One of the first big roles of the actor has been the one of Dr Carsten Floeter at the „Lindenstrasse“. During the serie he was part of the first kiss between two men on German TV. Uecker presented already numerous TV Shows as well as galas and creates concepts for TV. Till 2005 he produced the late night show “blond on Friday” at the ZDF.
Games cologne: Why are you committed as ambassador to the OUTREACH-program at the Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010?
Georg Uecker: It´s important for me that for lesbians and gays, who are subject to resentment and reprisal in their home countries, participation at the Gay Games Cologne is possible. Let´s take the motto of the Games serious: LET THEM BE PART OF IT! In the end they are world games. And that´s how it is in the world: in over 70 countries, homosexuality is a crime. In seven countries there´s a death penalty for homosexuals. Offering financial and logistic support we set a sign of solidarity. That´s what I want to commit myself for within the bounds of my possibilities with all my energy. YES, WE CAN!
GC: How did you become aware of the Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010?
GU: I had known about the application of Cologne, but not when the decision would be made. After presenting an event on a wet day in November 2005 my high, post-presenting adrenaline level and a thirst for a “Koelsch” made me visit a well known gay corner bar. There I got the notice from somebody I know, that Cologne had just won the application for the Gay Games 2010.
GC: Were you well aware that you wanted to support the Gay Games when you heard about them?
GU: When they asked me to be at hand as OUTREACH-ambassador, I immediately promised to do it with the greatest conviction. 10 years ago I have been OUTREACH-sponsor of the female players from the team Zimbabwe during the gay-lesbian soccer world cup in Cologne. It has been a week full of exciting encounters, intensive talks and upright moving moments.
I am happy about the fact that I am taking over the sponsorship together with Ulrike Folkerts. Not only as she is an esteemed colleague, but also as she herself has taken part at the Gay Games and even has won medals.
GC: What is it you are enthusiastic about at the Gay Games VIII or the Gay Games in general?
GU: I know and follow the Gay Games, their roots, ideals and development more or less from the beginning. In 1982 I read an article in an American newspaper about the case the IOC and it´s US offspring won against the organizers of the Gay Games, prohibiting them to use the term “Gay Olympics”. I wasn´t the only one to be mad about that events like “Police Olympics” or “Rat Olympics” weren´t complained about. Rats yes, gays no!
I like the basic idea of the Gay Games: “Participation, Inclusion, Personal Best” gets it right to the point. Despite the sporty competition not the “Against each other” but the “With each other” is the centre of the attention. It´s not about to be the best at all costs, but to try to get the personal best out of yourself. This maxim is not limited only to the sporty part. The LGBT community has to write their own history and the Gay Games are an example. That it isn´t only a spiritual and utopian theory, but that it works in the real transfer I could experience at the Gay Games 1990 in Vancouver and in 1998 in Amsterdam.
GC: Are you doing a sport regularly and/or do you have other interesting hobbies?
GU: My sporty activities are more spontaneous, depending on the situation and demanded by desire than of a regular nature. When I spend the winter in Norway, where I grew up, I often go cross country skiing. Nordic Walking, the air guitar of winter sport doesn´t offer a real alternative.
I have been member of a handball team for many years, but playing for a team isn´t really practicable with my unsteady freelance work. I could celebrate my biggest triumph as a soccer player five years ago as a two time goaler at a charity tournament in Bremen.
GC: Are you taking part at one of the sport or cultural events during the Gay Games VIII?
GU: I am going to be a decent and committed spectator at various sport competitions. Besides I hold myself back relating to this……
Though, there is figure skating in the program… at best I could offer the following: because I helped Katarina Witt as a telephone joker at a quiz show, she promised me an hour of training. Should she be up to perform “Carmen on ice” at the Gay Games in her original costume, I will give the fiery blade clown between “Villariba” and “Villabajo”. That would be with the motto “the cow needs to be off the ice” and would bring honor to the legendary Lollop-Heide……
GC: What do you expect from or wish for the Gay Games VIII?
GU: As they assigned us already to the adjective “Enchanted”, we should just tell our own summer fairytale. In every respect I do hope for an intensive week which will be bigger than the sum of the single experiences. That the Gay Games will set a sign for delimiting, lived solidarity and tolerance. An exclamation mark! OUTREACH is translated in a dictionary as “friendly contact”. So:
To friendly contacts! Let the games begin and be as gay as life!
