He's been there twice, playing volleyball and serving as his team's captain at the Gay Games in Amsterdam in 1998 and playing tennis in Sydney in 2002. Brian McGuinness also performed in Australia on the Cultural Stage, playing guitar and singing.
'They were life-changing experiences,' McGuinness said. 'Amsterdam was absolutely amazing. They had a Friendship Village at their Cultural Center in the heart of Amsterdam, which was where everyone congregated. The whole experience emanated from there, and the city truly embraced everyone. It was absolutely amazing.
'I came away from Sydney with a great feeling about the progress we were making and the experiences we were sharing there.'
Fast forward to the present and we're now about 200 days until the Opening Ceremony of Gay Games VII, to be held in Chicago. The Opening Ceremony will be held at Soldier Field, the Closing Ceremony will be on the North Side, at the fabled Wrigley Field, just steps from the heart of Boystown.
McGuinness will be ever-present next summer, though sans racquet, which has been his trademark dating back to his NCAA Division I tennis run at Northern Illinois University in the 1980s. McGuinness, who turns 40 on Dec. 30, is the executive director for Gay Games VII. He'd like to participate, but knows his free time during that seven-day stretch will be bordering on non-existent. He already works long, unconventional hours, including nights and weekends … and it's only going to get more hectic the closer the Games get.
'I want to make sure that people who come here for the Gay Games, to participate or just to watch, have the exact same, life-changing experience that I experienced, in Amsterdam and Sydney,' said McGuinness, originally from Mt. Prospect and a 1984 graduate of Maine West High School.
'I'm not acknowledging it to myself just yet that, in all likelihood, I will not participate in any event next summer. But, if I can bring the Gay Games experience to people from around the world through this new role, so they have the same experience I've had at the Games, that will be just as rewarding.'
The Gay Games were first held in San Francisco in 1982, with 1,350 participants. In Chicago, there will be more than 12,000 participants, for traditional events such as volleyball, softball, flag football, basketball and ice hockey to the dramatic, such as, cheer, choral, color guard and physique. And, of course, the Pink Flamingo—a cross between a cabaret and a swim meet—will be a fan favorite, too.
'This event is so much bigger than people just coming to Chicago for a week to play sports, or people just coming to Chicago for a week to participate in a cultural event,' McGuinness said. 'It really is about teaching society and helping the global LGBT community move forward in terms of acceptance and feeling good about themselves. So, yes, it is a pretty big mission we have here.'
McGuinness sat down for a lengthy interview to discuss next summer's Gay Games, which is now only about 200 days away.
RF: What's good and what's bad at this point as we're now about 200 days until the Opening Ceremony?
BM: The good is, we have a lot of good people involved—that's staff, Board of Directors and volunteers. Another good thing is, our registration is on track.
I wouldn't really say there are any 'bad things,' but rather, some unknowns. A lot of people will register in the first few months of 2006, so that will affect things. The World Out Games in Montreal also is an unknown, because other Gay Games have not had to deal with competition.
Another unknown is tied to our fundraising efforts. We don't rely on the city for any fundraising or funds; we do that ourselves. Along those lines, we have goals to meet, and we're definitely making progress on that path. And that will continue to be a focus of ours over the next few months.
RF: Registration is, no doubt, one of the biggest 'unknowns.'
BM: That's true, because the vast majority of registrants are from the United States, so people can realistically make plans very late. From a planning standpoint, that makes things difficult for us.
RF: What about registration from Chicagoans? Is it where you want it to be, or where you think it will be?
BM: It's behind where I would like it to be, but that's understandable given the fact that the Games are here in Chicago. Many people no doubt think they can make their plans at the last minute, and I'm sure that's what they're thinking. But, the thing that people need to realize is, sports and events fill up. So, to guarantee their spot and obviously to help with our overall planning, we need them to register as soon as possible. There is, mind you, the very real possibility that some sports and events will close. Some are already near-capacity, such as, sailing and golf.
RF: Any other sports and/or events that already are close to reaching their capacity?
BM: We have a number of sports and/or events that have well surpassed the 50 percent mark for capacity, such as, soccer, softball, band, physique, road race, figure skating and cycling.
RF: On the other side of the coin, what sports and/or events have a very low registration so far?
BM: Rugby and rowing are the only two that come to mind.
RF: What are you doing to help attract people to rugby and rowing?
BM: We're looking to market ( the Gay Games ) to the straight rugby leagues, based on the principle of 'inclusion,' which is part of what the Gay Games is based on.
I think many people are waiting to see what venue is selected for rowing, because that's important to rowers. We're considering two different options now and once we make that decision, I'm sure that will help with ( rowing ) registration.
RF: What is going to be the surprise—be it an event, an appearance or whatever?
BM: I think it will be different for everyone, but, I really think people will be amazed how the City of Chicago embraces and welcomes Gay Games visitors, from Evanston to Hyde Park to everywhere in between.
I also think people will be in awe of what Soldier Field and Wrigley Field look like for the Opening and Closing ceremonies, respectively.
RF: People around Chicago are saying that the Games will be a week-long, non-stop party around town. Is that true?
BM: Well, that may not be the best way to characterize it. I'd instead say it's a real celebration of community and sportsmanship. Sure, part of the Games involves a social aspect, which includes parties and what not. But, the real heart of the Gay Games is the competition, just doing your best and having fun doing it.
RF: What percent of the registrants/participants are straight?
BM: I'm not sure. We've never tracked data about that. But, I'm sure there will be a fair share of straight participants. In the sports with unlimited capacity, such as the road race, we are going to make a marketing effort to the straight, gay-friendly community, so they will be part of the Games. The triathlon is another event that will, no doubt, have a fair amount of straight participants.
RF: Traditionally, is there a moment that touches participants the most, and what will that moment be in 2006?
BM: Traditionally, it's been the Opening Ceremony, that march into the stadium. And we'll be marching into Soldier Field, where the NFL—the bastion of masculinity—is played. I think that will be an amazing moment.
RF: How many do you anticipate attending the Opening Ceremony?
BM: We expect a full-house, which will be about [ 50,000 ] . We expect a full-house of about [ 40,000 ] at Wrigley Field as well, for the Closing Ceremonies.
RF: Will Gay Games VII be a success financially?
BM: Yes, regardless if we have 12,000 participants or 8,000 participants.
Turning the Gay Games into a financial success is my top priority, my top goal. We want to change the pattern ( of losing money ) , which has been the pattern in past Games.
RF: What are your thoughts about Montreal?
The fact that there are two significant gay and lesbian sporting events in the same year is a great thing, sort of a mark of how far we've come. To think that both of these events could be supported by the community, and be successful, is amazing when you think about something like this happening, oh, 20 years ago.
Combined, there could be as many as 25,000 people participating ( between the two events ) . That truly is a mark of progress for our community. But, that said, the Gay Games is the event with tradition. Sure, it does make our job a little tougher since we do have competition, but they are not the Gay Games, with our history.
RF: What are the few sports that you are worried about, worried that Montreal will draw better, have a better venue to host the event, etc.?
BM: Perhaps rowing, because I believe Montreal is hosting the rowing at a former Olympic venue. Sure, we might not be able to match the venue for rowing, or perhaps another event or two, but in terms of the overall experience, I think we can more than match Montreal.
RF: What sport or event do you feel Chicago will draw much better than Montreal, be it because of the venue or whatever?
BM: The core sports that are typically more American, such as, football, softball, basketball, road racing, soccer and even ice hockey. Hockey actually was a little bit of a surprise to me, because the registration for it has been very good so far. There has been, so far, an even amount of interest in hockey from men and women teams.
RF: What is the sport or event that has surprised you so far, that its registration has gone better than you anticipated?
BM: Golf and sailing, specifically, how quickly each filled up. Band as well.
RF: What is the satisfaction for you, assuming you do not participate in any event and thus do not have a chance to win a gold medal?
BM: The satisfaction for me will be, participating on this team that is putting on the Games and having it come to fruition. I look at that week, which is everything from the Opening Ceremony to the Closing Ceremony, as the event that we are participating in.
RF: What's on the agenda for the next 100 days, and then for the final 100 days?
BM: Over the next 100 days, we will push hard for registration, sponsorship and the individual donor campaign. At the same time, we'll be planning for the week of the event, which includes everything from accreditation to communication to scorekeeping to transportation, medical and logistics.
For the 100 days before the Games, we will go heavily into the tactical plan leading up to the Games so that, come Opening Ceremony, everyone has been thoroughly versed in the detail of what will be required of us to put on an amazing Games.
RF: Any fears?
I think we're more excited and eager than fearful.
See www.gaygameschicago.org .
