Aug. - Sept.

Proud Town

— Emilia Lombardi, martial arts athlete

"I'm gay, and I feel like I'm in a city that supports me. I feel more comfortable being here and in my choice to make this my home instead of going to some very liberal New England city or the West Coast. There are pride flags still waving in Ohio City, and I've noticed more rainbow flags in general."

— Ted Rosati, founder of the Cleveland Fury, an LGBT-friendly soccer team

"All of the athletes coming in from out of town were really impressed at how welcoming and open Cleveland was to them. The places where I went and wore something that had Gay Games on it, people were just open and wanted to talk about it and what they could get involved in. Cleveland was supportive, and it was a big deal to them. It changed how people viewed us."

— Karen Slaven, javelin and women's table tennis athlete