The Gay Games: The Play of Sexuality, Sport - Victoria University ...

and lesbian athletes within mainstream and GLBTQ sports clubs and leagues were
also explored. A few of the interviewees were primarily involved in cultural rather
than sporting pursuits, and the interview questions were adapted accordingly.
The interview then tumed to the person's Gay Games involvement, including their
participation in various Gay Games, their organisational contributions and their
general experiences and Games highlights. An open-ended approach was taken here
as Gay Games involvement varied significantly between interviewees. Some key
headings touched upon were: the narratives of how the various Gay Games were
organised, the significance of the Gay Games guiding principles, how the Gay Games
have developed and changed and what the Gay Games have meant to the
interviewees.
Specific issues were also explored with Gay Games managers. These included: the
impact of HIV and AIDS on the GLBTQI community and the Gay Games, the
intemationalisation of the Gay Games movement, the development of the cultural
program, homophobic experiences/events at a Gay Games, the development of
transgender participation policy, the performance enhancing dmgs policy, issues of
inclusion, professionalisation and commercial growth of the Gay Games, and the
relationship of host city organising bodies of the Gay Games witii the FGG. Some of
the managers had specific areas of knowledge on tiie Gay Games that needed to be
explored in an open-ended fashion. For instance as Marketing Manager of Gay Games
IV, Harold Levine, spent most of his interview telling the story of how major
sponsorship was secured for the first time for a major, public gay and lesbian event
witiiin tiie US.
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