A FEW MONTHS ago, long-time supporters of the Georgia Gay Rodeo Association sounded the alarm.
With attendance waning for even monthly meetings, elected officers of the group worried that gay rodeo in Atlanta, around since the early 1990s, was on the verge of riding off into the sunset. For two years, the group even skipped its annual rodeo, which drew more than 1,500 spectators and 100 contestants in 2005.
But the GGRA’s organizational fatigue looks to be behind it. Members selected a new slate of leaders in late January and already they are working to reintroduce the rodeo group publicly.
“Luckily, the new blood has arrived,” said Brad Bruner, GGRA’s new president. “We want to let people know that the organization is back, going strong and worth joining.”
To show off why it’s fun to be a gay cowboy or cowgirl, the rodeo association is reviving its Indoor Play Day, an evening of rodeo exhibitions for the novice as well as veteran riders set for March 15. Buoyed by the success of a social and bar crawl last month that resulted in 11 new members, Bruner said the upcoming event will provide a safe and fun mini-rodeo on the dance floor of the county and western bar 3-Legged Cowboy.
“It is easy and there is no skill involved. It’s a great way to come meet the rodeo community without getting dirty or injured,” Bruner said.
The evening will also feature a silent auction and raffle to raise funds for Pets Are Loving Support, which provides care for pets of people living with critical illnesses and disabilities, renewing GGRA’s focus on charity that has resulted in more than $80,000 in donations since its inception.
The group's membership has grown to 70, up from about 50 last year. But hosting GGRA’s signature event — the Southern Spurs Rodeo — is still in the formative stages and at the earliest, is about a year away.
“We are very excited right now. Everyone has great energy and wants to make a wild success of this group,” he said.
MORE THAN 100 gay and lesbian tennis players hit the courts this weekend as part of the Atlanta Team Tennis Association’s annual tournament for members only. The event, the Chattahoochee Doubles Classic, unfolds over three days on 10 courts and will feature 33 men’s teams, 17 pairs of women and 27 mixed pairs of competitors.
“It’s our opening event of the year,” said Adam Helewski, the tournament’s director. “It is a good chance to reconnect with all of the people you haven’t seen for a few months.”
This year, the tournament was centralized at one location, the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center on Northside Drive. The event also features action across several skill levels, including the most competitive open division.
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