on the second day of the event and then learned that his grandmother had passed away the day before.
He went to the Oakland Greyhound station, bound for Davis, Calif. From there, he grabbed his suit, got it cleaned and managed to snag a ride to Sacramento, where he boarded a plane for Portland, Ore. He attended the funeral for his favorite grandparent and then returned to the Games.
On that Wednesday, Hahn learned he had qualified for the second round, coming in 18th. 'I was very determined to do what I set out to do and I know my grandmother would have wanted me to keep going [ and ] do as well as I could,' Hahn said.
Hahn's most memorable games were in Australia in 2002—because he finally won his first medal, a silver when his bowling team came in second-place.
'That was very exciting. I had been waiting a long time for that moment,' he said.
Hahn is on one of the eight bowling teams from San Francisco. His bowling partner for doubles is Doug Litwin, a Chicago native and a member of the Federation of Gay Games' Board of Directors.
'Personally, I always look forward to the opening and closing ceremonies,' Hahn said. 'There's an immense sense of pride and history in each. There are a lot of people who have worked very, very, very hard for the Games—not just this year, but many years in the past as well. It takes an army of volunteers, a lot of hard work, a lot of planning, and a lot of behind-the-scenes work. I'm very appreciative to those people.'
Hahn has a Rolodex of Gay Games memories, including many from New York City in 1994, when professional judges were employed for the first time. What else: A Canadian ice dancing pair almost had to withdraw when one of the dancers fell ill about a month before the Games. One of the skaters did go and, at the start of the Games, went hunting for an on-ice partner. Eventually, he found one and they meshed, amazingly. 'Timing with your partner is so important in ice dancing,' Hahn said. The duo was forced to wear uniforms that were, believe it or not, on loan from a lesbian couple. 'They learned their routine, went out and won a gold medal,' Hahn said. 'They absolutely brought the house down.'
Also, a favorite memory is when Patti LaBelle sang 'one of the best renditions of 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' that I've ever heard,' he said.
Live Bait Shows
Queer Productions
To celebrate Chicago's hosting of Gay Games VII, Live Bait Theater, 3914 N. Clark, presents Some Like it Homo, three visions of queer life in the United States. The productions, July 13-22, will coincide with the Games. The shows include Golden Corral, which returns to Live Bait for four performances only; Other Funny Stories About Cancer, which looks at everything from virginity to morality; and Nothing Left But The Smell: A Republican On Welfare.
All tickets are $15. A two-show pass is $20, a four-show pass is $30. Call 773-871-1212 or visit www.livebaittheater.org .
Countdown to Gay Games: John Kelly
By Ross Forman
Age is not an obstacle for John Kelly, who is coming to Chicago this summer for Gay Games VII and will compete in the marathon and the triathalon. Kelly is 48.
His goal for Chicago is simple: run a marathon in less than three hours for the first time and achieve a personal-best time in the triathalon.
Kelly has been running for 10 years and, in 2005, ran a marathon in 3 hours, 22 minutes.
'The marathon is what I like to do. I do the triathalon because the gear is sexy and I don't look too bad for a 48-year-old,' Kelly said.
Here's a further look at John Kelly:
Status: Gay
Hometown: London, England
College: Greenwich University
Job: Hospital Manager
Gay Games sports: Triathlon and marathon
Reason for attending the Games: 'Fun.'
Hobbies: Playing piano, dancing and cooking
People Don't Know That I ... 'dance so well.'
Dream Vacation Spot: New York
Gay Games Expo
The Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan, will be the site of the Gay Games VII Expo July 14-17.
The Gay Game VII Expo is expected to have more than 20,000 attendees.
Participant and volunteer registration will start July 14 at the hotel, which is also the site of the Gay Games VII Media Center. Exhibit opportunities are also available at the sports and ceremony venues throughout the week. Businesses and agencies will also recruit employees at the expo.
See expo.gaygameschicago.org .
Tuaolo at Women and Children First
On Thursday, July 20, at 7:30 p.m., gay ex-pro football player Esera Tuaolo will be at Women and Children First, 5233 N. Clark, for a reading and discussion of his book Alone in the Trenches: My Life as a Gay Man in the NFL ( Sourcebooks, $24.95 ) . Alone in the Trenches details, in Tuaolo's own words, such personal experiences as his Samoan upbringing, life in the NFL, losing his closeted brother to AIDS, meeting his partner, and even memories of being molested.
Call 773-769-9299.
Ernst & Young Becomes Bronze Games Sponsor
Professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP, one of the nation's largest of its kind, has joined as a global bronze sponsor of Gay Games VII. Ernst & Young's sponsorship includes providing ticketing and collection services for 10 venues at the events, which is equal to more than 1,000 hours of professional services. Approximately 180 Ernst & Young employee volunteers will be trained to work in shifts during the week-long event. In addition, Ernst & Young has sponsored suites at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games.
Gay Games VII Partners with Falkor Group
Falkor Group, a Chicago-based technology firm, is aiding the Gay Games with its expertise. The company is providing project management; infrastructure and network support; IP ( Internet protocol ) services; and application development. However, the firm's belief in diversity extends past the Games into its own workforce. According to a statement issued from Marvin Korves, director of consulting services, 'Falkor Group is proud to sponsor the Gay Games [ but ] we understand the value and importance of diversity. A key part of our success comes from our diverse workforce, including our LGBT employees.'