Gay Games and Gay Rights: A Chat with Fran Simon
This author had the opportunity to speak with Fran Simon, legendary three-time participant in the Gay Games and one half of the very first queer couple to be legally married in Colorado following the legalization of gay marriage nationwide—who is now pushing for permanence of queer rights in the state legislature.
Simon participated in the Gay Games in New York City in 1994, Amsterdam in 1998, and Sydney in 2002, playing softball in her first games and basketball in the next two. When asked how she would describe the Gay Games to someone who has never heard of them before, Simon says, “From practicing and traveling with my teammates to competing against other countries to seeing a sea of LGBTQ+ people everywhere you go, it is such a joyous, uplifting, and affirming environment. Walking into huge stadiums in the opening ceremonies representing your country and city with tens of thousands of people cheering you on is purely magical.”
Simon also says that it was inspiring to see people participating in the Games from countries that aren’t queer-friendly and to witness their bravery in doing so. We saw a similar phenomenon in this year’s Olympic Games, with the shutdown of Grindr to protect the identity of the many queer athletes that may come from LGBTQ+-hostile countries, or may not be out yet in their communities for their own safety —but to see people participate in an openly and purposefully gay event from these countries is a testament to the strength of love and freedom to be oneself within our global society.<
Some of Simon's favorite parts of the Games were trading jerseys with the teams from other countries, win or lose, and making friends with queer athletes from all over the world whom she has kept in contact with. As for who should attend/participate, Simon says, "I highly recommend The Gay Games to anyone who wants to have a fun, positive experience playing sports against cool people from all over the world in a friendly and inclusive environment where you can be your authentic self!" She would love to play in future Gay Games and is pushing for Denver's bid to host an upcoming Games in 2030 (which you can support here!).
Additionally, we asked Simon about her involvement with LGBTQ+ legislative movements in Colorado, specifically her iconic status as half of the first gay couple to be married in the state in 2014. Simon and her partner, Anna, repeatedly testified at the state legislature, prior to
The couple have now been together for 21 years, having had a religious marriage with a rabbi in 2005, and now their son Jeremy goes to testimonies with the couple on behalf of queer rights in the legislature. The couple is currently pushing for the people of Colorado to vote Yes on Amendment J to remove the official ban on same-sex marriage from the Colorado Constitution.
Photo courtesy of Fran Simon
