Rosie Jones ( left ) and Sheryl Swoopes. Photos by Ross Forman
The Gay Games formally kicked off from a female perspective last Friday night, July 14, with a Women's Kickoff Party, held at the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan, hosted by Olivia and the Human Rights Campaign.
More than 500 attended the four-hour affair that featured dancing, drinking and appearances by LPGA golfer Rosie Jones and WNBA superstar Sheryl Swoopes, both of whom are lesbians—and each addressed the crowd about the fallout from coming out.
'I've had people come up to me almost every week that I play golf and tell me, 'Rosie, thank you so much for coming out,' and that is the biggest reward because there are so many things that you do in life that you don't get those rewards. But this has been a big thing for me,' Jones said. 'Men and women, young and old, everyone has come up to me and said, 'Thanks and that I've been such a positive force for the LGBT community,' and that really means a lot to me because I really haven't been able to give back a lot to the gay community.
'But this is the way I can do that.'
'All the support I've received from the fans has been awesome,' Jones said. 'Olivia was the driving force; they made it possible for me. They have helped my transition from being a part-time gay girl to a full-time lesbian.'