Final Four of the women's NCAA Tournament

Businesses in Tampa, Florida are welcoming lesbian tourists and sports fans to the final four of the women's NCAA Tournament April 6 and 8. Times Staff Writer, Justin George writes about this on www.TampaBay.com.

Read the article, by clicking here.

Atlanta Softball and Flag Football Season Starts

Lesbian and gay softball and flag football teams started their season this weekend in Atlanta, GA. The Hotlanta Softball League had 3 teams win the Gay Softball World Series in 2007 and plan to defend their position in 2008, where the series will be held in Seattle, WA in the dry season of Seattle in August. Over 4500 men and women are expected to arrive in Seattle to play or watch the Gay Softball World Series.

Read about Atlanta league openings on Southern Voice.

Check out Seattle's Softball World Series on the Emerald City Softball Association web site:
http://www.seattlegaysoftball.com/
Seattle has 30 men's teams and 19 women's softball teams.

Read about the 2008 NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series on this web site:
http://www.series2008.org/

London Calling... 2008 IGLFA World Championship

Football (Soccer) teams from all over the world will converge on London, August 24th-30th 2008 for the London 2008 IGLFA World Championship. Volunteer Co-ordinator Lucy Walton is planning ahead and requesting volunteers for the event. Early call for volunteers helps assure plenty of support for the London 2008 IGLFA World Championship.

- Stewards
- Stage set-up
- Security checkers for lockers
- Sports Massage Therapists
- Sign Language Interpreters

Full details on volunteering, check out the London Titans web site: http://londontitans.com/.

London 2008 IGLFA World Championship web site: http://www.londonwc2008.co.uk/.

Ambassdor Hormel speaks out for Human Rights

James Hormel, the first openly gay U.S. ambassador spoke at a a March 18 news conference at the National Press Club. He said, “I believe our country needs to work to eliminate such abuses abroad and at home. We need to renew and reinvigorate our worldwide commitment to human rights, and that includes recognizing LGBT rights as human rights.”

Ambassador Hormel is also a Gay Games Ambassador and generous supporter of the Gay Games. Read more on the Gay Games web site under Ambassadors.

Gay Sports in Atlanta

Atlanta has a creative web blog that keeps the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community on top of sports events. The blog www.gaytlsports.com/blog1 also has articles and links to health and fitness. It is a great example of keeping a simple easy method of communication for the sports community.

Take a look and check it out: http://www.gaytlsports.com/blog1

FGG 2008 Annual Meeting in Cape Town

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA SELECTED TO HOST 2008
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE FEDERATION OF GAY GAMES

Federation renews ties to African LGBT sport and culture community; October annual meeting will be the Federation’s first in the southern hemisphere since Johannesburg in October, 2001.

(San Francisco – March 17, 2008) The international Federation of Gay Games announces that Cape Town, South Africa has been selected to host the Federation’s 2008 annual meeting over excellent bids from two U.S. cities, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Palm Springs, California. Traditionally held in the fourth quarter, this year’s meeting dates are October 21-25.

Click HERE to read the press release from the Federation of Gay Games.

Memorial in SF for Debra Kent

Bay Area Reporter
A memorial will be held March 30 in San Francisco for Debra Kent. She died of ovarian cancer last December 21. She was living in Durham, North Carolina. Ms. Kent worked for the Federation of Gay Games in strategic planning.

To read the entire story at the Bay Area Reporter, CLICK HERE.

HIV Travel Ban in the USA May Be Removed

The US government is working on ending a 20 year ban on immigration and travel to the US by most people. This ban is to be lifted, by a bill working through the US congress. The ban which is discrimination and was introduced by anti-gay Senator Jesse Helms of South Carolina.

Gay Games held in the US in New York-1994 and Chicago-2006 successfully applied for waivers for Gay Games participants. This change in law is a welcome step forward. President Bush is expected to sign the bill if it makes it through the US congress.

Read a detailed article by Paul Schindler on GayCityNews.com.
Click HERE.

Michigan LGBT Athletes and Gay Games

PrideSource.com has an article about LGBT Sports in Michigan featuring insight from Leeron Kopelman of the Michigan Panthers Flag Football team and Tim Straayer, of Grand Rapids Frontrunners.

Good to be a gay-thelete
LGBT sports groups offer fitness, support and hot, buff new buddies
by Jessica Carreras
Originally printed 03/06/2008 (Issue 1610 - Between The Lines News)

Click here to read the article on-line:

k.d. lange talks about Sydney Gay Games VI

k.d. lange gives a shout out about Gay Games VI Sydney 2002 with her article in Planet Out magazine online. She has a new album out and talks travel. Gay Games VI was her mention about culture and new connections in her travels.

"I did the Australian Gay Games. I sang at the opening ceremony. It was really overwhelmingly beautiful to see representatives from China and Iraq and Afghanistan walk through that door at a time of turmoil. It was right when the Bush administration was going haywire. It was really an amazing thing to see people come through that door that were supposed to be our arch-enemies, and yet the gay culture was the thing that trumped any political platform. "

Read the entire Planet Out article by clicking HERE.