Bruno Aussenac to receive first FGG Medal of Honour

Aussenac leading the 500+ French delegation to Gay Games VIII

The international Federation of Gay Games awards Bruno Aussenac its first medal of honour
FGG to recognise the outgoing president of the French gay and lesbian sports federation (FSGL)

The international Federation of Gay Games (FGG) announced today that on Sunday 12 December 2010, during the Annual General Assembly of the French gay and lesbian sports federation (FSGL), Ms. Emy Ritt, co-president of the FGG, will present Mr. Bruno Aussenac, outgoing president of the FSGL, with the first Gay Games medal of honour.

The FGG is the organisation responsible for the Gay Games, the largest sporting event in the world open to all, which is held every four years. Member organisations of the FGG include regional multisport clubs, national federations, and a number of international governing bodies for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans) sport. Among these organisations is the FSGL, which brings together more than thirty sports clubs throughout France.

Emy Ritt explained that the FGG wanted to honour Mr. Aussenac for his work over the last several years within the FSGL to promote the LGBT sports movement and to improve the collaboration between the FGG and the FSGL. "We greatly appreciate the direction given by Bruno to the FSGL, represented by the slogan "Against all forms of discrimination, let's play sport together", which correspond to our priorities on the international level, in particular for a dialogue between LGBT sport and mainstream sport. We hope that the momentum given by Bruno will continue, in particular as the FGG attempts to obtain official status as a national sports federation."

Marc Naimark, co-chair of the FGG Awards committee, added: "Those of us who know Bruno are aware of the work he does for the FSGL, and his contributions to improving collaboration between the FSGL and the FGG, with as a result a record participation of French athletes in the latest Gay Games last summer in Cologne. We are happy to present him with our new medal of honour as a sign of our thanks and our appreciation."

This medal represents the third time that the FSGL will be honoured in the last two years. Last year, the FSGL Paris International Tournament (TIP), which brings together up to 2000 athletes each year in a dozen sports, received the FGG Legacy Award for Outstanding Sports Event, while this year in Cologne, the Paris bid committee for Gay Games VIII was honoured alongside the many bid and host committees from around the world that have ensured the continued success of the Gay Games since their first edition in 1982.