A gay softball tournament and a watercross event are bound for Kenosha this summer.

Both events were given the green light at Monday’s Kenosha Parks Commission meeting, which saw contentious words between two aldermen.

The North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance will have part of its 33rd annual Softball World Series at Poerio Park, 1351 20th Ave., Aug. 31 to Sept. 4., while the watercross series will take place along the shore of Pennoyer Park, July 25-26.

Similar watercross events have taken place at Lake Andrea in Pleasant Prairie, race director Scott Hyke said, with plans for another event there in late May.

Hyke said the weather and natural waves from Lake Michigan will make it more challenging for watercross racers.

While that proposal passed unanimously, there was more give and take during the softball presentation.

The commission approved the use of Poerio Park 3-0 for the softball tournament, with alderman Stephen Casey abstaining.

Casey initially made a motion to defer the vote until next week but it wasn’t seconded.

He told organizers Peter Nys and Mona Garcia he was concerned about language in the proposal, political ramifications for the city and questioned them about the ratio of players — about 80 percent gay.

“What caught my eye in (the paperwork) is that NAGAAA promotes athletic health in support of the gay lifestyle,” Casey said. “I’m not gay, but my concern is from a political standpoint. Are we as a city making a political statement? The language of supporting the gay lifestyle, are we taking a position on the right to marry?

“I’d like to look into this. Our city softball league doesn’t call itself a heterosexual softball league. I’ve got to digest this a little. I’m not comfortable supporting this tonight.”

Michael Orth, in his first year as alderman, said it wasn’t the commission’s job to make a political statement.

“As the parks commission, it’s our job to approve organizations to rent our facilities, and that’s all. It’s not relevant to the parks commission if someone is gay or straight,” he said.

“People use our facilities who are gay and straight. We’re saying we’re a city that is welcome to all people. That’s our priority. We don’t ask disabled groups how many handicapped people are on a team. I’ll support this and any other group that comes forward.”

Casey said he didn’t appreciate Orth’s comments.

“I take great offense, and as a 20-year alderman I ought to be able to ask whatever I want, wherever I want,” Casey said. “I’m a little tired of having a freshman alderman with a different point of view talking to me in a condescending tone.”

Casey later said he didn’t have a problem with the organization, but wanted time to ask some questions privately.

Nys said he was surprised at some of the comments.

“Quite honestly, that’s the first time in putting this whole tournament together that something like that has happened,” he said. “We weren’t asking him to endorse our gay lifestyle. We want to rent the field. We want to pay money to rent the field.

“We wanted him to know this is a business. This isn’t a party. I just think he didn’t know about us, and I can appreciate that. It’s a quiet organization, and we don’t shout out that we’re gay. We’re not trying to recruit people. This is a big national tournament. It’s like the Super Bowl of gay softball.”