The Federation of Gay Games has announced that Chicago Games Inc. and Los Angeles 2006, Inc. have submitted formal letters of intent to bid for the right to host Gay Games VII in 2006.

“We are pleased that members of the Los Angeles and Chicago bidding organizations are demonstrating their enthusiasm to host the Gay Games,” said Federation of Gay Games Co-President Roberto Mantaci from his home in Paris. “Both cities are, of course, large metropolitan areas with strong LGBT communities, and either of them would be an excellent choice for the next edition of the Gay Games.”

The Federation’s board of directors is scheduled to make a decision in March 2004. Both bidding organizations participated in the original bid process for Gay Games VII in 2001 along with groups from Atlanta and Montréal.

The Federation had originally selected Montréal but the Montréal organizers broke off contract negotiations in November, putting the Federation in the unprecedented situation of reopening the bidding process for Gay Games VII. Members of Atlanta Games, Inc., the second highest vote getter in the original bidding process, announced at that time that they would not bid again.

However, members of the Chicago and Los Angeles bid organizations expressed interest in the opportunity to go back to supporters of their 2001 bids to discuss whether bidding again was feasible.

Mantaci noted that the letters of intent to bid indicated there was indeed local community support for each of the Los Angeles and Chicago bidding organizations. He acknowledged the extraordinary circumstances and called on Gay Games participants to support the two groups’ bid efforts.

While Los Angeles has remained focused on their bid for 2006, Chicago has been quick to publicize the support they have already received from local organizations and other Gay Games participants.

Chicago’s umbrella sports organizations have indicated strong support for the Chicago bid. The Women’s Sports Association, Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association (MSA), Team Chicago and the Windy City Athletic Association are each already contributing volunteers and expertise to the bid effort and/or strong letters of support.

“Chicago MSA stands proudly with you,” writes Mel Ferrand, President of Chicago MSA. The Women’s Sports Association’s Board of Directors writes of “wholehearted support and admiration.” Team Chicago writes they will be “enthusiastic supporters of this effort.”

Team New York, one of the world’s largest delegations to past Gay Games, has also thrown their support in Chicago’s corner, noting they will work to expand their participation if Chicago is awarded the 2006 Gay Games.

“Chicago Games, Inc., its sponsors and supporters, the City of Chicago, and anyone else involved in the upcoming bid preparation process should know that Team New York is fully committed to the Gay Games movement,” Team New York wrote in an open letter. “Athletes and artists from Team NY have attended all six of the previous Gay Games; in Amsterdam we fielded a team of over 350; in Sydney that number grew to almost 500. If Chicago was selected to host the next Gay Games, this trend of continuously increasing participation would undoubtedly be extended.”

Gay Games participants and supporters have flooded the Federation with e-mails since November, some expressing disappointment that the Gay Games would be moved and others voicing their appreciation that the Federation has taken steps to ensure that the Gay Games will continue.

“We’re asking the next host to focus almost exclusively on the core activities that the Gay Games was founded to showcase,” said Kathleen Webster, Federation co-president, of Philadelphia. “By re-defining the size and scope of Gay Games VII, we want to reduce as much as possible the risk of the large deficits that have resulted from the past three Gay Games.”

Federation officials acknowledged the challenges of a reduced preparation time to organize a Gay Games, but pointed out that both bidding organizations were prepared to overcome potential hurdles and mount a successful event in 2006.

“Members of the Federation board who themselves have served on past Gay Games host committees say that most of the work is done in the immediate 12 to 18 months prior,” Webster said. “The Federation will do everything we can to assist the future host in putting on a successful event.”

Final bid documents are due to be submitted by Feb. 1, with the Federation board expected to vote on March 1.