Lance LeCompte, a Southern California Entrepreneur, and his company Gorilla Beach Productions, are reaching across the country in support of international sports competition and to breakdown gay stereotypes.
More than a year ago and after several thousand miles of travel, Gorilla Beach Productions has created a project that will foster a positive awareness of gay and lesbian involvement in sports—the 'Rugby Guys 2006 Calendar' and 'Rugby Guys Behind-the-Scenes Documentary DVD.'
2006 marks the first year that two major GLBT sports competitions will be held in North America—the Gay Games in Chicago and the Montreal World Out Games in Montreal. This seemed like the perfect year to launch a calendar promoting and supporting international sports competition, LeCompte said. Both competitions encourage participation from all athletes regardless of their sexual orientation. 'That's what is so great about sports, it's really all inclusive. That's what we wanted to do with the Rugby Guys project as well,' said LeCompte.
Gorilla Beach is a sponsor of the Gay Games in Chicago.
Gorilla Beach Productions brought 12 men from across the United States and Canada to Montreal, Canada for the project. Each of the athletes selected for Rugby Guys 2006 is a real guy with a real story; no professional models were used.Â
One of the most interesting stories came from the youngest team member, Bobby. Eleven out of the 12 guys on the team are gay. Just before the production began, a last-minute vacancy opened. Bobby answered the call and was selected based on his looks, not his sexual orientation. By a twist of fate, Bobby did not realize that he would be working with all gay athletes until the first day of the shoot. Hailing from a conservative Boston Catholic upbringing, Bobby had many preconceptions about what gays are like. Day one was tense for Bobby, but by days two and three, he realized that all his preconceptions about gay men had been wrong.
'I was so freaked out the day before shooting began that I considered quitting. But I had made a commitment to the project and I wanted to be professional. I stuck with it and after three days with these guys, I discovered I had made a bunch of genuine friends,' Bobby said.Â
In addition to the Rugby Guys 2006 Calendar, a film crew followed the production from beginning to end while in Montreal and California. The documentary tells the story of the athletes through interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. We learn that athletics have had a positive effect on all of these men as they have grown up and grown into successful and varied lives.
'To have guts, to believe, to have a goal, it's important to have faith in yourself,' said James-Michael, Canada's first Gay Games Gold Medal Body-Building Champion and a member of the Rugby Guys 2006. These 12 athletes took time away from their family, friends, and careers to donate their time to those in need. Watch for the Rugby Guys Behind the Scenes to be aired on cable in the next couple months.
Athletic competition has always been a grueling endeavor—on and off the field;Â 70% of athletes live below the poverty level and most do not have sponsors; therefore they have to raise funds for training and competition on their own.
This is especially true when the athlete is from a developing country and competing in a GLBT sporting event. Often the price of the plane ticket is more than a year's salary. Not to mention, they often face ridicule and possible physical harm due to their sexual orientation. Through the money raised by the Rugby Guys 2006 Calendar and DVD, Gorilla Beach Productions hopes to raise awareness and promote a positive change.
Both the 'Rugby Guys 2006 Calendar' and 'Rugby Guys Behind-the-Scenes DVD' are on sale directly through the Website www.RugbyGuys.com, and at local stores.
Rugby Guys 2006:
Robert Baldassari – Boston
Brian – New York
Shane Dick – Dallas
Eddie Fancher – Pensacola, Fla.
Cole Gallup – Los Angeles
Bryan Hunter – Dallas
James Koonce – Austin
James-Michael Lavigne – Montreal
Joseph-Pascal LeBlanc – Montreal
Don Regan – New York
Steve Rudig – Kansas City, Mo.
Greg Yuschak – Hudson, Wisc.