Dueling gay games in 2006: Chicago is the new chosen city for Gay Games 2006, while Montreal will offer a competing event. Can either break the Games' financial curse?

After Montreal withdrew as host of the 2006 Gay Games--throwing the world's premier gay athletic competition into jeopardy--the event's governing body on March 2 selected a new host: Chicago.

Montreal was chosen in 2001, but a disagreement last year with the Federation of Gay Games over finances led that city's organizing committee to end negotiations and set up its own event--now dubbed Rendez-Vous Montreal 2006, which is slated for July 29 to August 5. The 2006 Gay Games in Chicago will be held July 15 to July 22.

Federation of Gay Games copresident Kattleen Webster says Chicago and Los Angeles, the two cities that submitted new bids for the 2006 games, presented good proposals. Chicago was chosen partly because of its emphasis on athletics.

Webster and other federation leaders say they are dedicated to ending a legacy of deficits that has trailed the Gay Games as the event has grown. Vancouver lost $84,000 in 1990, New York lost $700,000 in 1994 (reduced by half postbankruptcy), Amsterdam lost $1.8 million in 1998, and Sydney lost $1.1 million in 2002, with at least the last three ending in bankruptcy.

That's partly because organizers overspent on nonsports events that showcased everything from poetry to activism. They also overestimated the number of sponsors they could get. "Cultural programs that are not core to the Gay Games need to be produced by institutions that have the expertise to do that," Chicago Games Inc. spokesman Kevin Boyer says. "So if there's going to be a film festival associated with the Chicago Gay Games, that film festival needs to be produced and managed by the Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival board."

Meanwhile, Rendez-Vous Montreal has a 2 1/2-year head start in fund-raising and organization. "We don't have anything against Chicago, but good luck," Rendez-Vous spokesman Jean-Yves Duthel says. "They have no money." Duthel says Rendez-Vous will break even with the help of government contributions, private sponsors, souvenir sales, registration fees, and cultural events.

Chicago organizers say the Games will break even because they budgeted conservatively, will charge more for events like sailing that cost more to hold, and will not spend money on extravagant, unnecessary entertainment. "We're committed to making these games a world-class event and a sound financial model," Chicago Games cochair Dennis Sneyers says.

Chicago also will be competing with Montreal for athletes. "I think people will want to go to both," says Christian West, president of Team New York, a GLBT athletes network. But neither Montreal nor Chicago organizers expect most athletes to attend both.

The falling-out with Montreal also could cause problems for the Federation of Gay Gaines beyond 2006. Montreal has joined leaders of some other groups to plan a new international gay sports organization. "We think that the GLBT sport movement is ready for an association on a worldwide scale that actively works to improve the conditions for the GLBT athletes," says Ole Udsholt, a board member of the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation.

Federation secretary Charlie Carson says he win applaud any group that helps gay athletes worldwide. "Our main purpose is to put on the Gay Games," Carson says. "You've got to take care of first things first."

Henneman has also written for the San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times.