World and Masters Swimming Records Fall at the 2008 International Gay & Lesbian Aquatics Championships in Washington, DC

Six World, 16 National and 130 IGLA Swimming Records Set

By Andrew Bellows–Reprinted with permission

An astounding 152 swimming records were broken during the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics Championships (IGLA) in the greater Washington, DC area from 19–22 June.

Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen and former Olympian Glenn Millswere particularly impressive, breaking a total of six International Amateur Swimming Federation (FINA) masters world records. This year’s IGLA Championships set more United States Master Swimming (USMS) and FINA world records than in any previous IGLA Championship.

Federation of Gay Games Sports Committee co-chair Adelina Santiago had this to say about attending her first IGLA Championships, “I only had time to see the swimming events at University of Maryland. It was a beautiful venue; I even had pool envy and I don’t swim! Everything went like clockwork. The announcer, judges, and everyone who ran the event should be proud. The serious competitors and fans could not help but have fun with the friendly taunting cheers and jeers from across the pools.”

In the men’s 45 – 49 age group, Glenn Mills from the Arizona Masters club set short-course world records in the 200 meter Individual Medley (2:13.42), 100m Breaststroke (1:05.74) and the 200m Breaststroke (2:22.68). In the women’s 45 – 49 age group, Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen of San Diego Swim Masters set records in the 800m Freestyle (9:20.08), 100m Individual Medley (1:06.80) and 100m Backstroke (1:05.55).

Pipes-Neilsen has set almost 200 Masters World Records. A straight woman competing at a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) swim meet, she approaches it with the same intensity as other swim meets. “I don’t look at this meet as a gay and lesbian championships meet,” said Pipes-Neilsen. “I look at this as a great championship meet. What I love about it is that it is so inclusive. [LGBT people] and even straight people like me all feel welcomed at this event, and it really is special to be a part of.”

Additionally, 16 short-course USMS and 130 IGLA records were broken at the Eppley Recreation Natatorium on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. But the most memorable performance came from an unlikely athlete. Margaret Camp (of the District of Columbia), an 88-year-old swimmer (and oldest athlete competing), set a new IGLA record in the 50m freestyle at 1:48.20.

“As Margaret approached the finish, everyone in the entire natatorium stood and cheered her on - it was an electrifying moment and extremely inspirational,” said WonKee Moon, 2008 IGLA Tournament Director. “Her grandsons and daughter (also participating in the swim meet) were at the end of the pool to congratulate her as she touched the wall.”

In the large team division, the District of Columbia Aquatics Club (DCAC) won its 9th IGLA championship title with 2,736 points, followed by the 2007 winner, Team Florida with 1,794 points and Team New York Aquatics (1,419) coming in third. The Long Beach Grunions (CA) defended their medium team title with 815 points, followed by West Hollywood Aquatics (CA) (713) and Different Strokes San Diego (CA) placing third with 519 points. The small team division saw Fort Lauderdale Aquatics (FL) claim its first title with 350 points, followed by Red Tide of New York City with 226 points and Sacramento Masters (CA) placing third with 207 points.

This year’s tournament was organized by the District of Columbia Aquatics Club and Washington Wetskins and included over 840 competitors in the sports of swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, and water polo.

The men’s and women’s water polo competition took place at the Takoma Community Center in Washington, DC with the men from West Hollywood (CA) claiming its 11th IGLA championship title by defeating Queer Utah Aquatic Club by a score of 7 to 4. The Toronto Triggerfish (Canada) claimed this year’s women’s water polo championship.
To learn more about the competition and view results, visit http://www.igla2008.org.

The following are the USMS Short-Course Meters Records set during the 2008 IGLA Championships at the Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park.

Female
800 Freestyle (45 – 49) Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen (SDSM) – 9:20.08*
100 Backstroke (45 – 49) Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen (SDSM) – 1:05.55*
50 Breastroke (60 – 64) Dale Barnhard (DCAC) – 40.24
100 Individual Medley (45 – 49) Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen (SDSM) – 1:06.80*
400 Freestyle Relay (200 – 239) GOLD – 4:28.84
800 Freestyle Relay (200 – 239) GOLD – 9:57.07

Male
50 Freestyle (35 – 39) Brian Jacobson (MINN) – 23.02
50 Breastroke (45- 49) Glenn Mills (ARIZ) – 30.25
100 Breastroke (45 – 49) Glenn Mills (ARIZ) – 1:05.74*
200 Breastroke (25 – 29) Corey Welch (FINS) – 2:19.27
200 Breastroke (45 – 49) Glenn Mills (ARIZ) – 2:22.68*
200 Individual Medley (40 – 44) Lorenzo Benucci (AWJ) – 2:09.46
200 Individual Medley (45 – 49) Glenn Mills (ARIZ) – 2:13.42*
400 Freestyle Relay (72 – 99) Philadelphia Fins – 3:40.78
400 Freestyle Relay (160 – 199) Gold Cost Masters – 3:39.80
400 Medley Relay (72 – 99) Philadelphia Fins – 3:58.83

*Denotes FINA Masters World Record

About IGLA
International Gay & Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA) is the world's foremost international organization solely devoted to developing and promoting swimming, water polo, diving, and synchronized swimming among members and friends of the LGBT community. IGLA represents more than 10,000 athletes in 36 countries worldwide. For additional information, visit www.igla.org.

Photos courtesy of Bob Hartford, Charlie McManus and The Washington Blade

Expanded Outreach Efforts

To expand its visibility and the number of member organisations around the world – particularly in areas where it does not have as much visibility – the international Federation of Gay Games applied for and received a small grant from the Rainbow Endowment. The Membership Committee of the FGG has since received help from new member delegates in Belarus, Bulgaria, and Chile, new volunteers in Mexico and the USA, and new Partner Program members in Brazil. They have helped to expand the FGG’s ability to communicate about Gay Games VIII and share our values – Participation, Inclusion, and Personal BestTM – with LGBTs world-wide.

• Russian – new Delegates Slava Sementsov (TEMA information center in Gomel, Belarus) translated FGG documents into Russian and Peter Moews (TANGRA Sport in Sofia, Bulgaria) reviewed them. Both are active in EGLSF too.
• Spanish – Ernesto Vargas, a volunteer copy editor from Cancun, Mexico, translated materials into Spanish. Ernesto had volunteered for the Gay Games Chicago in 2006.
• French – Board members Emy Ritt (Co-President) and Marc Naimark (Sports Officer), both of Paris, translated materials into French.
• German – Thomas Rogat, Delegate of Vorspeil SSL in Berlin, translated the PowerPoint presentation into German. Other materials will soon be available has volunteered to translate them.

Using the Russian language materials, the Membership Committee contacted 50 Russian speaking LGBT human rights, sports, and cultural organisations to invite them to become Gay Games Partners. Future initiatives are planned for Spanish speaking organisations in Latin America and Europe, as well as French and German speaking organisations in Europe and elsewhere.

If you would like to receive copies of any of these documents—or if you could help with translations—please email your request to Membership@GayGames.org.

Participant Profile:  Ann Meredith, Filmmaker, Photographer, Athlete, Writer, and more

Photography by Patricia Finn

Ann Meredith (www.annpmeredith.com) recently made a major donation to the Federation of Gay Games: a veritable treasure chest of her photographic and video work at the Gay Games dating back to GGII in 1986 in San Francisco. This array of material is still being catalogued, but it will definitely expand the FGG’s archives, resulting in more of these images to be shared with the world. As an individual with such a unique set of Gay Games experiences both behind and in front of the camera, Ann seemed like an excellent subject to interview.

How did you first get involved with the Gay Games as a photographer?
I’ve been taking photos my whole life. For the “Triumph in 1986” Gay Games II, I simply asked if I could get a press pass. As someone who had been a competitive athlete my whole life, this event was the greatest thing ever. I was allowed to photograph as many events as I could, but I mainly chose the sports that I had played: swimming, softball, and volleyball, plus I had friends in power lifting.

What were your first impressions of the Gay Games?
I was deeply moved to tears. I was used to being on the court and field for sporting events; I shot various Virginia Slims pro tennis tournaments and women’s football. But to see my own brothers and sisters was amazing. “Triumph” was such an appropriate word in 1986, especially after the fight with the USOC. Everyone was filled with joy and pride and enthusiasm and excitement. It was just fabulous! It was a turning point in all of our lives to be together as openly gay athletes. To no longer have to be a closeted athlete was such a liberating experience.

I just turned 60 years old the first week of June; today’s young people may not realize how major a breakthrough the Gay Games was back then. It was dangerous to be out. We had to fight in the streets for everything. It was amazing to be at Kezar Stadium. People never stopped smiling the whole week!

Did you know Tom Waddell?
No, but I took a classic photo of Tom holding 2-year old Jessica in his arms. I knew Sara but only briefly met Tom in 1986. I have tried to stay in touch with Sara and Jessica ever since Gay Games II in 1986.

Have you participated in the Gay Games as an athlete or an artist? What were your experiences like?
Yes, I sailed in Sydney and Chicago. I have sailed for 50 years… it’s my true passion. In Sydney, I was the Skipper of Team SF “Swordfish”, also the name of my production company. In Sydney, sailing was the first sport to sell out! There were 54 teams from all over the world, involving over 150 people… it just doesn’t get better than that. I considered my crew to be excellent sailors, especially after we trained for two years. Our boat won second place in teams. Our team was 3 boats comprised of 9 sailors from the SF Bay Area, France/Tahiti, and Sydney. There was healthy competition, a camaraderie on and off the water.

As with the gay rodeo that I have documented, the events were competitive but with a very cooperative spirit. It was just stupendous, something you don’t find anywhere else: the quintessential essence of teamwork.

Sailing in Sydney was harder than anything I had ever done. There were sharks in the water plus 7-story ferry boats in the harbour. Overall, Sydney was so welcoming. I fell in love with the city and its people.

I also participated in sailing at the Chicago Gay Games. My boat finished in 5th place out of 16 international boats. The support from the Belmont Yacht Club and Chicago Sailing Club volunteers was extraordinary.

In addition to sailing, I swim a half mile every day and I hike regularly. I am hoping to buy a 33 foot wooden racing sloop to keep competing in. I think being both gay and an athlete helps keep you young!

What was it like to photograph and videotape the 1994 New York Gay Games?
Marching into Yankee Stadium… oh my god!!! New York was my home for 10 years. The enthusiasm of the Games there was so over the top, just like New York and New Yorkers.

I was the curatorial coordinator for the Cultural Festival, and curated a lesbian art exhibit at Lincoln Center. We had hundreds of lesbian artists show their photographs and attend the opening. We slammed for the last six months day and night. To be able to give back to the LGBT art community after being an artist for many years; it doesn’t get better than this. I mainly shot color; track & field; Greg Louganis (swimming and diving); figure skating; and physique. All terribly thrilling. I usually work in black & white, but these events really lent themselves to color!

Do you have any thoughts on what’s happened to the Gay Games movement in recent years?
I have the utmost respect for people like Sara Waddell Lewinstein, Susan Kennedy, Rikki Streicher, Glenn Galang, and others who stepped up to form the Federation. Forming the backbone of the Gay Games movement was truly heroic work. Carrying on their great work now is Emy Ritt, a fellow sailor.

What’s been the most memorable or inspirational moment you’ve captured on film at the Gay Games?
A few moments come to mind…

In New York City in 1994, at the big Central Park concert, seemingly millions of people were facing the stage. There was a moment of silence for PWAs that followed performances by Liza Minelli, Ian McKellen, Tony Kushner, Sandra Bernhard, and others.

I documented women with HIV/AIDS from 1987 – 1997, so this was a very emotional moment for me. My life’s work of 38 years has been documenting women and LGBTQ culture. My goal has been to help tell our stories. The silence was deafening; everybody was holding each other.

Another special moment was when Laura Moore and Linda Carney figure skated in same-sex couples in their lavender outfits wearing bright red flowers. They were fabulous! Ann Northrup and Joel Grey presented them with medals on the ice.

A Sydney moment was the same sex ballroom dance competition. It was the height of spectacle! My favorite personal memory was when we received second place in sailing, and my participation medal is my most prized possession. It proudly hangs in my office today.

Also in Sydney, shooting footage of the Women’s ice hockey teams, was brutal and empowering. I think the Games give us permission to be who we want to be, perform, and excel. LGBTQ athletes are powerful example and show the world that it can be done, done kindly, and openly. Queers rock!

You've just made a major donation of archival material to the FGG. What prompted you to do this? How would you like to see your work archived by the FGG?
It’s been an honor to witness the Gay Games. I am truly humbled to have been able to see all this happen for so long and watch the movement change. The decision to donate my life’s work was to ensure its availability to others. While the FGG was given all the Gay Games material, the exhibit “Until That Last Breath: Women with HIV/AIDS” (1987-1997) was given to the permanent collection at the Oakland Museum.

My work is in the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, the Sony Theater, and other private collections. The main body of my work has just been purchased and is now at the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on The History of Women in America at Harvard University and will be available online.

Art, for me, is a tool for personal, social, and global change.

What other projects of note can we look forward to from you?
I have a traveling photography exhibit and documentary short called “Tall in the Saddle: Cowgirls, Ranch Women, and Rodeo Gals.” A culmination of 17 years, we are looking for venues where this exhibit and film can be shown. If anyone has any suggestions where this exhibit and film can be shown, please contact us at tallinthesaddle2@gmail.com.

My first screenplay and feature film project is titled “Special.” With a $7.5 million budget, our goal is to shoot in the Bay Area with an international theatrical release. “Special” is the story of five best lesbian friends who were sexually molested by the same high school math teacher and don’t deal with it until they are in their late 50s. I specifically wrote the Script with roles for mature women because of the discrimination they face in Hollywood.

Two other projects are a series of photographs and a film on women in prison, titled “24:7 Women Imprisoned” and “Forgotten Angels – A Matter of Honor” about women in the military.

Any other comments you’d like to share?
I have to give a shout out to Dennis Sneyers, founder of Chicago Gay Games, Inc. Dennis came to San Francisco for several awareness-building events years before the Chicago Gay Games. He was wonderful: generous, informative, and had all his facts together. Dennis was a real “pied piper” for the 2006 event. He always returned my calls, and brought me to Chicago to meet with key people. Dennis did a brilliant job; he was the best thing about Chicago: a real sweetheart!

Some of the photos donated by Ann Meredith can be viewed on the Gay Games online photo archive: http://photos.gaygames.com.

We look forward to seeing you all in Cologne at GGVIII in 2010. BE PART OF IT!  Sign up for the Cologne Newsletter for updates in English or German. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

Be Part of It!

Wrestling in the Windy City

by Roger Brigham
May 29, 2008 – Reprinted by permission from the Bay Area Reporter
jocktalkroger@yahoo.com

Two images from the 24th annual Don Jung Memorial Wrestling Tournament, on a trip last weekend from its native home in San Francisco to Chicago, illustrate the crossroads at which LGBT wrestling, and to one extent or another all LGBT sports, have arrived.

The first came when tournament organizers marked the mat with a 20-foot circle using the absolute latest in cutting-edge technology: a toilet plunger, a dog leash and a Dunlop rubber tire.

The other was the day before, when two of the wrestlers, Ross Capdeville of San Francisco and Elliot Seeveda of New York, decided to drop in on a collegiate tournament, the Prairieville Open set out in the boondocks northwest of Chicago, to try their hand at scholastic style wrestling against the local talent. Constantly they were asked, "You guys came all the way from New York and San Francisco to be in this tournament? Hey,“ we've gone international!"

"We were the only wrestlers who were picked up in a limo," Capdeville said after winning a bronze to go with Saveeda's gold.

As homophobic barriers in sports continue to erode thanks to the proliferation and success of gay sporting events, the need for and relevance of longstanding divisions and institutions come into question. The question has been raised again and again in organization after organization as groups try to figure out the best means of sustainable success and integration or assimilation.

This year's Memorial Cup was the first one to have drawn entrants equally from mainstream wrestling and LGBT outreach. The majority of host Chicago Cyclones Wrestling Club were straight; the majority of the entrants from the other clubs were not. In the end, did any of that matter?

Not on the mat.

Capdeville won the most physical and technically challenging weight class in the tournament. There were no embarrassing blow-out mismatches. The social interaction during the tournament at Chase Park Gymnasium, at the barbeque the night before at one of the straight member's homes, and at the post-tournament party at the Crew bar was boisterous and entertaining. Neighborhood folks and visitors from International Mr. Leather were equally delighted with the matches. The technical level of the wrestling was judged to have been the best so far in the history of the tournament.

It was just flat out fun.

For the first time, I even managed to survive a tournament. In previous years, I had passed out once, was injured once, and took a teammate to the hospital once. This time: one loss, one win, one silver.

This was better.

The plunger and dog leash? Tournament organizer Josh Watkins, who pretty well bankrolled the tournament and did the vast majority of the work, had seen workers using the slapped together contraption at a local USA Wrestling tournament he was officiating. They lent him the gear, which worked perfectly – and USAW also gave him plenty of wrestling merchandise to sell at the Cyclones' table at IML.

The number of visitors from other Wrestlers WithOut Borders clubs was down this year because of representation at a Paris tournament a week before and plans to go to a Philadelphia tournament in June. But those who were there were able to applaud the announcement of inductees to the newly created Don Jung Hall of Merit, which was formed to acknowledge the work of pioneers and leaders who had helped to grow the sport. I was one of 13 named to the Hall. I've got to say that I have received many honors in many fields before, but this was one that was most unexpected and most appreciated: most unexpected, because most of my work for acceptance in the sport has been done outside of WWB; most appreciated because it was for something that I have loved so much.

The other more deserving inductees are Kevin Martin (who officiated and wrestled in Sunday's tournament, winning a silver); Rick Van Tassell and Bob Sayers of Pennsylvania; Barry Webb of Australia; Jek Fong of Great Britain; New York's Ed Lindsay; and Californians Ron Ward, Abram "Alex" Ostrovskiy, Russ Connelly, Johnny Almony, Les Morgan, and Kathy McAdams.

The tournament, which features some of the finest grapplers from gay-friendly wrestling clubs around the country, honored wrestling pioneers from New York to San Diego.

"We wanted to establish a tradition that reinforces our values by properly recognizing those who have sacrificed the most for our mission, so that others will be inspired," said WWB treasurer Gene Dermody, who was one of four Hall members grandfathered into the Hall after being honored by the Golden Gate Wrestling Club and WWB last year with a Lifetime Appreciation Award. "We are looking at a 25-year history in which we have neglected to recognize many of our leaders who are now gone. We want to honor them now as well as those who continue to lead us.

"We call it a Hall of Merit rather than a Hall of Fame because we are not honoring people who sought fame as an ego boost. The nominees all displayed sacrifice and selflessness to encourage others to achieve as much as they could and to create safe and supportive wrestling opportunities for athletes regardless of skill level, gender, orientation or age. The inaugural class, we realized, is large, because we are trying to play catch-up with history. The inductees represent a diversity of gender, geography, and roles."

Four of the Hall inductees are club founders: Webb (Sydney's Harbour City Wrestling Club), Fong (London Amateur Wrestlers), Lindsay (New York's Twin Towers Wrestling Club), and Connelly (San Diego Bulldogs Wrestling Club). Almony, a three-time Gay Games medalist, captained Golden Gate Wrestling since 1998 before returning to Hawaii, where he remains an active wrestling coach. Van Tassell has participated in multiple Gay Games in wrestling and martial arts, competes in the mid-Atlantic region in various wrestling styles, and was an early organizer and coach for the Philadelphia Spartans, in addition to serving several years as WWB's delegate to the Federation of Gay Games.

Philadelphia's Martin and San Francisco's Ostrovskiy and Morgan are all USAW officials whose support of the Gay Games and club tournaments helped earn acceptance and respect for WWB clubs with the national and international wrestling federations. Ostrovskiy, who holds international wrestling's highest officiating credentials, survived the WWII invasion of the Soviet Union, competed and coached there at the highest level, and has worked with GGWC since 2001. He also officiated at the 2002 Gay Games in Sydney and conducts frequent technique clinics for GGWC, as do Martin and Morgan.

Golden Gate's McAdams was among the first women to win California-USAW freestyle championships in the 1990s. For the past 14 years, Sayers, of Fleetville, Pennsylvania, has organized and run a low-cost summer multidisciplinary wrestling camp in Pennsylvania that attracts about 150 wrestlers from every style from pro wrestling to submission. Ward was responsible for keeping SCWC running for several years after the death of SCWC former coach Mike Rio in the late 1980s.

In addition to Dermody, others in the Hall's foundation class are Steve Swanson, a closeted coach who helped organize wrestling for Gay Games I and II; Pete Runyon, who founded SCWC; and Allen Abraham, who gave the keynote address at the first Gay Games tournament.

Tournament results may be found at www.wrestlerswob.com.

By the event's end, it was clearer the question was more how will elite and recreational athletes mesh when all homophobic barriers are erased, and less about how will gay and straight athletes mix. The latter has been going on throughout history; the former is a Brave New World as yet to be defined.