Sports

Impact of the Gay Games

Cleveland/Akron still enjoying boost from Aug. event

Published

11 years ago

December 18, 2014

Gay Games 9, GG9, International Gay Games, Cleveland, Ohio, gay news, Washington Blade

Team D.C. lines up for the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Cleveland/Akron Gay Games which kicked off a week which resulted in $52.1 million of increased economic activity to the region. (Photo by Kevin Majoros)

Sitting in a region that has been tagged the “Rust Belt” and possessing a nickname that has been hard to shake (“the mistake on the lake”) it was obvious to everyone that Cleveland was going to have a hard time drawing athletes and spectators to the 2014 Cleveland/Akron Gay Games.

Thankfully, the LGBT masses came anyway and experienced firsthand what the region has to offer as arts, sports, food and nature were in abundance. Cleveland has been experiencing a renaissance period of late and was recently voted into the third spot of America’s most underrated cities for millennials.

According to the 2014 Gay Games Economic Impact Study, released this month by two Kent State University professors, the economic impact from the Gay Games, held Aug. 9-16, for the Cleveland/Akron region was $52.1 million.

The Games attracted roughly 20,000 people from around the world, with about 7,000 being competing athletes. Approximately 75 percent of those who participated or attended were from outside of the Cleveland/Akron area.

The two Kent State economics professors who completed the study, Shawn Rohlin and Nadia Greenhalgh-Stanley, used a regional input-output multiplier model to measure the impact.

Rohlin used the same model to measure the economic impact of running marathons and the 2013 National Senior Games that were held in Cleveland.

The National Senior Games are a similar type of multi-sport event and in 2013, they drew about 25,000 athletes and spectators to the area but the economic impact was much lower at $36 million.

“There could be several reasons for the larger result from the Gay Games,” Rohlin says. “The Gay Games held people in town longer with their opening and closing ceremonies, the athletes were younger and there were people in town from other countries, unlike the National Senior Games.”

The Team D.C. athletes were among the many who were unsure as to whether they wanted to spend the entire week in Cleveland. As the opening ceremonies and the first few days of competition unfolded, several of the Team D.C. athletes returned home.

Many of those same athletes returned to Cleveland a few days later, unable to resist the lure of the Games and the welcoming feel of the city that was hosting them.

“We are one of the smallest cities to host the Gay Games and were able to provide a more intimate response from the local community,” says Tom Nobbe, executive director of Gay Games 9. “The atmosphere was ripe for people to have a good time along with the competitions.”

Among the factors driving the numbers from the economic impact study was the direct spending figures by non-locals which accounted for $38 million. Direct spending is factored from expenditures of non-local guests and participants at hotels, restaurants, car rentals, bars and so forth.

Both Cleveland and Akron received a huge economic boost and according to the survey results, both cities can expect long-term rewards from hosting the event.

For Akron, the Flair Fest, which was headlined by the Indigo Girls, was such a success that it will return next year. The International Gay Rodeo Association also expressed a desire to return to Akron.

In Cleveland, the streets are filled with vendors selling, “Return of the King,” LeBron James T-shirts and this past summer it was announced that the city would host the 2016 Republican National Convention.

The renaissance is clearly in full swing.

“Cleveland is still feeling the afterglow of the Gay Games,” Nobbe says. “Everyone just fell in love with the place and we expect them to come back.”

International Gay Games, Cleveland, gay news, Washington Blade

Cleveland’s iconic Tower Terminal was floodlit in rainbow colors for the International Gay Games. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Up Next

YEAR IN REVIEW 2014: Sports

Don't Miss

NFL inroad

FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM

Sports

‘Heated Rivalry’ stars to participate in Olympic torch relay

Games to take place next month in Italy

Published

2 weeks ago

January 23, 2026

Staff reports

(Photo courtesy of Crave HBO Max)

“Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will participate in the Olympic torch relay ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics that will take place next month in Italy.

HBO Max, which distributes “Heated Rivalry” in the U.S., made the announcement on Thursday in a press release.

The games will take place in Milan and Cortina from Feb. 6-22. The HBO Max announcement did not specifically say when Williams and Storrie will participate in the torch relay.

Sports

Capitals to host 10th annual Pride night

Pre-game block party planned at District E

Published

3 weeks ago

January 16, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

(Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The Washington Capitals will host Pride Night on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they host the Florida Panthers at Capital One Arena. A special ticket offer featuring a Pride-themed Capitals rainbow jersey is available at washcaps.com.

Fans are invited to a pre-game Block Party at District E beginning at 5 p.m. The event will feature a performance by the band NovaKane. Specialty happy hour food and beverages will be available, as well as giveaways. There will also be a presence by several local LGBTQ+ community organizations.

Egypt

Iran, Egypt object to playing in Seattle World Cup ‘Pride Match’

Game to take place on June 26

Published

2 months ago

December 11, 2025

Michael K. Lavers

(Photo by fifg/Bigstock)

Iran and Egypt have objected to playing in a “Pride Match” that will take place in Seattle during the 2026 World Cup.

The Egyptian Football Association on Tuesday said it told FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström in a letter that “it categorically rejects holding any activities related to supporting (homosexuality) during the match between the Egyptian national team and Iran, scheduled to be held in Seattle, USA, on June 26, 2026, in the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.” Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran President Mehdi Taj told ISNA, a semi-official Iranian news agency that both his country and Egypt “protested this issue.”

The 2026 World Cup will take place in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The draw took place at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 5.

Iran is among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death.

The State Department’s 2023 human rights report notes that while Egyptian law “did not explicitly criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, authorities regularly arrested and prosecuted LGBTQI+ persons on charges including ‘debauchery,’ prostitution, and ‘violating family values.’” Egyptian authorities “also reportedly prosecuted LGBTQI+ individuals for ‘misuse of social media.’”

“This resulted in de facto criminalization of same-sex conduct and identity,” notes the report.

The 2024 human rights report the State Department released earlier this year did not include LGBTQ-specific references.

Soccer has ‘unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs’

The June 26 match between Iran and Egypt coincides with Seattle Pride. The Washington Post reported the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organizing Committee decided to hold the “Pride Match” before last week’s draw.

“As the Local Organizing Committee, SeattleFWC26’s role is to prepare our city to host the matches and manage the city experience outside of Seattle Stadium,” said SeattleFWC26 Vice President of Communications Hana Tadesse in a statement the committee sent to the Washington Blade on Wednesday. “SeattleFWC26 is moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament, partnering with LGBTQ+ leaders, artists, and business owners to elevate existing Pride celebrations across Washington.”

“Football has a unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs,” added Tadeese. “The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and rich communities representing all nations we’re hosting in Seattle. We’re committed to ensuring all residents and visitors experience the warmth, respect, and dignity that defines our region.”

The 2034 World Cup will take place in Saudi Arabia.

Consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death in the country. The 2022 World Cup took place in neighboring Qatar, despite concerns over the country’s anti-LGBTQ rights record.