GLRF ends 2007 booth promotion season in Chattanooga

GLRF finished a busy and very successful regatta booth promotion season by hosting a booth at the Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The event, hosted by the Atlanta Rowing Club (ARC), is viewed by many rowers as one of the most exhilarating events of the North American head race season. The community of Chattanooga has taken to rowing like no other and welcomes rowers with open arms. The ARC regatta organizing committee were super nice and made a point of saying they were glad we were there.

The season finished with GLRF hosting booths at 8 regatta events in three countries and two continents. The GLRF regatta booth promotion program provides an opportunity to develop awareness of GLRF within the broader rowing community and helps to foster a discussion and recognition of gay and lesbian rowers in the sport. The booths do not always go without incident. Some rowers and spectators express their indignation and outrage at the presence of a GLRF booth at straight rowing events. These individuals are collectively and gently referred to as stomping visitors with clenched fists. This season’s off color comments included: “Who let you in?” and “Why are you here” and “You should be ashamed of yourselves!” and “Ohhhhhhhhh!!!!” The supporters far outnumber the detractors and many of the supportive comments come from parents who stop by to say how glad they are that GLRF is at the regatta. When GLRF faced resistance from one club to host a booth at a regatta, USRowing, the national governing body of rowing in the United States, stepped in and declared without reservation: “they are coming and that’s that!” If you row for a US club and you’re not a member of USRowing, you should be!