Robert Dover, the first out gay Olympic athlete - Outsports

Contents:

• ROBERT DOVER WAS THE FIRST OUT GAY OLYMPIC ATHLETE, 1988
• THREE-DAY EVENT AT GRIFFH PARK : HOMOSEXUALS STAGE STATE’S 1ST GAY ROO
• THIS STORY ABOUT GAY HORS IS HONTLY HEARTBREAKG
• FIRST OPENLY GAY RACEHORSE TO COMPETE SUNDAY
• THE GEO PHOTOS FROM A GAY ROO WILL TRIGGER YOUR INNER COWBOY
• CAN HORS BE GAY? (ANSWERED!)
• GAY HORS FOR SALE
• WHAT DO A GAY HORSE EAT?

ROBERT DOVER WAS THE FIRST OUT GAY OLYMPIC ATHLETE, 1988

In 1988, at the height of the AIDS crisis, Robert Dover ma Olympics history by blazg a trail for generatns of gay athlet to e. That was when Dover matter-of-factly told the public that he was gay. “My thg was, ‘My name’s Robert Dover, I’m the token Jewish gay boy on the U.

I was somebody who wasn’t aaid to talk about beg openly gay Olympic sport. For Terry Toney of Venice, California’s first-ever gay roo Saturday at the Los Angel Equtrian Center Griffh Park provid a fledglg bronc-rir the opportuny to play Marlboro Man for a day. Although the event was not limed to homosexuals, most participants and spectators were gay, acrdg to anizers, who expected the weekend attendance to top 10, 000.

Today’s featured celebry will be Los Angel Cy Councilman Joel Events PlannedAlthough new to California, gay roos have been staged for 10 years Reno. More recently, siar events have been held Denver and Bell, who owns Floyds, a gay untry and wtern bar Long Beach, has been workg for three years to brg the event to California and was rponsible for anizg the Goln State Gay Roo Assn., the nonprof group that sponsored the roo. “People n’t participate the regular roo circu and be openly gay bee of blatant discrimatn, ” Bell said.

THREE-DAY EVENT AT GRIFFH PARK : HOMOSEXUALS STAGE STATE’S 1ST GAY ROO

‘It’s the macho image that’s offend by a man who n roughri and be gay.

”Add Toney: “It’s one of the last areas of our culture that would ever accept homosexualy. ”Stark said the roo provis an opportuny for gay men and women to participate wh kdred spirs an event “that isn’t bar related. ”“It isn’t any of the sleazy part of beg gay, ” Stark said.

One rir tri to rope the w while the other dismounts and attempts to squeeze a bottle of k om her and then n to the judge’s stand before the other petors participants, who clud only a few women, said gay roos are not as fiercely petive as others, a ncln that was supported by shouts of enuragement om petors and a sh of wboys to the arena to assist a fallen to ReturnSome urban wboys, like Toney, said they grew up ral areas and yearn to return to untry livg but fd difficult to be accepted back home as homosexuals.

THIS STORY ABOUT GAY HORS IS HONTLY HEARTBREAKG

“It’s a gay man’s fantasy to e to a metropolan area, meet someone and move back, so he don’t have to be the only one, ” Toney said. The IGRA Hall of Fame honors dividuals who have provid for the velopment and growth of gay roo, or who have acced an outstandg rerd or achieved a proment posn the sport.

A gay roo? Dee joed the Kansas Gay Roo Associatn (KGRA) the late 80's wh Ln Copeland beg the big drivg force for Dee to bee volved wh KGRA.

He also met an Internatnal Gay Roo Associatn (IGRA) nttant who Doug believed need extra special attentn.

FIRST OPENLY GAY RACEHORSE TO COMPETE SUNDAY

Guy beme a member of the Nevada Gay Roo Associatn March 2000 immediately after his first exposure to the sport of gay roo, which was at the Road Runner Regnal Roo Phoenix, AZ January 2000. David heard about the gay roo om a iend but was too young to enter, so he waed until he was 21. Tim joed the Texas Gay Roo Associatn 1987, and rapidly beme volved many areas of the associatn.

Jonny beme volved gay roo where she loved ridg her horse.

The first issue he received, June 1995, had the listg for the Gay Roos for next year. This was the first time Frank had heard of the gay roos.

THE GEO PHOTOS FROM A GAY ROO WILL TRIGGER YOUR INNER COWBOY

Dan started his gay roo years both the arena, and the meetg rooms, as well as beg volved outsi related groups. Jack was troduced to gay roo the late 1980's by Jerry Cunngham - who is like a brother to Jack - when Jack and Jerry were young and pretty, they actually molled together for several years. Her adult roo reer began two years later when Lra met Judy Gayle, the owner of "Our Place Bar" of San Anton.

A group discsn was beg held the bar about formg the Texas Gay Roo Associatn (TGRA), and Lra beme volved. Durg her 20-year venture wh IGRA, Tamara participated 124 roos, 16 World Gay Roo Fals, and 9 IGRA nventns.

CAN HORS BE GAY? (ANSWERED!)

She peted and won ribbons lf ropg on foot, and buckled the Wild Drag Race, both of which earned her vatns to pete IGRA's World Gay Roo Fals.

Judy's first troductn to petn was due to Kim Dawson, an Internatnal Gay Roo Associatn (IGRA) Arena Director, who was lookg for a female to pete wh two wboys. After spendg two years unsuccsfully proddg Amy to jo them petg a pair of well-meang, but duplico iends, Mark Marshall and Bill Person, signed her up for a Goln State Gay Roo Associatn membership, and as their Wild Drag Race partner for the "L. Dennis peted all 12 IGRA roos that year, cludg the IGRA World Gay Roo Fals Phoenix.

GAY HORS FOR SALE

As a spectator, she attend her first gay roo Denver 1983. Cdy McCormick was already a Charter Member of the Goln State Gay Roo Associatn (GSGRA) when the first Los Angel gay roo was jt s planng stag. In 1992 the Nevada Gay Roo Associatn (NGRA) was formed the state where the first gay roo had been held, two s before.

WHAT DO A GAY HORSE EAT?

Informed by his Texas/Oklahoma upbrgg and mted to the celebratn and prervatn of the gay untry and wtern liftyle, Brian joed NGRA 1996 and has been an active member on the NGRA Roo Planng Commtee ever sce then. When the Arizona Gay Roo Associatn (AGRA) was started, the "Midne Ramblers" was a square dance group wh the roo associatn. Lda's ial exposure to gay roo was a fundraiser behd the old R & R Brass Rail bar Wicha.

Mch beme volved many anizatns, but his real lov were the Internatnal Imperial Court System (IICS), and the Internatnal Gay Roo Associatn (IGRA). The star of the gay roo circu galloped through Manhattan streets an attempt to raise funds for AIDS rearch.

Michael's tert untry/wtern dancg, love of the wboy scene, excement for the thrill of roo petn, and sire to share the experienc wh others ma him one of the pneers who first brought gay roo "east of the Mississippi". Patrick's unwaverg support and ditn has helped make the Internatnal Gay Roo Associatn (IGRA) and many of the Member Associatns and their roos what they are today. In November 1984 Texas hosted s first gay roo near Hoton.