When the World OutGames in Miami were canceled in May the day they were to open, we knew things were totally messed up financially. A city of Miami Beach audit, obtained by the Miami Herald shows how true that was:
- Out of $1.4 million in the OutGames account, “organizers spent $330,218 on consulting fees and $296,498 on advertising and promotion.”
- “OutGames CEO Ivan Cano walked away with $106,992 in consulting fees for his work, according to the audit. The chief operating officer, Keith Hart, ran up a $94,000 American Express tab on his personal account to pay some of the bills.”
- “Organizers spent $106,345 on marketing trips across the U.S. and abroad to Europe and Latin America. Only $65,475 was spent on sporting events.”
- Hotels and other creditors are still owed hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Miami Beach and Dade County officials decided against filing criminal charges “after police and prosecutors agreed there’s no evidence that anyone intended to fleece athletes or donors for personal gain.”
The debacle in Miami should mark the death knell for the OutGames as a sporting event. People should not confuse them with the Gay Games, which have been held every four years since 1982 and which will be well-organized and attended in Paris in 2018.
