Sydney Sydney Sydney, Oi Oi Oi
By Trevor Sinclair, Peter Hacker & John David Wilson III
38,000 people filled Sydney's Aussie Stadium to capacity Saturday night for the Opening Ceremonies of the sixth Gay Games. They laughed, they sang, they cheered, and they cried during the three-hour extravaganza.
The theme of the Opening Ceremonies was "Fabulous", and director Ignatius Jones ensured that it was.
Jones has produced some of Australia's biggest events, including the Closing Ceremonies of the 2000 Olympics.
The show traced the GLBT history of Australia in song and dance featuring 2500 performers. "Australia and the gay and lesbian community is not so much a melting pot," Jones said. "We are more of a mixed salad, where every part remains separate, yet adds to the wonder of the whole."
He drew cheers from the crowd when he declared that, as a former Aussie pop-star with Jimmy and the Boys- wearing leather and a strap-on dildo, he'd never needed to come out of the closet. "I have been lucky, I have never had to come out, I was never in," Jones said.
Performing artists included Murwillumbah's own Bob Downe, opera singer Deborah Cheetham, ABC TV's Kath & Kim, theatre great Judi Connelli, local icon and star of the movie "Head On" Paul Capsis, Leah Howard, Shauna Jensen and Jimmy Somerville, who performed a faaaabulous rendition of "Tell Me Why".
 k. d. lang was the headliner. "Hello strange and beautiful family," bellowed the lesbian songstress before serenading the crowd. When she got to Rodgers and Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone", backed by the 540 voice Massed Gay and Lesbian Choirs of the World, as 38,000 candles glowed throughout the stadium. A surprise highlight came when it was announced it was also lang's 41st birthday and the audience burst into Happy Birthday and k.d. fell to the floor. "I can't believe 30,000 queers sang me happy birthday," she said before leaving the stage.
Prior to going on stage lang said the Games is a chance to celebrate how far acceptance of gay people had come in recent years.
"As a person who has been out since I was 13 and out publicly for 10 years now, you get a little bit nonchalant about the whole gay issue," she said. "But when you see people coming into the stadium from Chad, China and Nepal, you realize what a major achievement it is for the gay and lesbian community and also Australia to have this much participation."
The Games were officially declared Open by the Queen's representative in New South Wales, The Governor, Professor Marie Bashir AC after an emotional speech by High Court Justice Michael Kirby who received a standing ovation from the crowd when he took to the stage.
"The changes over 30 years would not have happened if it had not been for people of courage who rejected the ignorant denials about sexuality," Justice Kirby said.
"At a time when there is so much fear and danger, anger and destruction, this event represents an alternative vision for humanity."
"Little did my partner, Johan, and I think, 30 years ago ... that we would be dancing at the opening of the Gay Games with the Queen's representative... a woman... and all of you to bear witness to such a social revolution," he said. "Ours is the world of love, questing to find the common links that bind all people.
"We are here because, whatever our sexuality, we believe that the days of exclusion are numbered."
Among the other dignitaries present were NSW Premier Bob Carr and Tourism Minister Sandra Nori.
Some 12,000 competitors from 80 nations are participating in the games, the largest sporting event Sydney has hosted since the 2000 Olympics.
Most official sports are in two main zones - the Sydney Harbour Zone and Sydney Olympic Park, the site for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Olympic Park will host 8 sports all within 5 to 10 minutes' walk of each other. These include swimming, water polo, diving, tennis (higher grades and finals), volleyball (3 grades), track & field, marathon and field hockey.
About 3500 athletes will participate in these sports. Olympic Park is about 30 minutes by train from central Sydney.
The City Harbour Zone uses a range of venues around the central city and harbour areas. A few of the sports will be outside these two zones for example, triathlon.
The opening and closing ceremonies will be held at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Public transit to the venues is inexpensive, and you find it fast and comfortable.
Some of the events are free. Others require tickets.
Ticketed events include:
Aerobics, Basketball finals, Dancing, Diving, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Netball finals, Physique, Power lifting, Soccer finals, Swimming, Tennis finals, Track and Field, Volleyball finals, Water Polo finals, Grand Ball, Opening and Closing Ceremony, Pink Flamingo swimming races.
Your best bet is to pick up a day pass at Sydney Gay Games 2002
For sports updates go to 365gay.com
The Gay Games is not just about sports. The Games involve all aspects of our lives, and the Cultural Festival is an opportunity for people to show the world the variety in gay and lesbian arts around the world.
Together with the sports program it will demonstrate an energetic, intelligent, generous and well-rounded community which deserves every possible respect within the wider social context.
There will be concerts, art shows, even a sports sketching competition.
Most of these events will be free. Some of the concerts will require tickets.
There will be performances by gay and lesbian choirs, and performance artists.
One of the highlights of the Cultural Festival will be the marching bands.
The Australian bands and the Lesbian and Gay Bands of America will join together to form Team Band for this Festival.
In addition, they will have many opportunities to be immersed in the festival at the Games sites, performing in a special concert at Sydney Town Hall and appearing in various outdoor areas in our beautiful harbourside city.
Australia is renowned world wide for its accomplishment in circus/physical theatre. Women coming to Gay Games VI will have the chance to register for a short training course conducted by outstanding Australian women's circus and physical theatre practitioners, and then join the circus for a series of performances in downtown locations.
The Australian Women's Circus Network has a number of programs established to encourage women, particularly those who had experienced violence against them, to develop strengths, skills and self-confidence. The short course and participation intends to do the same and be a great way to participate in one of Australia's great performing strengths in physical genres.
Sydney is a rare jewel - sparkling both day and night - and the city reflects the Australian personality - a bit brash, a bit cheeky but warm, outgoing and friendly. And it knows how to party! There is something for every visitor - restaurants, beaches, theatre, nightlife and its overall vibrancy.
With a population of almost 4 million, and covering almost 1120 square kilometres, Sydney is a remarkably easy city to move around in. An excellent train, bus and ferry service covers all points of the greater metropolitan area. Roadways, although congested in peak hour times, are generally well planned and driving is not too harrowing an experience.
Most Sydney tourist attractions are either within the central business district, close to the CBD, or at points around the harbour. The exceptions are Bondi and Manly - surf beach suburbs situated south and north of Sydney Heads.
If you've only got a week or a few days in Sydney, your time would be best spent by taking a walk, visiting The Rocks, or spending time on the harbour. The harbour is Sydney and on a warm day, with a clear blue sky, there is no better place on earth.
The Sydney Opera House is on Circular Quay. It was completed in 1973 and was designed by Joern Utzon. The first public performance being Prokofiev's 'War and Peace', and the acoustics are fabulous. From outside the Sydney Opera House looks remarkable and if you get up close you will be able to see several of the million or so ceramic tiles which cover the Sydney Opera House shells.
The Opera House hosts 4 auditoriums, showing music, ballet, theatre and film performances.
For more information a visit to SydneyAustralia.com is well worthwhile.
Trevor Sinclair
November 2002
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