On a cold Saturday morning in January, swimmers with Squid — Swimming Queers United in Denver — changed into swim caps, goggles, Speedos and race suits and splashed into the Abraham Lincoln High School pool.
Normally, the iconic Denver team would be practicing at a rec center. But in December, Denver Parks and Recreation quit renting space to Squid and all other private teams. Now, public school pools are the only places the group is welcome in Denver — and availability is scarce.
The team used to practice multiple times weekly. Now they’re only swimming together once a week — far too little for swimmers who are training to compete in the Gay Games this summer.
Squid swimmers are baffled: After more than three decades of partnership, how could the parks department cut ties, especially when the national political climate has turned so hostile toward the LGBTQ community?
The timing of the city’s decision to boot private swim teams was particularly bad. The team lost access to Rude Recreation Center — just before the new year, when pools would be flooded with people who made New Year’s resolutions. Washington Park’s pool was closed, too, putting extra demand on other rec centers. Outdoor pools were shuttered for the winter.
