Gay Games officials believe the incident involving a Cleveland police officer was isolated
DIVERSITY | Gay games opening ceremonies featured diverse participants from around the LGBT community and around the world. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Yung/Gay Games 9)
DAVID TAFFET | Staff Writer
Members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in Cleveland for the Gay Games this week say that a Cleveland police officer stopped them from handing out safe sex kits outside Q Arena and then forced them to leave the arena area, even though they had pre-purchased tickets to attend.
They also said that other Sisters who were originally supposed to participate in Opening Ceremonies were cut from the event.
Gay Games officials said they hadn’t heard about any incidents happening outside the arena in Cleveland. And they said that even though the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were not included in opening ceremonies, the drag community was.
While President Barack Obama was welcoming participants and fans to the U.S. via video inside the arena, a Cleveland police officer was turning away the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence outside.
Dallas Sister Lawna Jocqui said she and Sister Rachel from Cleveland were outside the arena distributing safe sex kits when a Cleveland police officer, identified as Lt. Chuck Depenti, told them to go across the street. Once they were across the street, they continued handing out their packets, but they said athletes and spectators asked why they weren’t part of the opening ceremony.
Gay Games spokeswoman Ann Gynn said the Sisters were never part of the opening ceremony, although the ceremony included a diverse array of people from the community and around the world.
“Opening ceremony involved numerous drag queens — both on the stage as well as participants in the Parade of Participants,” she said.
Jocqui questioned what she called a reluctance to use the word gay when referring to the games, wondering if that masked a homophobic undercurrent in the city.
“The two words ‘Gay Games’ is the primary phrasing used in our logo as well as most signage,” Gynn said. “Our logo is prominent on signage throughout the region, from the airport to downtown, hotels and more. We also showed it throughout Opening Ceremony and the Quicken Loans Arena created its own welcome sign. We sometimes use ‘Games’ or ‘GG9’ as an abbreviation.”
Former Dallas resident Shawn Huff, who now lives in Cleveland, said he understood the Sisters were escorted off the property because they were distributing condoms.
“The city has bent over backwards to be hospitable,” he said. “This was a huge event for the city. There are rainbow flags everywhere and billboards. I haven’t heard of one incident in the city.”
Jocqui said the officer that told them to go across the street told them that Human Rights Campaign had an exclusive contract to hand out literature.
“I went to the convention center today and chatted with some of the HRC volunteers,” Jocqui said. “They’re still surprised and said they’re not aware of any exclusive rights to pass out material or be the lone organization on the front of the Q Arena.”
Sister Nadia of the Cleveland chapter of the Sisters said that as a newer chapter of the organization than Dallas, people in Cleveland may view their group as more of an oddity. In Dallas, people in Oak Lawn know if the Sisters are around, they’re raising money and raising HIV awareness.
“My encounter with the officer was terse and intimidating,” Sister Nadia said.
He said other officers apologized and brushed off the incident saying, “Oh, that’s just Chuck.”
Sister Nadia said he filed a complaint with the city’s professional standards and civilian review board.
The police department did not respond to a request for comments.
“About 12,000 participants and spectators representing a diverse cross section of the Northeast Ohio community as well as out-of-town guests, friends and families enjoyed Opening Ceremony, which included a surprise video from President Barack Obama to welcome everybody to the 2014 Gay Games,” Gynn said.
Obama is the first host-country’s leader in the history of the Gay Games to officially open the event.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 15, 2014.