A new club and a new sport for the FSGL

FGG member organization FSGL (Fédération française sportive gaie et lesbienne) has just welcomed its 29th member club, Les Enrolleres, which offers roller skating activities, including lessons for newbies, outings in the streets of Paris and elsewhere, and a bit of competition, with a few members already registered for the Gay Games VIII inline speed racing event.

By July, the people of Cologne will have no excuse not to be ready for Gay Games VIII!

An intensive outdoor advertising campaign has begun in Cologne, adding to the very prominent electronic display at the entrance to the central train station. Here's just one of the many posters bearing the message "Cologne welcomes the world" to be found in the streets of Cologne.

Be part of it!

Star Observer stepping up Gay Games coverage

The websites and print editions of the Sydney Star Observer/Southern Star are providing increasing coverage of Gay Games VIII. Among recent articles, one on the "Fans and Friends" program (see HERE), another on the December 31 deadline before late registration fees kick in (see HERE), and a piece on Games Cologne's success in meeting its registration targets (see HERE). We note that since the last of those articles was published, registrations have gone from 2500 to 3750.

SSO and the Southern Star are Gay Games VIII media sponsors. For information on becoming a media sponsor for one of this major event, contact Kevin Boyer at Kevin.Boyer@allterrain.net.

Leading French magazine features launch of French team for Gay Games VIII

Journalist Myrtille Rambion launches a series of articles on the efforts of FGG member organization FSGL to send a major delegation of participants to Gay Games VIII. Christelle Foucault, chair of the FSGL's "Equipe France 2010" task force, focuses on the goal of the Gay Games to be a sporting event for everyone: "There's an event for everyone, for every taste and for every level. It's a rare opportunity to exchange, to meet people, to do your bests in a climate that combines a serious organization with a casual atmosphere, where the stakes are what you make them. Here it's not about who's first, but about enjoying yourself and sharing the fun!"

Read the article (in French) HERE.

Look for "Equipe France 2010" on Facebook, or visit the site of the FSGL HERE.

Ring the old year out... but register for Gay Games VIII first!

2010 brings Gay Games VIII to Cologne, Germany. Over 3,750 participants have already registered. You can too! The registration fee is 125 Euros until December 31, 2009. Register now before the fee goes up to 150 Euros.

On July 31, 2010, an expected 12,000 participants will march proudly in the RheinEnergie Stadium football arena. Together with like-minded people from 70 countries, you will participate at the opening ceremony of the largest sports and cultural event in the world open to all. 34,000 spectators will be in the stands to greet you and support the ideals of the Gay Games and celebrate: Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best!

Your basic registration fee includes your admission for the opening ceremony and the closing event. You will receive a ticket so that you can fully enjoy the local transportation network in and around Cologne. You will receive reduced admission to many events during the Gay Games VIII. You will also get your accreditation card and your participant medal, a map, the program guide and information about your sporting or cultural events and much more.

Be part of it!

To register visit: www.games-cologne.com

Same-sex ballroom dancing

From an in-depth article in GO Magazine. Read the full article HERE.

Competitive ballroom dancing is a sport in which partners (for our purpose, same-sex partners) enroll in tournaments where judges rate their prowess at executing 10 specific types of dance forms: International Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Cha-Cha, Rumba, Jive, Samba and Paso Doble, plus Latin competition dances. These dance competitions or tournaments are in every sense performances: They are grand and spectacular affairs, at which hundreds or even thousands of participants flock to watch formally dressed and elaborately rigged contestant pairs compete for the glory of first place. Though they are by all accounts a blast to attend, both contestants and audience take these events very, very seriously. They are athletic competitions on par in seriousness and in structure with some Olympic events.

The Gay Games first featured same-sex ballroom dancing in 1994, when Gay Games IV held an informal event at NYC’s Roseland. Four years later at the Gay Games V in Amsterdam, same-sex dancing was included as an official athletic event. The house was packed.

Beyond the Gay Games (which were technically on foreign soil) there were, however, no national same-sex ballroom dance competitions in the U.S. until the late 1990s.

By the end of the decade, gay ballroom dancing clubs and classes began springing up, particularly in and near the Bay Area and in locales as far away as Sydney and London. National and international same-sex competitive ballroom organizations came soon after, and the Gay Games continued to represent the field; ballroom was included in Gay Games VI & VII, Sydney and Chicago respectively

Impact of Federation of Gay Games choice of Cleveland/Akron for Gay Games VIII

From an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer (read the article in full HERE).

Whatever happened to Cleveland's domestic-partner registry, which was launched this year?

As of Thanksgiving, the city had issued more than 160 licenses.

The registry, a controversial concept that enables same- and opposite-sex couples to declare a relationship without marriage, has withstood challenges from pastors and lawyers.


The registry has helped to carve out a tolerant, gay-friendly image for Cleveland. Many believe the Gay Games would not be coming here if not for its launch in April.

The event is expected to inject about $60 million into the regional economy.

"We continue to be a city of celebrating diversity," said Councilman Joe Cimperman, a sponsor of the registry who traveled to Cologne, Germany, to lobby the selection committee.

A New Year's message

Click on the image to enlarge.

THANK YOU and HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

25 December 2009
Dear Friends of Gay Games,

Thank you!

As 2009 comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to express our appreciation to you for your ongoing support and presence. Please accept our best wishes for health, happiness, and continued success in 2010.

As loyal supporters of the Gay Games, we appreciate your accomplishments of the past twelve months, and we wanted to express how truly grateful we are to each of you for your continued support of FGG and the Gay Games. The quality and quantity of work that you all have completed in 2009 is truly remarkable. We are very grateful to the FGG Board of Directors and member organisations.

With your collaboration and support, we commit to continuing to do our utmost to promote the Gay Games and to providing practical benefits and services to each of you and your organisations. As always, your feedback and comments are very welcome.

We are especially grateful to the massive efforts and dedication of our Games Cologne colleagues, who are working day and night for Gay Games VIII. Thanks to their non-stop work around the world, registrations have exceeded projections and we are on target for a fantastic week in Cologne next year. We look forward to seeing you all there.

In the meantime, we hope you will take advantage, if not already the case, of the reduced rates for registration before the increase on 1 January 2010 at

www.games-cologne.com . BE PART OF IT !!

Thanks, again, for your continued support and encouragement. We are looking forward to seeing you all in Cologne next year.

Emy Ritt and Kurt Dahl
FGG Co-Presidents

eritt@gaygames.org, kdahl@gaygames.org

Happy Holidays from the Federation of Gay Games!

With a song from Friend of the Gay Games Cyndi Lauper, the Federation of Gay Games wishes you all Happy Holidays!

Pro rugby player Gareth Thomas comes out

Gareth "Alfie" Thomas is know as one of the best Welsh Rugby players in history and he is still playing. Thomas is the only player to have won 100 caps in Welsh Rugby. Gareth Thomas is listed as Team Captain, and he has the support of his coach and fellow players. He has the support of his entire family and even his ex-wife. He has been out to them privately for some time, but announced this to the world on Monday.

This is a story that breaks the ground wide open, because he is still an active player, and a very accomplished player. This is good news for rugby, sport, and future players in all sports.

Click HERE for a Guardian online blog article.

Click HERE for a Whales online article.

Click HERE for a Times Online article.

French TV network Canal Plus devotes primetime programming to issue of sport and homosexuality

More info HERE

Over 3500 registrants for GGVIII

GGVIII registrants have surpassed projections with over 3500 registrants as of today. The numbers are on target to welcome some 12000 participants next year in Cologne.

http://gaygamesblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/register-now-for-gay-games-viii.html

REGISTER now for Gay Games VIII

REGISTER now for Gay Games VIII before prices are increased.

The current base registration fee is 125 Euros, and will be increased by 25 Euros on 1 January 2010. So don’t wait – register now. Gay Games VIII will take place in Cologne, Germany from July 31 to August 7, 2010.

Some 12,000 participants from more than 70 countries are expected to participate in over 35 sport and cultural events. Built upon the principles of Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best, since 1982, the Gay Games have empowered thousands of LGBT athletes and artists through sport, culture, and fellowship.

The first Gay Games took place in 1982 in San Francisco and have been held every four years since. The Gay Games are open to everyone – gay or straight, male or female, transgender or transsexual, beginner or experienced.

REGISTER HERE. www.games-cologne.com

Team Chicago "Goes Deutsch"

A lesson on Germany cuisine from Jonathan Isreal from Team Chicago:

In just under eight months, GLBT athletes and cultural participants from around the world will gather in a historic, albeit lesser-known part of Germany: Cologne. A quick search in Wikipedia will give you a nice overview of the city's history, layout and unique offerings. But what can you really expect when you arrive? Over the course of several months, Team Chicago would like to properly prepare our members for through a series of articles we lovingly call, "Going Deutsch."

This month's focus: German food.

What's the best way to summarize Germany's culinary staples? Beer and wieners. In all honesty, most guys in Boystown don't live on much else so it would be fair to say that many will find the German kitchen highly welcoming. But just as in life, German sausages, or Wurste, come in all shapes and sizes so how do you know what to munch on?

Here's a quick look at what you may see when perusing a Speisekarte or Menü. Typically, Germans will use a combination of pork or beef in their sausages, however, veal is also a popular ingredient depending on the sausage type or region. In any case, mustard (or Senf), not ketchup is the condiment of choice (with one exception of Currywurst - see below).

Bratwurst (or Rostbratwurst): these are likely the most recognized, usually made from a combination of pork and beef. Typically, these sausages are grilled and served on a roll or Brötchen with a side of sweet or hot mustard. A Currywurst is a derivative of this in which the sausage is split in half (ouch!) and doused in ketchup and curry powder.

Bockwurst: a veal based sausage that's seasoned with paprika and looks like an extra long and curvy hot dog. Typically, this sausage is boiled in beer and eaten with mustard.

There's lots more HERE.

Australasian champion martial artist coming to Cologne

From the Sydney Star Observer:

Transsexual martial artist and GLMA member Delilah Slack-Smith earned third place in the over-35s black belt traditional forms at the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) Australasian championships this month.

To enter the tournament participants must be rated in the top eight for their division. Slack-Smith is also registered to participate in the Gay Games in Cologne next year.

“She’s the only transsexual on the ISKA circuit, which by now seems to make no difference,” GLMA founder Penny Gulliver said. “GLBT participation in the mainstream regularly seems to grind down homophobia to an extent.”

FSGL AGA expresses support for Gay Games VIII

Promo code extended! The 10-euro discount code offered by Games Cologne on the occasion of the FSGL AGA has been extended. The code is valid on 16 and 17 December. Simply enter "FSGL" at the payment screen. At the annual general assembly of FGG member Fédération sportive gaie et lesbienne, a new team, with a majority of female members, joined sitting president Bruno Aussenac. Among the new members of the executive committee is Christelle Foucault, who while continuing to serve as delegate to the FGG, will become 1st vice president. Christelle was also named head of the Equipe France 2010 committee, with the goal of bringing over 500 French athletes to Gay Games VIII. Christelle expressed thanks to Games Cologne for a special one-day promotional code for base registration in honor of the FSGL AGA.

Christelle will be joined as FGG delegate by squash player Maria Salvetti, who replaces Sonia Abécassis, who was elected to the FGG board at the 2009 FGG AM. Also elected to the board at that meeting was sports committee cochair Sébastien Datiche from Tours. Maria will also serve as a VP for the FSGL, with a portfolio including sport and HIV, regional development, and international relations.

Among the commitments made to supporting Gay Games VIII was the promise to devote all profits from the FSGL's annual fundraising Epiphany tea dance to an FSGL scholarship support fund. Other fundraisers will support this effort to allow as many athletes as possible to join Equipe France 2010. The dance will be held on January 3, and we encourage all those able to attend to support this event.

The AGA was also the opportunity to present the team of the Tournoi international de Paris with their Legacy Award for a Sports Event awarded in October at the FGG AM in Cologne. The next Paris Tournament will be held on Pentecost weekend 2010 (May 21-24). Registration for the 19-sport event will open in January at www.paris-tournament.org.

FGG co-president Emy Ritt reminded the assembly that the team of Paris 2010 would be honored at a reception for all past bidders for the Gay Games at a special reception during the Cologne Gay Games.

Seattle journalist gets preview of Gay Games VIII

Cologne gets ready for Gay Games VIII

by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A&E Writer

Tucked into a small building on Rudolfplatz, a popular square in central Cologne where the illuminated signs of Gay sex-toy shops and Starbucks greet thousands of passers-by each day, you'll find the humble and well-kept offices of the Gay Games organizing committee. A large digital clock, ticking down the minutes and seconds to the event, is mounted on one side of the main room, while posters, postcards, and stick pins are located in piles here and there, and just about everywhere. Excitedly busy, the staff answers more e-mails, schedules more meetings, writes more press releases, and processes more applications, all the while noticing precious seconds vanishing from the countdown clock.

Last month, after a rowdy Carnival festival that flooded the streets with costume-clad partiers, I spent an afternoon in Cologne with Michael Klein, the public relations and communications director for Gay Games. We met across the street from the famed Cathedral, then Klein kindly drove me to the campus of The German Sports University, where half of the sporting competitions and opening/closing ceremonies will take place.

A liaison for Gay Games and the college, which attracts students and Olympic-bound athletes from Europe and as far away as the United States, guided us through gymnasiums, cafeterias, aquatic centers, lecture halls, and locker rooms that will be used for sporting and cultural events next summer. It was an impressive tour, as Klein is quick to point out not only which event is taking place at each specific venue, but he also gives me particular details, like a meal plan that will allow participants to choose from four separate menus (vegetarian, etc.).

Continue reading on Seattle Gay News HERE.

Homophobia in football

A message from member PrideSports Manchester:

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) today (Thursday) announced a new alliance of unions and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) campaigners to tackle the prejudice faced by LGBT people in football. The TUC is UK’s national centre for trade unions and is the voice of Britain at work. The organisation aims to raise the quality of working life and promote equality for all.

Representatives of the Professional Footballers Association, Pride Sports, Kick it Out!, Schools Out!, the LGBT Sports Network and the Brighton-based Justin Campaign came together with members of the TUC LGBT committee to form a new alliance at the TUC headquarters in London yesterday afternoon.

The organisations have agreed to coordinate their efforts to take action against homophobia at all levels of the game. Specific suggestions for how to tackle prejudice will be conveyed to the Football Association, to build on their commitment to deal with the problem. Unions will encourage their members to join in this action.

Millions of people are involved in playing or watching football, from the playground to premier league clubs, but no one dares to be “out” at senior level in the game for fear of the abuse they will endure, says the TUC.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “At a time when popular attitudes to LGBT people have improved greatly, football grounds remain bastions of homophobic prejudice.

“Over a long period, campaigns like Kick it Out! have succeeded in making racism unacceptable in football. The TUC believes that something similar is needed to challenge homophobia and we have begun this task today with the launch of a new alliance.”

"Gay Prime" on Canal Plus

French TV network Canal Plus will be broadcasting a special "Gay Prime" devoted to LGBT sport on January 4. The program will be made up of two documentaries commissioned for the evening.

The first, Sport et homosexualités: c'est quoi le problème? (sport and homosexuality: what's the problem?) was directed by César-award winner Michel Royer (the César are the French equivalent of the Oscars), and was supported by the FGG. The film presents various aspects of sport and homosexuality, starting with the obstacles for elite athletes to come out. Among the athletes featured in this section is friend of the FGG Matthew Mitcham, who opens and closes the film. Another section of the film deals with LGBT sport, and in particular the Gay Games.

Michel Royer also traveled to Washington last year to film the annual football championship of FGG member organization IGLFA, interviewing new FGG board member Didier Digneffe. Royer also filmed and interviewed during the last TIP and interviewed leaders of FGG member organization FSGL.

The film is rich and dense, touching on the history of gay and lesbian athletes, reminding us of some forgotten victims of discrimination, and introducing us to new heroes. Important insight from people outside the LGBT community is offered by former international rugby player Serge Simon and football star Lilian Thuram.

The second film, Ramène tes fesses à Copenhague! (get yourself to Copenhagen) is much lighter. It takes the form of a faux reality TV show which sees three young straight men from the French suburbs go to the 2009 Outgames, where they have to compete each day in challenges which lead them to question their own prejudices about homosexuals and sport. It's very entertaining, and we look forward to having the millions of subscribers to Canal Plus being able to enjoy these two films.

REGISTER for Gay Games VIII before prices are increased

REGISTER for Gay Games VIII before prices are increased

Register now for Gay Games VIII 2010 in Cologne before prices are increased. The current base registration fee is 125 Euros, and will be increased by 25 Euros on 1 January 2010. So don’t wait – register now.

Gay Games VIII will take place in Cologne, Germany from July 31 to August 7, 2010. Some 12,000 participants from more than 70 countries are expected to participate on the sports and cultural events.

Built upon the principles of Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best, for more than 25 years the Gay Games have empowered thousands of LGBT athletes and artists through sport, culture, and fellowship. The first Gay Games took place in 1982 in San Francisco and have been held every four years since.

The Gay Games are open to everyone – gay or straight, male or female, transgender or transsexual, beginner or experienced.

REGISTER HERE. www.games-cologne.com

Gay Games VIII adds new sport: Bridge!

The latest addition to Gay Games VIII in Cologne 2010 is Bridge

Bridge is a card game for 4 participants. This is probably the shortest explanation of the game. But Bridge is far from being as simple as that. It has something for everybody. The scope ranges from an intellectually demanding leisure activity to real sport – with its vastly mathematical approach. But one has to highlight that it also includes social aspects since the game is highly communicative.

The most fascinating game in the world offers fun and development options for any age group and for every level of ambition.

Competitive Bridge is played with a fixed partner against another couple. The game consists of the auction or bidding and play, after which the hand is scored. You sit facing your partner and do the bidding. The bidding ends with a contract, which is a declaration by one partnership that their side will take at least a stated number of tricks with the trump chosen. In this second phase of the game you try to get the contracted number of tricks, possibly more. Bridge is played with a deck of 52 cards: clubs, diamonds, spades and hearts. The value of the card decreases from ace over face cards down to 2.

In contrast to the widespread opinion, you do not need long tuition to be able to play Bridge. It is just enough to enjoy playing cards with a certain amount of interest in tactics and strategy. The didactical models that are used in Germany offer a gentle and easy start and even allow complete beginners to join and enjoy the game quickly. However, a certain amount of theory is inevitable.

The Bridge tournament of Gay Games VIII in Cologne 2010 takes place under the patronage of the German Federation for Bridge – it organises the competition and financially supports this event generously.

FGG and World AIDS Day 2009

World AIDS Day website: HERE
Gay Games International Memorial Rainbow Run: HERE