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CONTACTS: Kevin Boyer, FGG Spokesperson, Kevin.Boyer@allterrain.net, +1 312-588-3713
Elections increase board representation from South Africa and Europe
( San Francisco , CA – 31 Oct. 2008) Appearances by South African High Court Justice Edwin Cameron and 2004 beach volleyball Olympian and Gay Games Ambassador Leigh-Ann Naidoo and workshops on sports and cultural issues facing the LGBT community in South Africa were highlights of the international Federation of Gay Games’ annual meeting held in Cape Town , South Africa from 20-24 October 2008.
The Federation’s general assembly and board of directors meet in a different city each year to conduct committee meetings and hold leadership elections. This year marked the mid-point between Chicago ’s successful Gay Games VII in 2006 and the 2010 Gay Games VIII being held in Cologne , Germany .
Brent Minor (USA) was elected as the new male co-president after Sion O’Connor (U.K.) announced his retirement prior to the annual meeting. Emy Ritt ( France ) continues as the female co-president.
Minor will also continue as Officer of Development. The Federation of Gay Games is currently seeking to fill a paid staff position, Development and Communications Director.
South African Connection
This was the Federation’s second annual meeting in South Africa , following Johannesburg in 2001. Contacts made that year helped a number of South Africans from disadvantaged communities travel for the first time outside their country and attend Chicago ’s Gay Games VII in 2006.
Returning to the southern hemisphere enabled the Federation to meet with LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) community leaders from areas that have infrequent in-person contact with their counterparts in other countries. In addition to South Africa , meeting guests came from Chile , Sri Lanka , Botswana , Congo and Mozambique .
Justice Cameron opened the meeting with a keynote speech titled “Constitutional Achievements and Challenges for the LGBTI Community”. The week’s workshops included sessions on gender parity, the state of LGBTI sport in South Africa , social networking, and how to start an LGBTI sports club.
In the workshops, Naidoo compared her experience in international mainstream sport with matters facing LGBTI teams in both developed and developing countries. She said that socioeconomic and gender imbalance issues are, in fact, still strikingly similar in the LGBTI leagues as in mainstream sport. She challenged organisations such as those that belong to the Federation to continue examining such issues at levels as basic as ensuring equal treatment at tournaments for women as men.
Midweek, Councillor Simon Grindrod, Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Economic, Social Development and Tourism, hosted a reception and dinner in honour of the annual meeting. Cape Town Pride and the Federation co-hosted a gala party at the end of the week, which included an auction that raised 20,000 rand benefiting Cape Town Pride and Gay Games scholarships for South African participants.
Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010
Four representatives from Games Cologne, the organising committee for Gay Games VIII, were in Cape Town for the annual meeting. Annette Wachter, Games Cologne CEO, presented a report to the full assembly and answered questions about Gay Games 2010. Registration for Gay Games VIII is already open at www.games-cologne.com.
The full assembly elects the board officers, and thirteen board positions were open this year. All officer terms are two years each, with the co-presidents elected in alternating years. To strengthen the board, four new director-at-large positions were filled at the meeting’s close following bylaws changes.
The new Federation of Gay Games Board of Directors: * Positions elected in this meeting.
Female Co-President Emy Ritt (France)
Male Co-President / Development Officer * Brent Minor (USA)
Vice President of Host Relations * Kurt Dahl (USA)
Female Vice President – Diversity Kate Rowe (Australia)
Vice President of Operations * Jon Baldan (Australia)
Vice President of Membership Paul Oostenbrug (USA)
Secretary * Sean Fitzgerald (USA)
Treasurer * Alan Lessik (USA)
Officer of Marketing Doug Litwin (USA)
Officer of Communications * Kelly Stevens (USA)
Officer of International Development * Paul White (Australia)
Officer of Sports 1 Open (female)
Officer of Sports 2 Marc Naimark ( France )
Officer of Site Selection Darl Schaaff ( USA )
Officer of Technology * Israel Wright ( USA )
Officer of Culture & Ceremonies * Robby Davis ( USA )
Officer at Large (expires in 2009) * Martyn Pickup ( Germany )
Officer at Large (expires in 2009) * Dennis Sneyers ( USA )
Officer at Large (expires in 2010) * Viola May ( South Africa )
Officer at Large (expires in 2010) * Laura Moore ( USA )
The eighth edition of the quadrennial Gay Games will be held in Cologne , Germany from 31 July-7 August 2010. Chicago ’s seventh Gay Games in July 2006 drew 11,700 participants.
For information about how to sponsor or participate in Gay Games VIII in Cologne , Germany , visit www.games-cologne.com or phone +49 221 925 2607.
For information about or to sponsor the Federation of Gay Games, go to www.gaygames.org.
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About The Federation of Gay Games:
The Federation of Gay Games is the international governing body that perpetuates the quadrennial Gay Games and promotes the event's founding principles of “Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best”™. The Gay Games was conceived by Dr. Tom Waddell, an Olympic decathlete, and was first held in San Francisco in 1982 with 1,350 participants. Subsequent Gay Games were held in San Francisco (1986 - 3,500 participants), Vancouver (1990 - 7,300 participants), New York (1994 - 12,500 participants), Amsterdam (1998 - 13,000 participants), Sydney (2002 - 11,000 participants), and Chicago (2006 - 11,700 participants). Participation in the Gay Games is open to anyone without pre-qualifications regardless of sexual orientation, physical ability, age, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religions, political conviction, race, or health status. Gay Games VIII will be held in Cologne , Germany on 31 July-7 August 2010. For more information about the Federation of Gay Games, visit www.gaygames.org. For more information about Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010 visit www.games-cologne.com.
“Gay Games”, “Federation of Gay Games”, the interlocking circles device, and the phrase “Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best” are trademarks of the Federation of Gay Games, Inc. Trademarks are registered in the USA , Canada , Benelux, the UK , Germany and Australia .
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