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The dream behind the Atlanta Dream

Lisa Borders, the gay-friendly Atlanta City Council president, was a force behind the effort to woo the WNBA to the city, which culminated with the creation of the Atlanta Dream. A profile in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution today explores her efforts, including reaching out to lesbian basketball fans and their families. Read the full story.

The Dream has helped Borders build political capital among lesbian fans, especially those with children. They have felt like outsiders at other sporting events as well as in public policy. So says Kathy Kelly, who as founder of the Marriage Equality Georgia Family Project organizes social events and political advocacy for same-sex couples.

"We've tried to help the Dream succeed because they are great for our families, because they're so open, and Lisa helped the team owner understand that," Kelly says.

read more | Comments (0) | Posted Jul 31, 2008 | 1:30 PM

Action Cycling raises big number for vaccine center

With the final numbers crunched, Action Cycling 200 announced its fund-raising tally on Sunday: $106,000.

The amount surpassed the $100,000 goal organizers of the annual event set for themselves this year, and far exceeded fund-raising totals from past years. Since its inception in 2003, the event has raised more than $400,000 for the Emory Vaccine Center, a facility that researches vaccines for AIDS and other infectious diseases.

The announcement came Sunday during Action Cycling’s closing event in the Sky Lounge at MidCity Lofts in Midtown, where riders, volunteers and officials with the vaccine center joined to toast the event, celebrate its fund-raising prowess and display an over-sized, six-figure check.

Some 65 riders gathered about an hour after sunrise on May 17 for the event, which is a two-day, 200-mile journey from Decatur to Eatonton and back.

To see photos from the ride, go here. For a gallery of photos from Sunday's closing event, go here.

read more | Comments (0) | Posted Jul 31, 2008 | 1:18 AM

Action Cycling delivers big number

read more | Comments (0) | Posted Jul 31, 2008 | 1:18 AM

Greg Louganis as ‘Legendary Olympian’

Gay former diver Greg Louganis is one of the eight “Legendary Olympians” included in an interactive feature by the New York Times.

Louganis, who captured medals in the 1976, 1984 and 1988 Olympics, discusses his Olympic performances, HIV and the infamous whack on the head.

read more | Comments (0) | Posted Jul 30, 2008 | 11:14 PM

Volleyball tourney packed with action

Some 14 teams from around the country spent last weekend competing in the Hotlanta Classic XVII, the annual tournament from the Hotlanta Volleyball Association.

Though the number of teams was down from past years, the action on the courts at Emory University wasn’t any less exciting. The Orlando D & G took first place in the BB Division, while the Dallas Rebellion took the crown in the B Division.

The Atlanta Force took second place in BB, with the Atlanta O’s taking third in B. For a full list of winners, teams and selections for the All-Star rosters, check after the jump.

Go here for a gallery of photos from the event.

read more | Comments (0) | Posted Jul 29, 2008 | 2:48 PM

Georgia Tech players feel the burn

Georgia Tech football players are serious gym rats. With college football season just around the corner, teams are hitting the weights to get that pre-season pump before practice begins. And by pump we mean some serious back-bending workouts that create bugles in all of the right places. Johnny Crawford, a photographer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently spent some time with the Iron Men at Tech. Check out his 14-photo gallery here.

read more | Comments (0) | Posted Jul 29, 2008 | 2:26 PM

Gay chamber scores with Dream

To put it in terms of a sports cliché, the Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce scored a slam-dunk on Sunday.

The gay chamber invited its members to a pre-game reception on Sunday at Philips Arena before the Atlanta Dream took on the New York Liberty. While the Dream lost (falling to 3-24), the gay chamber and the beneficiary of the event – the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative – won.

About 80 women took part in the event and helped raise nearly $500 for ALHI, according to Carla Corley, the chamber’s president. The group was initially looking to create a fun social outlet during the Dream game, but as discussions continued, the idea to create a benefit surfaced.

Some two-dozen of the attendees took part in halftime festivities by forming a human tunnel for Dream players (photo) as they took the court for the third quarter.

For a gallery of photos from the event, go here.

read more | Comments (0) | Posted Jul 28, 2008 | 9:00 PM

Tough weekend for pro sports in ATL

If you tuned out Atlanta’s pro sports teams this weekend, here’s what you missed:

The Braves are done. If ever there was a symbol of how the season has crashed and burned for our hometown heroes, it came yesterday in the series closer against Philadelphia. Brian McCann was knocked cold during a sixth-inning collision with Shane Victorino at home plate. As McCann fell, so did the Braves – to 49-55 and 7 ½ back.

The Falcons opened training camp with a new $10,000 sound system it the locker room, courtesy of New Kid on the Block, QB Matt Ryan. He’s one of four quarterbacks on the roster right now for the Falcons. And sports pundits are asking fans to give him a chance.

The Dream dropped two games over the weekend as they wrapped up their schedule before the month-long WNBA break for the Olympics. The Dream fell to 3-24 with the 86-76 loss to the New York Liberty in a sloppy, physical and unevenly officiated game.

Photo: Tom Mihalek, Associated Press

read more | Comments (0) | Posted Jul 28, 2008 | 6:45 PM

Rodeo group looks to big event in ‘09

In October 2009, gay rodeo enthusiasts will be packing their gear and heading to Conyers for the return of the Southern Spurs Rodeo.

That’s the hope of officials with the Georgia Gay Rodeo Association, which last staged the popular event in 2005. The group is rebounding, adding new members and undergoing the extensive planning – and fund-raising – required to host the event, which is tentatively set to return to the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers next year.

“I am very optimistic about our chances on moving towards a successful rodeo year in 2009,” says Brad Bruner (photo), GGRA’s president.

The gay rodeo group sounded the alarm about its organizational fatigue last November. A new slate officers took the reins in January and the group has been rebounding since. My Southern Voice sports column this week explores planning for the 2009 rodeo. Read the full story.

read more | Comments (0) | Posted Jul 27, 2008 | 5:32 PM

Nike: ‘We Ain’t Right’

Some gay bloggers (and activists) huffed and puffed and Nike backed down. A portion of its Hypderdunk campaign is no more.

On Friday, the company dropped three print and billboard pieces of the campaign, a move coming just days after intense criticism and charges of homophobia surfaced on several gay blogs. The six new spots from Wieden & Kennedy include variations on two basketball players with one getting a face full of crotch as the other jumps past him. Taglines include “Say Hello,” “That Ain’t Right,” “Now You Know,” “Isn’t That Cute, “Punks Jump Up” and “Fly.”

read more | Comments (0) | Posted Jul 26, 2008 | 11:04 PM

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