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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1999)
may 21.1999 ' just out 37 S /u tu /n u Courtly love 'X ì r j i i f v a /c m e /s Team Portland has a handle on a racket that attracts queer tennis players and gay dollars by with ARNALDO! S arah S wanson he Louisiana-Pacific Tennis C enter at the W hile there are other Team Portland mem University of Portland resounds with the bers who join Barreto and Sinclair in the high thwack of hard-hit tennis balls every Sun ly competitive O pen and A divisions, the day from 8 a.m. till noon. T h a t’s when majority of members play in the B, C and D Team Portland Tennis Association, Portlands levels. only gay and lesbian tennis team, gets together “It’s great,” says Allen Vandehey, a three- for practicing and socializing each week. year Team Portland member who competes at “This is what 1 look forward to on week the C level. “I’ve met a lot of great friends and ends,” says Fidel Garcia, a six-year member of I have fun playing tennis.” Team Portland. Many of his teammates agree. Co-presidents and partners Kim Bauske “It’s awesome,” says Eric Hunter, who started and Karen Frangos work hard to make the playing tennis regularly a year and a half ago team fun and welcoming. Frangos stresses the when he joined the team. “It’s really great peo camaraderie among team members, noting ple doing active, healthy that there is “no ani things...and having mosity between the men and the women.” fun.” Team Portland has Team Portland’s roster between 50 and 60 boasts a fairly even members, with roughly number of male and 30 of those members female members, she regularly attending Sun adds. day practices, says Kim Frangos also notes Bauske, Team Portland the high level of co-president. She ex involvement in Team plains that team mem Portland specifically and the GLTA in gen bers compete at a variety eral. “Most of the time, of levels, from the most tennis is not considered competitive O pen and a ‘gay’ sport,” she says. A levels down through “But there’s a huge the B, C and D levels. If number of people in a player wins two or the GLTA.” more tournaments in a There are also quite year in his or her divi a few GLTA tourna sion, that player must ments. In addition to move up a level. those sanctioned by the The team ’s larger GLTA, many teams get context is the Gay and together and play Lesbian Tennis A lli against each other in ance, an international smaller tournaments. organization that m an Recently, Team ages the queer tennis Portland competed in circuit. The GLTA sanc Seattle against the tions about 25 tourna Seattle Tennis Alliance ments a year and ranks and the Vancouver more than 3,500 gay and Tennis Association in lesbian tennis players. the Northwest Cup, an A few of Team Port annual event hosted in land’s members are rotation by one of the GLTA ranked, including three teams each year. partners Tom Barreto Instead of compet and Brian Sinclair, who ing individually, each met three years ago dur Northwest Cup partici ing the Rose City O pen pant competes for his Tournament, which was or her team. For every sponsored by Team Port Team Portland’s Charlie Huffman match won, a team land. Both Barreto and scores a point. Seattle took the top honors Sinclair are ranked in the top 200 singles play with 16 points, Team Portland came in second ers, and Barreto and his mixed-doubles partner with 13 points, and Vancouver finished with are the fifth-ranked mixed-doubles team in the 10 points. GLTA. Over the upcoming Labor Day weekend, Sinclair and Barreto are two of Team Port Sept. 4 to 6, Team Portland will sponsor the land’s most com petitive members, going to five eighth annual Rose City Open, in which play or more tournam ents a year. “We hit most of ers compete individually. In years past, the the West Coast tournam ents,” says Barreto. tournament has drawn as many as 300 players. West Coast tournam ents include the U.S. Gay According to Bauske, the Rose City Open Open in San Francisco, the San Diego O pen, attracts a larger audience than any other Port the Evergreen Tennis Cham pionships in Seat land tennis tournament. “Gay dollars are really tle, the Rose City O pen in Portland, and the talking,” she boasts. Palm Springs O pen. “This is really a great tournament,” says Sinclair and Barreto also practice much Bauske. “A lot of people don’t want to miss it, more often than just the Sunday Team Port and look forward to it all year." land practices. "W hen we are staying togeth er, says Sinclair (w ho lives in Vancouver, ■ For more information on becoming a member B.C., but spends summers in Portland), “we of T eam P ortland T ennis A ssociation , probably practice at least three or four times a contact A lex Godinez cit (503) 282-7210. week." Seattle’s finest drag chanteuse singing live at __ the Chameleon with accompanist Bob Bruneau T Sunday, May 23, 1999 V en g e of a H to -P a n ic Q n ea k d o u m Door: $ 10 (dinner not included) Seating starts at 7 pm Call 503/460.2682 for reservations "Amaldo Inocentes (in drun) was absolutely sensa- Itional in South America Take It Away- His talent ¡never ceases to amaze me." —Gary Baker, Seattle Clay Netcs muse critic I Stannin g Gneineo RESTAURANT & BAR Oune 4 -2 6 Tf)¿nacle Olheatne 5 2 5 An Eclectic Menu Ranging from Italian to Thai Dinner 5:30 to 10 pm M-Sat. tite m k 2000 N E 40th 5 0 3 -2 3 6 -7 2 5 3 1 4 6 0 -2 6 8 2 (2 blcks . 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