A panel on Homosexuality and Athletics was hosted at Harvard University on April 29, 2009 at the Harvard College Women's Center. Intern Kameron Collins created the panel as a project for his senior project.
World Masters Games 2009, Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Press Release from Madison Gay Hockey Association:
Madison Gay Hockey Association named Outsports' top gay sports group by Outsports.com.
Outsports.com is internationally recognized as the definitive LGBT sports newswire. It's mission is to build the broadest, deepest, most informative and entertaining gay sports community through a mixture of breaking news, commentary, features, member profiles, photo galleries, and discussion boards for sports fans and athletes.
In voting for Madison Gay Hockey, GLAAD’s Ted Rybka highlighted their focus on inclusion.
"I was struck by several things. They were one of the few teams to mention that they have straight players. I’m a huge believer that homophobia in sports can be lessened by being inclusive and incorporating straight players into predominately gay teams. I also like how they created a non-threatening environment for men and women to learn the sport. (I also was impressed that they were a co-ed organization.) Hockey has the aura of being a hyper masculine sport with no place for women or gay men. I like that they are breaking down that wall by saying, 'You have a place with us. You have a place in hockey.'"
The Madison Gay Hockey Association is an adult developmental ice hockey league for members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning and Allied (LGBTQA) Community. We provide opportunities to learn and teach ice hockey in a safe, supportive and fun environment. We aspire to the highest standards of sportsmanship and promote integration within the LGBTQA and wider Madison Communities.
Madison Gay Hockey Association
www.madisongayhockey.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Ice Hockey Founded: 2006
Members: 100
How can you help the Gay Games Scholarship Fund?
Please find below a letter of congratulations sent on 17 April 2009 from the Federation of Gay Games to newly-elected Congressman Michael Quigley. 
FGG member organization SC Janus reminds you of their big annual figure skating event, the Fabulous Cup.
As seen on Edge:
From BBC News:
At the initiative of the FGG and with the enthusiastic support of FGG member organization Team Philadelphia, "Our Group", a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support the athletic community, will be opening Team Philadelphia’s SportsWeek on June 5th 2009 with a panel discussion at the University of Pennsylvania focusing on the current environment for LGBT student-athletes at universities nationwide. 
The group of current and former student-athletes along with their advisory board of the top some of the top scholars in the field, are determined to merge that gap. Members of the Our Group board will discuss current challenges within the athletic community while telling their own personal stories ranging from struggle to triumph and acceptance and focusing on the importance of action within LGBT community as well as support within the athletic community.
This June 11, the 2009 edition of the annual "Come Together Cup" in Cologne will be a big warm up for athletes and organizers as they prepare for the IGLFA World Championship football tournament at Gay Games VIII in July 2010.
The Come-Together-Cup is Germany’s biggest soccer benefit tournament. The audience generally fights for seats to watch the celebrity game, in which many famous names from the world of culture, politics and the general media can’t wait to somehow get the little round thing into the big square thing. So grab your whistles and get cheering!
This article in the Washington Times is good to see. Here we see the mainstream media is treating Gay Games with equal footing to other sports event news. This is good for the Gay Games. The 2009 winter Special Olympics raised USD 35m in sponsorship for approximately 600 athletes. Chicago Gay Games was able to operate with a total budget of around USD 12m for 11,500 participants. The Gay Games needs mainstream media to recognize the size and scope of this quadrennial endeavor. The economic impact is quite significant to tourism during a Gay Games event.
Among the points made in this week's Telegraph article on Olympic diving gold medalist Matthew Mithcam, this discussion of the impact of being out on corporate sponsorship:
From the blog UWISHUNU - Philly, from the inside out.
The first LGBT Sports Fair was held in Ferndale, Michigan, USA.
Team Chicago provides individuals and organizations with the opportunity to participate in sporting and cultural events according to their personal interests and capabilities. Team Chicago’s mission is to provide support to the LGBT community, furthering participation, inclusion, and pursuit of personal best. 
You may have subscribed to SportOutLoud Magazine, but it is now called Compete Magazine. It is specifically geared for the LGBT community. Compete was in Seattle, WA last weekend for a photo shoot for a swim wear issue. Many guys volunteered from a search by Team Seattle.
Wrestlers Without Borders founding member Gene Dermody has written to the FGG with breaking news regarding the Chicago Wrestling Club (CWC), which has won the Veterans Team Championship Title at USA Wrestling Nationals in Las Vegas.
Pat Griffin attended the premiere of Training Rules, the Dee Mosbacher and Fawn Yacker documentary about the Rene Portland “no lesbian” era of Penn State women’s basketball. The 61 minute film premiered at the Philadelphia Film Festival to a full house.
From the BBC Two website on The Speaker:
From GamesBid.com's article on the IOC evaluation visit of 2016 Summer Olympics bidder Chicago: 
The swimming section of Telekom-Post-Sportgemeinschaft Köln e.V., the sports club for Cologne postal and telecom employees, will be providing technical support for Swimming at Gay Games VIII. Some 50-65 members of the club will serve as timers and stroke and turn judges. The club is involved in numerous regional and national championships, most recently the regional masters championships in March 2009 in Cologne.
From an article in On Top Magazine on newly elected US Representative Mike Quigley: 
Registration for TIP closes on April 30, 2009.
From the Chicago Tribune, an article about LGBT travel: 
In Portland, Oregon, Roller derby is rolling in cash to local charities. Kathryn Martini has written an article on justout.com about the Rose City Rollers—over 140 dedicated women whose traditional athleticism and campy accoutrements make for a rockin’ good time.
David Mixner's blog calls for a Jackie Robinson of the LGBT community in the USA.
Swimming Information from Cologne
The swimming competitions will be held at the stadium pool at the Sportpark Muengersdorf. About half of sports events involving about half of all Gay Games athletes will take place at this major sports hub, so swimmers are sure of a large audience, and will of course be able to enjoy a variety of other sporting events during breaks!All things being equal, Cleveland should get the event specifically because it's not a happy gay wonderland. One of the more irritating aspects of the gay community is our tendency to think that we only exist in big liberal cities on the coast, but yes, Chelsea, there are homosexuals in Cleveland, too. If we're going to decry protest marches that never leave the gay ghetto, we should embrace the idea that the Gay Games is far more valuable as a teaching tool than it is as a moneymaker.
That's the caption to a photo of Gay Games VII showing the opening ceremony at Chicago's Soldier Field. The photo illustrates an article from Washington City Paper's Amanda Hess about Mayor Adrian Fenty's support for Metropolitan Washington Gaymes' bid for the 2014 Gay Games.