Memorial Day Weekend means many things to many people. For many gay and lesbian tennis players from the U.S. and around the world, Memorial Day Weekend has come to mean tennis. For thirty-two years San Francisco’s Gay & Lesbian Tennis Federation has, on Memorial Day Weekend, hosted the United States Gay Open. In recent years the tournament has been held at Stanford University’s Taube Tennis Stadium. This year the tournament will be in full swing May 25th to May 28th once again at Taube Stadium.
Steve Nugent is this years tournament co-director and responsible for registration and scheduling.
SZ: What is the history of the tournament?
SN: The first year the USGO was held was in 1981. It was created by a group of guys who got together because they wanted to play tennis but with their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in an environment where they felt safe. Back in 1981 the political climate was a lot different. Even though San Francisco had Harvey Milk fighting for equality you also had things like the Briggs Initiative which was trying to ban gay and lesbian school teachers from the classroom. All these things were going on and these guys just wanted a safe stage to play tennis. That group of guys turned into what’s now known as the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Federation (GLTF) of San Francisco. At a certain point in time when that group became solidified as an organization it took over running the USGO.
SZ: The USGO is based in San Francisco?
SN: Yes, it’s always been based in San Francisco although the tournament has been held in various venues in the bay area. The last few years we’ve been holding the tournament at Stanford University. The venue is very nice and it solves a few logistical issues for us because there are a lot of courts on the Stanford Campus. There are not a lot of large facilities in San Francisco that are cost efficient to rent.
SZ: How has the tournament developed since its inception in 1981?
SN: It began very small and was from what people know the very first gay and lesbian tennis tournament that billed itself as such. Over the course of the years as the tournament became more popular the USGO was born which was followed by another organization called the Gay Lesbian Tennis Alliance which is kind of a governing body of an entire world tour of Gay and Lesbian tennis tournaments. There are about forty tournaments on the calendar and at least one tournament is held on every continent, except Antarctica. You can pretty much travel the world and play on the tour. The tour schedule can be accessed at GLTA tour schedule.
SZ: Are the tournaments held on all different court surfaces? Is there a Grand Slam of GLTA tennis?
SN: They have what’s called a Master’s Series. Every year certain tournaments are designated as Master’s Series Tournaments. There isn’t a Grand Slam but there are what people call the Crown Jewel Tournaments. Many of those are the oldest most established tournaments like the USGO.
SZ: There are forty tournaments around the world?
SN: There are around forty tournaments now. All across the United States, Canada, all through Europe and Asia. The most recent tournaments have been coming up in Asia. There is a new tournament in South Africa. It’s the first GLTA tournament to be held in South Africa.
SZ: The GLTA is the governing body for these tournaments?
SN: Yes, countries can apply for sanctioning under the GLTA to hold a tournament.
SZ: Why did you become involved in the tournament?
SN: I love tennis. I’m like the guy who you see playing in the rain. I love the game and I’ve always been a doer. I like to be involved so I’ve been on the board of directors of the GLTF before and on the board of directors for other tennis organizations. I think it’s a lot of fun. It’s high pressure and intense but I get a rush out of that. Most of all I like being with the people and like the community feel of it.
SZ: What level player are you?
SN: I play at the “B” level which is the U.S.T.A. (4.0). I’ve been working hard to get in better shape so I can move up to (4.5). I need a serve though.
SZ: Do you play in the tournament?
SN: I do and actually I’m a very competitive person. I play lots of tournaments and GLTA tournaments on the GLTA circuit. I also play a lot of the U.S.T.A. tournaments that are held through-out the bay area.
SZ: Where do the entrants that play in the USGO come from?
SN: It’s world wide. This year I am director of registration and scheduling. We’ve received entries from USA, Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei and in past tournaments players have come from South America.
SZ: Does the USGO have its own ranking system different from the USTA?
SN: The USTA has its own ranking system and the GLTA the governing body has a ranking system that it uses. You can check out the the ranking system on GLTA.net. The rules are basically a mirror of the USTA rules as far as play, conduct, scoring. The GLTA point system is a little bit different.
SZ: Is it set up as (3.0/3/5 etc.) or A/B/C?
SN: It depends on the tournament. The different countries and the different tennis organizations have different rankings. When you are a tournament director you receive a chart that tells you how to translate the different countries rankings.
SZ: Is there prize money in the tournament?
SN: No there’s no prize money. The GLTA mandates that whatever profit is brought in the tournament donates a percentage of that profit to a charitable organization. The GLTF is a non-profit organization.
SZ: Do players need to be LBGT to participate?
SN: No they don’t. Anyone can play in USGO tournaments. A lot of times what we do have is like gay parents and their children play. We had a lesbian mother and her son play. This year we have a veteran GLTA player who’s going to play doubles with his fourteen year old son. Everyone is welcome to play as long as they are respectful.
SZ: How did the tournament organizers make the decision to let anyone play?
SN: It’s decided by the tournament directors who have certain leeway as far as how the tournament is constructed.
SZ: How would a player’s experience be different playing in the USGO than any other tennis tournament?
SN: The main difference is that a lot of the GLTA tournaments are structured like big events. It’s a lot different from a USTA tournament that you would have a match on the weekend, you’d play your match, chat a little bit with people you know and then go home. When you’re not involved in the tournament you would leave and the day is over.
With the USGO and other tournaments there are things going on besides the tournament. For instance for the USGO this year on May 10th there was a GLTF shopping day at the Sports Basement in downtown San Francisco. On May 17th there is a USGO draw party at City Racquet Shop in San Francisco. There is a welcome party for all the players on Thursday, May 24th at The LookOut in the Castro. The players receive participation gift bags, it’s just kind of a big party. On Friday, May 25th is the Women’s Social. On Monday May 28th is the tournament banquet. There’s a DJ, raffle, entertainment, it’s a lot of fun.
SZ: So it’s a big party with some sports.
SN: It really is. A lot of people who play GLTA tournaments aren’t necessarily competitive people. They play they lose and then they enjoy themselves, watch tennis and hang out rooting for their friends still in the tournament. They have a lot of fun. There are also hard core competitors who come to win. For both types of players it’s a social event and great tennis.
SZ: Tell me a story or incident that highlights what the tournament is all about.
SN: A great example is a GLTA veteran coming from San Diego will be playing playing doubles with his godson. That really kind of encompasses what these tournaments are all about. Be proud of who you are and sharing that with your friends, family and building that community.
Personally I remember the first time I played a GLTA tournament. It was the USGO, I believe in 1998 or 99. I was really nervous but once I saw it was a real tournament and it turned out to be a lot of fun and in an environment where I didn’t have to worry about anything other than playing tennis, I just knew there and then this was what I wanted to be involved in. Most of my circle of friends have been born out of the GLTF and playing on the GLTF circuit. I’ve built this world wide tennis community and I feel I can go anywhere and play.
SZ: That’s the cool thing about tennis, forty tournaments around the world is not localized and isolated. You play all over the world which is fabulous.
SN: Right I can go anywhere and feel at home because I know I am part of this thing. It really allows me to be free in a lot of ways and share that with people. The GlTF fields thirty-three USTA teams a year through-out all the different leagues offered.
SZ: Are there tournament sponsors? I know that you talked about Stanford donating their tennis courts.
SN: We pay Stanford for the use of the courts that they rent to us but they are extremely welcoming and easy to work with. Dick Gould is the Sports Director there he’s very open to having the tournament. Sports Basement is a sponsor. Over the years we’ve had airline sponsors and they’ve given us free round trip tickets to raffle. Mainly what we receive from sponsors are items we can raffle off to generate some money to donate to a charity.
SZ: What’s your favorite part of being involved in the tournament.
SN: I love everything even getting up early to fill the water buckets and dragging them out to the courts. What I like the most is seeing my friends who don’t live in the bay area but who come and play in the tournament. For four days I’m enclosed in this bubble of gay tennis. There’s a community feel and I feel good about the whole environment the intensity, the fun, mixed with seeing old friends, meeting new people, having a sense of being together in this fun, crazy, community of gay tennis.
Steve thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk about the upcoming USGO tennis tournament at Stanford.
*Featured guests are not former nor current clients of Susan Zaro
