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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 21, 2006)
JULY 21. 2006 sports Bend Over Beckham Queer soccer team catches World Cup fever JOIN UI IN OUR JECQND ANNUAL CELEBRATION! lUStOUt 45 "So, the one night stand worked?” by Karen Kudej M O N IC A BURKE ty—the Oregon Adult Soccer Association covers close to 250 teams, not including indixir leagues—there has been no club specifically for queer players and their friends. For Carhart, it’s not that he’s had issues being out on other teams. “I pick things up quickly and am a pretty gixxl player, so I’ve been able to reel them in to accept me,” he explains. “1 play on two other indixir teams, but the social part isn’t there.” Carhart hoped to put together a group of queer people who wanted to he out doing things and playing soccer. He advertised for the team on Craig’s List, and word started to Brian Carhart (second from left) formed the NetRippers after spread. Carhart will be leaving participating in Seattle's Rain City Soccer Club. town before the fall soccer season bout 8,000 Portlanders turned out July 9 starts, but the NetRippers will continue under in Pioneer Square to watch the final new leadership. game of the 2006 men’s soccer World One player who will be sticking around is Carlos Cup, the most-watched sporting event Petry-Freeman. He’s a defender and goalkeeper who, on the planet. Countless others spent the like Carhart, has been playing since childhcxxi. He weeks prior gathering around screens in cafes, pubs, about the NetRippers through Team Oregon, heard community centers and living rooms to watch which promotes athletic opportunities for the queer world-renowned players such as Englands David community in a variety of sports. Beckham, Brazil’s Ronaldo and France’s Zinedine “It’s about creating community within commu Zidane put their experience to work on the field. nity,” Petry-Freeman says. “But you’ve got to take With Italy’s victory over France, the World Cup those first steps.” came to an end for another four years. Promising At press time Petry-Freeman was in Chicago young players such as Germany’s Lukas Podolski, tending goal for the Dublin Devils at the 2006 Gay Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and England’s Wayne Games. There weren’t enough players organized Rooney will return to their club teams to wait for from Oregon to field a full team. Petry-Freeman another chance at the cup. The U.S. men’s team, found the Dublin Devils through a posting on the which failed to advance beyond the first round of Gay Games Web site. Like the World Cup, the play, will have to wait to prove that it can compete Gay Games happen every four years. After this on the world stage. year’s cup, Germany will not host the tournament But the end of the World Cup doesn’t mean for a long while. But the 2010 Gay Games will be soccer enthusiasts have to wait another four years held in Cologne, Germany, and Petry-Freeman is to get a soccer fix. The British Premiership league, hoping the NetRippers will have at least 18 players featuring many of the World Cup stars, resumes ready to travel by then. play in August. Play for Major League Soccer can In the meantime, the team continues to sometime he caught on ESPN. Locally, the practice through the summer. It will participate in Portland Timbers play all of their August games at an indoor league this fall. All skill levels are home at PGE Park. welcome, and anyone gay or gay-friendly is invited to join the team. © For those more interested in playing the game A than watching it, Portland has its own fledgling gay and gay-friendly team. The NetRippers formed in Fehniary under the initiative of Brian Carhart, who started playing soccer when he was in third grade and has been playing and coaching ever since. He lived in Seattle for a while and was active with rhe Rain City Soccer Club. With eight teams and about 300 members, Rain City boasts that it is the largest queer soccer club in the world. Its mission is to provide play at all skill levels and “to provide members with a safe environment to meet like-minded people to socialize and play stxxer." When Carhart moved to Portland, he wanted to start some thing like that here. Although Portland has a large soccer communi NORTH PORTLAND PRIDE ’’Maybe it’s time to get that bigger place...?” FEJTIVflL • ■ I ■ ■ ■ x Sunday, Aug. 13, Noon to 4 PM University Park, United Methodist Church Bell Tower Lawn (4775 N Lombard. Portland OR 97203) ■ ■ ■ Kim Trip, Realty Trust 503.416.2017 Celebrate a summer of pride with food, music, vendor tables and good company. Vendors include North Portland resources, neighbors, real estate agents, mortgage brokers, housing developers and others bl lp://u’u’w. reallyl ru.il.eiun/kiml rip 5902NE SanOy ft/vO. Portland This is a free community event open to all. Lead. Inspire. Contribute. For every Portland police officer, there is a story... Willie Halliburton Detective "In my research of police departments around the country, I noticed Portland. I was attracted to the diversity of the Police Bureau. It was open to all types of people regardless of sexual orientation or race." Join us and write the next chapter. www.joinportlandpolice.com For more information about N et R ippers e-mail bendoferhecldiam@gmail com. KAREN K udej is a Portland freelance writer. 1132 SE Salmon Portland 503-236-8222 www.dogsdlglt.net LICK * BARK • WAG
