The Gay Games are coming back to the United States in 2014. Only three cities submitted the necessary paperwork by this past weekend’s deadline, so organizers in either Boston, Cleveland or Washington, D.C., will be very busy in the next five years. Miami had been named one of four finalists last year, but they apparently failed to file necessary documents last weekend. The final selection will be in September.

While the final bid and specific local organization are important, I'll throw out my odds for winning the final bid:

The Gay Games are coming back to the United States in 2014. Only three cities submitted the necessary paperwork by this past weekend’s deadline, so organizers in either Boston, Cleveland or Washington, D.C., will be very busy in the next five years. Miami had been named one of four finalists last year, but they apparently failed to file necessary documents last weekend. The final selection will be in September.

While the final bid and specific local organization are important, I'll throw out my odds for winning the final bid:

Washington (2/1): Given Barack Obama’s popularity with gay people and Europeans, if Washington is smart they’ll tie their bid to the President’s popularity and welcome voters with a reception near at the White House.

Boston (5/2): Boston's got a big national and international profile, a huge sports tradition, and there isn't another state in the union with gayer-friendly laws than Massachusetts.

Cleveland (5/1): The cities to have been selected to host past Gay Games: San Francisco, Vancouver, New York, Amsterdam, Sydney, Montreal, Chicago, Koln. All of these cities have strong international profiles and/or pro-gay reputations. Cleveland, despite what seems to be some strong local organizing, has neither.

Hat tip to Sargent.

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