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| Montreal 2006 President Mark Tewksbury said his organization will continue planning
to host a global gay sporting event in 2006, despite failing to reach an agreement
to host the official Gay Games.
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HOME > NEWS > WORLD NEWS
By: RYAN LEE COMMENTS
 
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of Tewksbury’s claims, including that they were
allowed to speak for only 15 minutes.
“The reality is, that’s an absolute lie — they were given
30 minutes and they decided to use only 12,” Stafford said. “An
answer to the questions allowed them to make a statement, and these meetings
can’t go on forever. There could have been a question and answer session
ad nauseum [had Montreal been allowed to ask the board questions].”
After the meeting Monday, the Federation announced a Wednesday deadline for
Montreal to accept its latest proposal — which included compromises,
but still afforded to the Federation final authority over planning — or
the Federation would cease negotiations with Montreal and begin looking for
a replacement city.
The Federation’s final deadline was a public relations ploy, intended
to make it look as though Montreal walked away in spite of a compromise, Tewksbury
charged.
“They responded [to Montreal’s previous proposal] with a final
offer which they knew very well we would reject,” Tewksbury said. “The
real sticking point was the financial control, and at the end of the day we
had to keep financial control in Montreal.”
Based on results from a recent survey of more than 100 international gay athletes,
Montreal organizers remain confident they could still hold a successful sports
festival in 2006, Tewksbury said.
The poll — conducted between Oct. 24 and Oct. 27 — showed that
91 percent of respondents said they would participate in a Montreal sports
festival that wasn’t affiliated with the Gay Games.
But Stafford discounted the survey.
“I think their so-called survey was ridiculously unscientific,” Stafford
said. “They didn’t disclose any of the questions they asked and
they didn’t specify if people would attend just a gay sporting event
or the Gay Games in Montreal. It’s hardly sound data.”
If the Federation produces a Gay Games in 2006, it will likely be at a different
time than the Montreal sports festival, Stafford said.
“The Federation isn’t interested in taking any spiteful action
to schedule it at the same time, but anything’s open at this point,” he
said.
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