The games experience.

I take this opportunity to comment on the exceptional example of research-free editorial displayed under Bruce C. Steele's byline in the opening pages of the March 14 issue [From the Editor in Chief]. It is a remarkable display of smugness and myopia that The Advocate didn't bother to contact anyone on the team of world-class creative individuals who developed and delivered the most memorable ceremonies the Gay Games has delivered to date.

The most glaring ignorance is displayed in the apparent unawareness that--as has been the practice in the original Olympic Games, which remained so until this year--there is no hierarchical order to the Athlete's Procession at closing: All athletes enter the stadium as one large body, irrespective of national or geographic origin and together, as community, with new friends and friendly competitors. At the Gay Games, the sense is that a new, even utopian community is exemplified in the closing procession.

The mistake on our part in '94 was in attempting to give that procession commentary at all. Not everything we did in New York was perfect, but even Harvey's frustrated attempts to elicit cheers from the athletes as they encircled Yankee Stadium outshone some of what we have to endure from NBC every four years.

To label the "freshly assembled" team that produced '94's opening and closing ceremonies "neophytes" putting something together 'Trom scratch" does inexcusable disservice to a team of accomplished professionals: Tony award-winning designers, composers, and choreographers; nationally recognized creative [individuals], producers, and managers from world-class theatrical companies gathered to create an experience that continues to resonate in the memories of the thousands who were there.

Finally, the Gay Games did not split itself "in two." Montreal walked out on the Federation in resistance to being pressed to adhere to [agreed-upon] procedures and regulations. Montreal was the party doing the "abandoning," not the Federation; and the only reason "haste" might be applied to the description of organizing the Chicago Games is that Montreal left the Federation with only two years to do four years' work. I might add to that the fact that Chicago has done an astonishing, professional, and what Hill become a legendary job at mounting a week of events, competition, and experience for this summer.

Gay Games VII will be something not to have missed.

KILE OZIER Director, opening and closing Ceremonies for Gay Games IV & VII, via the Internet

[Steele responds: I do apologize for impugning the professionalism of the 1994 ceremony's hard-working organizers. After an awkward beginning, the event was beautiful, entertaining, and top-notch. I regret that this was not clear in my letter.]