SYDNEY STAR OBSERVER - November 2, 2002

JOHN & GENE STILL OUT IN FRONT

The gay and lesbian community has a reputation – whether deserved or otherwise – for relationships that are lucky to last 10 years. Those that do – the ones that make it to 25, 30 or 40 years are received by some with open-mouthed awe.

Gene Silbert was a young New Yorker and John Kiley a young Sydney man working in New York when they met in Greenwich Village in 1953. They were at a men's bar, possibly an illegal one – they didn't want to talk about it – which has since changed names 24 times.

Back then, Gene said, he never would have imagined that one day he and his partner would be at a gay and lesbian event such as the Gay Games. "Absolutely not. Believe me, the change is so dramatic."

John agreed: "I think it's totally open and accepting, at least in this part of town. Back then you would never see two guys or two girls walking around hand in hand. Firms wouldn't hire you if they thought that your were gay. Unfortunately, a lot of men and women took token husbands and wives to appear as though they weren't gay or lesbian and to fit in with their families.

No-one was really open about it, but there was a network – you could figure it out. It was almost exciting in a way, and there are a lot of people who miss it – the element of danger. Today people say, 'So you're gay? So what?'"

The couple started running almost 30 years ago, competing together in the Vancouver Gay Games in 1990. John said it was the first time Gene had run competitively, and the first time they had been in a "totally gay environment".

Gene and John's love of running has inspired them to start a foundation to encourage and support gay and lesbian athletics. As John said, it was their way of returning the support they had received from their peers during their relationship.

"Because Gene and I are both in our 70s, we thought maybe it's time to give something back to our community that has enriched us both so much," he said.

The G and J Rainbow Community Foundation was launched last week at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the long bar, at a function attended by international athletes and friends made at Gay Games and through the gay and lesbian running group Frontrunners.

It will ultimately provide scholarships for US athletes and give grants to increase public awareness of gay and lesbian athletes.

"We're very interested in promoting a healthy lifestyle. Sports are such a positive force. We can all go out drinking and so forth, but it's great to have something healthy to do as well," John said.

"That and promoting gay role models. When we were growing up there were no gay athletes out there. We hope that we can promote gay and lesbian athletes and create positive models for young gay people. The response that we've got from the gay and the straight community has been so positive."

Gene has registered to run the 5,000 metres and the 10,000 and John has planned to compete in the 5,000 metre race walk and five swimming events at Sydney 2002.

They said while they both hoped for medals, glory wasn't the main attraction of the Games.

"But when you get to be our age you always win – for one thing there's a lot less competition. I didn't start running until I was in my 50s – 20 years ago," Gene said.

The couple have been to every Games since Vancouver, and have already planned a trip to Montreal 2006.

"It's just to see so many sports-oriented people and also to be in a gay event that is a sport-related environment. And also to wander around and meet people and there's no attitude. This is a different crowd [to a Mardi Gras] – it's people who want to party, and they'll be partying. But the people we know won't go to the party if they think it's going to be too late. Some of our friends have been in training now for over a year. They're very serious about what they're doing. Their partying will take place after the Games," Gene said.

For John, the Games are all about visibility, he said. "And that moment when you walk into the stadium and the reception that you get. I just get teary sometimes thinking about it. Instead of being on the outer, the minority group is the straights."