D.C. Loses Bid to Host 2014 Gay Games

Cleveland gets the nod

The District has lost its bid to host the 2014 Gay Games.

Instead of picking the Nation's Capital to host what many say is the largest gay sporting event in the world, Gay Games organizers chose Cleveland, home of historic pro sports franchises like the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland got the nod Tuesday over D.C. and Boston, according to the Washington Blade.

"We congratulate Cleveland, selected today as the winning city to host the 2014 Gay Games," said D.C. organizers via Facebook. "A huge thank you goes to or our hometown team of athletes, volunteers, and benefactors for all their work."

The Federation of Gay Games site selection team visited D.C. last month to tour numerous sites across the region, including Nationals Stadium and RFK Stadium, to see if Washington was a viable option for the Games.

Nats Stadium would have hosted the opening ceremony, while RFK would have hosted the closing ceremony, according to the Washington Blade. Other D.C., Maryland and Virginia facilities under consideration were the University of Maryland, George Washington University, Dunbar High School and the Kettler ice rink.

Local organizers said the Games would have meant 12,000 athletes and 80,000 visitors headed to the District, according to the Blade.

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Check out the video below to see how D.C. organizers pitched the Washington region to Gay Games officials.

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