Nothing like a nice day in the park with wheelbarrow races, tug of war and oil wrestling.
During the May 3 Lezlympics, women will compete in all of those events and more. Already, 13 teams (each comprised of 10 to 12 women) have registered for the event. Registration will close once 16 teams have signed up (cost is $30 a person). The teams will compete in a series of events, with one team claiming the “Lesbian All-Stars” title.
The competition is limited to women, but all LGBT and allied people ages 21 and older can buy spectator passes ($10 a person) and cheer on the games at the Old Lodge in Elysian Park, next to Dodger Stadium. In addition to the games, the event will include food, a full bar, music from live DJs and a bounce house.
This is the third year for Lezlympics. The day of fun and games in the park started in 2012, when Morgan Faye decided there’d be no better way to celebrate her birthday than by watching lesbians jump around in potato sacks. (Faye’s own press release deems the event’s games “ridiculous,” so she clearly has a sense of humor about it.)
Faye invited about 30 people and said it would be fine for them to invite others to join in. She scarcely expected to reach 150 RSVPs in no time.
“It was great energy,” Faye said. “Everyone was super stoked to be there. It just had a really good vibe.”
The following year, Faye decided to keep the Lezlympics going, this time as an organized event with permits, prizes and twice the attendance of the makeshift debut year.
This year, proceeds from the event will go to AIDS/LifeCycle, a week-long charity bike ride that supports the HIV and AIDS-related services of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation. AIDS/LifeCycle will have stationary bikes at Lezlympics, where guests can race against their friends.
