This was how Chicago welcomed the seventh Gay Games, a celebration of international sport competition, cultural presentation, and the LGBTQ+ community. “The camaraderie, the feeling of being in a safe place with people like you can’t be minimized,” said Chicago Gay Games cochair Suzanne Arnold. Tom Waddell, a former decathlete, founded the Gay Games to create a welcoming environment for queer people of all skill levels, said Kile Ozier, producer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Chicago Gay Games. The Chicago Gay Games empowered participants to fight for visibility in other ways as well. Whiskey Girl Tavern wasn’t the only reunion for many of the Chicago Gay Games participants this summer, though.