FIFA: "Irrelevant and outrageous at the same time"

A follow-up essay from Keph Senett on the Nigeria scandal, which is now the FIFA scandal. Does FIFA and Sepp Blatter (I have so far refrained from writing the subject line: "Blatter pisses on the gays") really need more scandals?

FIFA: Not Good Enough

It’s not easy to be irrelevant and outrageous at the same time, but FIFA, under the ham-handed leadership of Sepp Blatter, seems to have achieved exactly that.

The homophobic remarks and discriminatory actions of Nigerian national team coach Eucharia Uche and the Nigerian Football Federation have finally been addressed. That’s right: FIFA’s head of women’s competitions Tatjana Haenni told the Associated Press today that FIFA will be “talking to” Uche, and pointing out to her that “it would be best to express oneself neutrally.” In other words, keep it to yourself.

“FIFA is against all forms of discrimination,” Haenni said. There, don’t you feel better?

This is the official response by the international governing body of football. Uche has come under fire for homophobic comments including that homosexuality is “dirty”, and that the lesbians on her team were “a really big problem”. In an attempt to cleanse the team she brought in priests, and ultimately removed several players. Former technical assistant for the Nigerian Football Federation James Peters said the dismissals were “not because they were not good players, but because they were lesbians.”

This is taking place during the Women’s World Cup tournament. Millions of eyes are trained on the players, the matches, the officials and the executives, yet even under this close scrutiny, Blatter and FIFA clearly feel that the matter is so insignificant that it doesn’t warrant more than a conversation. This tells us everything we need to know about the Association’s anti-discrimination policy.

I, for one, am saying this is nowhere near good enough. If you feel the same way, sign the AllOut petition demanding a real response from FIFA.

Multi-Olympic medal winner Gary Hall, Jr writes on becoming a Swimmer for Equality

After I won four medals for swimming in the 1996 Olympics (including two gold medals), I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. My doctors told me I would never compete again at the Olympics or at other major competitions for my sport. No other athletes had done it.

I tried anyways. I rebuilt my strength, and I made it to the Olympics in Sydney in 2000. That year I won gold again, breaking the American record for the 50-meter freestyle. I took the Gold Medal for this same race again in Athens in 2004. Altogether I have won 10 Olympic medals.

I know a thing or two about winning and perseverance. And this summer, I'm working to help LGBT people win full equality as a committed ally, by swimming in Equality California's Second Annual Swim for Equality.

Through the Swim for Equality, dozens of swimmers will come to California's coast to participate in open water swims in Malibu and from Alcatraz Island.

They will be raising awareness and critical funds to advance LGBT rights in California. 'll be with them. Will you?


Swim for Equality - Malibu
Saturday, September 24

This isn't just an event for swimmers. There are lots of ways to get involved, like being a Swim Advocate who helps a Swimmer to meet their fundraising goal, or donating, or joining us at a Finish Line Party to celebrate the Swimmer's accomplishments and renew your commitment to LGBT rights.

Sign up today. Let's work together to make LGBT people equal in every way. Achieving full equality won't be easy, and there will be setbacks. But if we persevere, I know we'll reach our finish line.

Regards,

Gary Hall, Jr.
Ten-time Olympic Medalist &
2011 Swim for Equality Participant

Today in Gay: Tweeting while homophobic in NASCAR / Are you gay enough to play softball? / Sean Avery wants the NHL to take the lead on social progress

Our occasional round-up of stories on homophobia and coming out in pro sports, and other issues of interest.

Via Queers for Gears, this story about NASCAR and the perils of tweeting while homophobic (extract):

A Red Bull Racing crewman was fired for an anti-gay tweet he posted Sunday night following the Sprint Cup race at Infineon Raceway.

Prior to flying out of San Francisco on Sunday night, Jeremy Fuller, a contract employee and tire changer, posted on Twitter a photo of a gay pride banner on a car with the comment, “This is way [sic] I don’t live here!”

One of his Twitter followers responded with a tweet that read, “if we could get rid of them, it’d be a lot better.”

It appeared that Fuller later replied to that tweet, but did not retweet the original message. The response read: “lol.. Don’t we all wish!”

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The New York Times takes a long look at the NAGAAA discrimination case (extract):

The case has also escalated into a flashpoint in organized gay sports. Sports leagues that exclude members based on sexual orientation — which is generally legal — are watching how the courts address the vexing question at the heart of this dispute: how should a group determine who qualifies as gay?

“It definitely takes an organization down a rocky path,” said Jennifer Pizer, the legal director at the Williams Institute, a policy group focusing on sexual orientation law. “It can be quite intrusive, awkward at best.”

Dozens of gay leagues exist throughout the country for most sports, from flag football to volleyball, with tens of thousands of participants. The Gay Softball World Series is celebrating its 35th anniversary this summer, and several hundred teams from around the country vie for the title. Leagues often allow some heterosexual participants, in the spirit of inclusiveness, but still wrestle with rules regarding the limits on heterosexual players.

The National Gay Flag Football League, for example, has long used the honor system to impose its heterosexual limit (20 percent of each roster for the annual Gay Bowl).

“We’ll look at our rule later this year, and we’ll ask ourselves the same questions: Is this the right rule? The right approach to a complex topic?” said Shane Kinkennon, the founder of a Denver flag football league and the national association’s commissioner.

“The L.G.B.T. community has become increasingly sensitive to the way people self-identify their gender expression,” he added, referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

The North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance limits the number of heterosexual players teams can have. The rule — jokingly referred to as the “straight cap” — is often a subject of spirited debate, and over time it has changed, from barring heterosexual players outright to the current policy of two per team.

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And Sean Avery, after supporting the successful vote on marriage equality for the state of New York, calls on the NHL to take the lead in social progress (extract):

Now that Sean Avery has played his part in New York State's passage and adoption of the Marriage Equality Act that grants the same rights to all married couples regardless of sexual orientation, the Rangers winger would like the NHL to become involved in issues of social justice, beginning with this one.

"I understand that the NHL represents 30 different owners who come from different backgrounds and hold different viewpoints, but I think it would be meaningful for Gary [commissioner Bettman] and the Board of Governors to open themselves up for conversation about this issue," Avery told The Post yesterday.

Avery both appeared in a public service announcement in support of the bill and went to Albany on June 14 to lobby undecided state senators on its behalf.

"The support I received from the Garden, Mr. [James] Dolan, Glen [Rangers general manager Sather] and [president of MSG Sports] Scott O'Neil meant everything to me, but it was a little disappointing not to have heard from anyone connected with the league," Avery said.

"It would be great for the NHL to take the lead among professional sports leagues in terms of social equality and justice and be out front and progressive regarding issues like this."

30 million visitors to greater Cleveland each year, and looking for more from Gay Games 9

Tami Brown, VP of Marketing for Positively Cleveland - Photo Bob Perkosk

From a feature on tourism in freshwatercleveland.com:

Last year, Cuyahoga County raked in $5.9 billion in economic impact by welcoming 14 million visitors who, in turn, supported 61,000 jobs. If we zoom out to the entire 17-county "Cleveland Plus" area, those numbers soar to 30 million visitors, 163,000 jobs, and $13 billion in economic impact.

[...]

The biggest tourism story of 2014 may just be the Gay Games, which is projected to net $60 million for the local economy.

"The number one thing an LGBT tourist is looking for is a destination that is welcoming," says Brown. To that end, Positively Cleveland has been rolling out the rainbow-colored welcome mat to gay tourists since 2007, when they published their first LGBT Visitor's Guide. The brochure focuses on many of the same regional assets -- world-class dining, museums, theatre, live music -- but in an inclusive manner. Brown believes that single gesture helped snag those coveted Gay Games.

What Clevelanders often overlook as one our most valuable albeit intangible assets is our authenticity. Born of rough-hewn Rust Belt history, steeped in an undying devotion to heartbreaking sports teams, and spiked with the hardcore riffs of rock and roll, authenticity is a quality that can not be manufactured -- nor faked.

Sports prominent in gay journalism awards

From Outsports:

It’s been quite a year for sports, and Outsports has certainly benefited. After Jim’s piece on Hudson Taylor was nominated for a GLAAD Award, now my piece on Kye Allums has won third place for the NLGJA Award for online journalism. The Allums piece was a project of passion for me, and it ignited a national conversation about transgender athletes. It took over six months of work, and I’m really proud to have it acknowledged. Thank you, NLGJA!

Our good friend LZ Granderson was named the group’s journalist of the year. LZ has made a name for himself taking controversial positions on issues and arguing them with passion and intelligence. He’s also been fantastic on the issues of gays in sports. Congratulations, LZ!

We add our congratulations to Cyd, to Outsports, and to LZ Granderson!

Gay Games 9 at Cleveland Pride

All the colors of the rainbow were present at Cleveland Pride, but the dominant hue was... orange, as seen in this photo of supporters of Gay Games 9 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Profile of San Francisco Track and Field runner

From Roger Brigham's Bay Area Reporter sports column today, a reminder of the upcoming Pride Meet, and a look at Aaron Castillo, membership and communications director of San Francisco Track and Field, the host of the event. Here's an extract from the column:


Castillo moved to the Bay Area in 2008 and found SF Track and Field the next year. "They train and have meets from January until about October," he said. "I decided it was a great thing to do with what I do at the gym."

Castillo is a sprinter and plans to enter the 800-meter run in this year's championship, but last year at the Gay Games in Cologne he entered the decathlon. That's the same event in which Gay Games founder Dr. Tom Waddell competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Castillo earned a silver medal in the grueling event in Cologne.

"There were 17 decathletes at the Gay Games, which is a lot," he said. "They're all very supportive because you're all feeling the same pain over a few days."

Castillo said that same kind of support is one of the reasons he enjoys SF Track and Field.

"I love the camaraderie," he said. "The team is amazing. The guys and gals are super-supportive. We're very supportive. We train people regardless of what their fitness or experience level is. The more you train, the better you become."

Read in full HERE.

FIFA criticizes Nigerian women's football team coach, but takes no action

So it's OK to discriminate, as long as you don't talk about it? This is not satisfactory. Keep signing the petition at http://www.allout.org/fifa

FIFA criticises Nigeria coach Uche for anti-homosexual remarks
(AFP)

BERLIN — Football's governing body FIFA on Wednesday criticised Nigeria coach Eucharia Uche for branding homosexuality as 'dirty' and admitting she forced lesbians out of her team.

"FIFA is against all forms of discrimination," Tatjana Haenni, FIFA's head of women's competitions, told German television channel ARD. Haenni said FIFA will be talking to Uche about her comments and reminding the coach of the governing bodies statutes [sic].

In a mission statement, FIFA says it wants to use the sport in 'overcoming social and cultural obstacles for women with the ultimate aim of improving women?s standing in society'.

"We are here at a FIFA event and will point out that it would be best to express oneself neutrally," said Haenni.

Uche sparked controversy in a New York Times interview ahead of the women's World Cup, which started last Sunday, in which she called homosexuality 'dirty' and insisted it was 'spiritually and morally very wrong'.

After Nigeria lost their opening Group A game 1-0 to France on Sunday, Uche said she has acted to remove any lesbians from the Super Eagles. "Yes, the lesbians in our team were really a big problem," she said having taken over as Nigeria's coach in 2009. But since I'm coach of the Super Falcons, that has been cleared up. There are no more lesbian players on my team. I can not tolerate this dirty life."

Defending champions and hosts Germany play Nigeria on Thursday in Frankfurt am Main and have declined to comment in Uche's remarks.

Germany reserve goalkeeper Ursula Holl is married to a woman and first-choice shot-stopper Nadine Angerer is openly bisexual.

Videos of Cheer San Francisco (and friends) at SF Pride

From our friends at Cheer SF:


Guest starring on the inaugural CHEER San Francisco Stage at the 2011 SF Pride festivities, Tap That All Stars introduces some superheroic drama and theatrics to showcase its heart-wrenching story of power struggles, conflict management, and enduring friendships.

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CHEER San Francisco concludes an incredible 2011 Pride Month by OWNING its hometown Pride Main Stage to deliver its high-flying Pride Routine. With over 200 parade contingents, 300 exhibitors, and 19 stages and venues, the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade is the largest LGBT gathering in the nation.

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CHEER San Francisco concludes the 2011 Pride Month by OWNING its hometown Pride Main Stage to showcase its "Technical Pom" routine.

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Cheer SF on Facebook: http://fb.me/CHEERSanFrancisco

Please sign petition to free Iranian sports journalist!

We strongly encourage our readers to sign this petition calling for Maryam Majd to be freed. Sign HERE.

And follow the story on the "Free Maryam Majd" Facebook page HERE.

Learn more in this article from the Guardian:

An Iranian photojournalist and women's rights activist who campaigned for female football fans to be allowed to enter stadiums has disappeared. Maryam Majd, 25, is feared to have been held by security officials before boarding a flight from Tehran to Düsseldorf, Germany, where she intended to cover the Fifa Women's World Cup.

Petra Landers, a former German national footballer who had invited Majd to join her in a book project about women's sport, said she has not heard from her since Friday when the photographer was scheduled to arrive in Düsseldorf. "I waited for hours in the airport but eventually found that she was not on the plane at the first place," Landers told the Guardian. "The last time I talked to her she was in the airport in Tehran waiting to board the plane and I have not been able to contact her nor her family since then."

Majd specialised in sports photography, although her pictures of female athletes were usually censored in the official media.

Shadi Sadr, a prominent women's rights campaigner living in exile in London, said: "We are almost sure that she has been arrested but the question is why authorities in Iran refuse to give any information about her after five days since her disappearance."

Many opposition figures have been arrested at Tehran airport, especially since the disputed presidential election in 2009.

Majd has been campaigning to allow women to watch football matches in stadiums. Women in Iran are prohibited from entering them amid fears they could face verbal abuse or violence.

"Maryam is one of the very few women sports photographers in Iran and because she is a woman, she has exclusive access to women's sports and had been able to attract lots of attention towards sportswomen in the country," said Sadr.

Sportswomen in Iran are required to cover themselves from head to toe, but despite the restrictions they have been active in international competitions. International games, however, are not broadcast on the state television because they feature foreign women players who are not covered.

Iran's women's football team was banned from an Olympic qualifier recently after Fifa ruled that their full-body strip broke the organisations rules.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the football association "dictators and colonialists" after the move and Iranian sports officials plan to file a complaint against the decision.

Offside, a 2006 Iranian film directed by Jafar Panahi – who has been sentenced to six years in jail and banned from filmmaking for 20 years – features a group of girls attempting to enter a stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying match.

A personal message from a Swimmer for Equality

After I won four medals for swimming in the 1996 Olympics (including two gold medals), I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. My doctors told me I would never compete again at the Olympics or at other major competitions for my sport. No other athletes had done it.

I tried anyways. I rebuilt my strength, and I made it to the Olympics in Sydney in 2000. That year I won gold again, breaking the American record for the 50-meter freestyle. I took the Gold Medal for this same race again in Athens in 2004. Altogether I have won 10 Olympic medals.

I know a thing or two about winning and perseverance. And this summer, I'm working to help LGBT people win full equality as a committed ally, by swimming in Equality California's Second Annual Swim for Equality.

Through the Swim for Equality, dozens of swimmers will come to California's coast to participate in open water swims in Malibu and from Alcatraz Island.

They will be raising awareness and critical funds to advance LGBT rights in California. 'll be with them. Will you?


Swim for Equality - Malibu
Saturday, September 24

This isn't just an event for swimmers. There are lots of ways to get involved, like being a Swim Advocate who helps a Swimmer to meet their fundraising goal, or donating, or joining us at a Finish Line Party to celebrate the Swimmer's accomplishments and renew your commitment to LGBT rights.

Sign up today. Let's work together to make LGBT people equal in every way. Achieving full equality won't be easy, and there will be setbacks. But if we persevere, I know we'll reach our finish line.

Regards,

Gary Hall, Jr.
Ten-time Olympic Medalist &
2011 Swim for Equality Participant

Listen to podcast of Amercian Women in Sports Media webinar; "The Rainbow Ceiling: A Conversation About Homosexuality in Sports"

On Monday, June 27, AWSM hosted an hour-long discussion about the issue of homosexuality in women’s sports. Panelists included GLSEN Sports Project's Pat Griffin, former Belmont University women’s soccer coach Lisa Howe, Olympic medalist/former Team USA softball player Lauren Lappin, Portland State University’s women’s basketball coach Sherri Murrell, and ESPN.com women’s basketball writer Mechelle Voepel.


Find the podcast HERE.

30 June 2011 / Continental Cups Opening Ceremony tomorrow

• WHAT: Continental Cup International Youth Sports Festival presented by Cleveland Clinic Sports Health is pleased to host the Opening Ceremony and Cultural Festival that will kick off the 6th Annual Continental Cup tournament.
• WHERE: John Carroll University – Quad (20700 North Park Boulevard, University Heights, Ohio 44118)
• DATE: Thursday, June 30th
• TIME: Gates open to the public at 6:00pm; Show start at 7:00pm
• DETAILS: Join us as we kick off the 2011 Continental Cup International Youth Sports Festival with the free Opening Ceremony and Cultural Festival on Thursday, June 30th at 6:00pm. This year’s Opening Ceremony will include a parade of athletes, live music from international artists, inflatables, interactive exhibits, a passport program to win prizes and so much more. You can also take a stroll down the “Foods of the World” where restaurants will offer delectable dishes for purchase representing ethnicities from all around the globe! Invite your friends and family to this free night of entertainment and activities! Visit www.continental-cup.com for more details. *Guests are invited to bring blankets and chairs as seating will be limited. Admission is free and gates open to the public at 6:00pm.

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This summer, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission will host the sixth annual Continental Cup International Youth Sports Festival presented by Cleveland Clinic Sports Health where athletic competition meets cultural exchange, entertainment, attractions, shopping and more! It will take place June 30 – July 3 and will include three sports: AC Milan Continental Cup (soccer), Cleveland Indians Charities Continental Cup (baseball) and Cleveland Cavaliers Continental Cup (basketball). An estimated 3,600 athletes from 20 different countries are expected to participate this summer at various locations across Northeast Ohio, infusing over $4 million into the local region.

Tournament games are free and open to the public.

• AC Milan Continental Cup tournament play will take place at Lost Nation Sports Park in Willoughby, Krueger Park in Mentor and Blossom Fields in Brecksville. 
• Cleveland Indians Charities Continental Cup tournament play will take place at Euclid Memorial Park in Euclid and Richmond Heights Community Park in Richmond Heights with the final U14 championship game to be played at Progressive Field. 
• Cleveland Cavaliers Continental Cup games will be played at the Multiplex Event Center in Warrensville Heights.

For more information on the Continental Cup, please visit www.continental-cup.com.

Featured product / "The Outsports Revolution"

Outsports.com has been called "ESPN for homos" and receives over two million hits per month. Now, the founders of this groundbreaking website offer an in-depth and entertaining compendium on the issues surrounding gays and lesbians in the sporting world. The Outsports Revolution chronicles the development and rise of the Outsports.com brand and outlines its impact on the world of gay sports. Through more than twenty-five chapters, the book introduces you to both famous out athletes along with the unsung, unknown trailblazers who have helped others come out. With points of view from such figures as the MLB’s Billy Bean, the NFL’s Esera Tuaolo, and Greg Louganis—as well as Molly Lenore, a former college football player who transitioned to a woman and now plays gay flag football; Brian Fell, a two-time NCAA track and field star; and sports professional Larry Felzer, who organized Gay Community Night for the Philadelphia Phillies—this guide chronicles all the issues on this hotly debated subject. Learn about athletes who have come out of the closet and of the impact their revelation has had on their particular sport, the proliferation of gay sporting leagues throughout the country, the myth about why gay men can’t play sports, and many other subjects. Cyd Zeigler and Jim Buzinski are recognized worldwide as the leaders in gay-sports reporting and co-founded Outsports.com in 2000. Together they have appeared on numerous television programs, including ESPN, Fox Sports, and CNN. They have been profiled in hundreds of magazines and newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, and Sports Illustrated.

Gay Games III featured in latest chapter of Vancouver serial

Saturdays at 2am and Doll & Penny's Café, at 1167 Davie St in Vancouver, would be hopping with club kids, drag queens, bar staff, sex workers and everyone in between. The diner food was atrocious but the neighbourhood hub was a gay institution.

For Tony Correia and others who worked behind the counter, Doll & Penny's was more than a late-night nacho spot — it was an oasis of belonging and sexual freedom.

Now 43, Correia charts Doll & Penny's heyday in a new 19-part serial for Xtra. This installment features Gay Games III, held in Vancouver in 1990:

On Nov 4, 1989, the breakfast regulars got a surprise with their morning coffee. On page 9 of The Vancouver Sun was a full-page ad with the banner “Time Is Running Out” above an hourglass. The ad had as many bullet points as there are Commandments, ranging from “the cost of forgiveness and healing” to “the power of prayer.” But what really got people’s attention was a reference to “spiritual warfare.”

“Initiated and paid for by Christian leaders who live in Greater Vancouver who love this city and its people,” the ad read. The Sun wouldn’t reveal who had paid for it, but Reverend Robert Birch of Burnaby Christian Fellowship and a team of pastors that called themselves the Watchmen for the Nation went on record to predict that an earthquake would swallow the city if “The Sodomite Invasion” went ahead as planned.

The Gay Games coincided with the first Molson 500 and the first Symphony of Fire, bringing together the widest array of queers and rednecks Vancouver had ever seen. If spiritual warfare was to be waged, Doll & Penny’s was certain to be a battleground.

As if the staff wasn’t on edge already, Papa Ed sold Doll & Penny’s to his eldest son, Francis — also known as the “asshole in a mink coat,” as Donna described him when he tried to have me fired. Francis had the good sense to leave Donna to work her magic, but he did decree that the café would remain open 24 hours a day for the duration of the Games. It was one of two smart business decisions he made as owner of the café — the other was adding poutine to the menu.

On Aug 4, 1990, beneath the canvas dome of BC Place Stadium, the opening ceremonies for Celebration 90 welcomed 7,300 athletes, 1,500 artists and countless spectators from across the globe. Unlike the ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the organizers managed to light the torch.

Davie St was transformed into the Castro of the 1970s. The lines to get into Doll & Penny’s were longer than Phantom of the Opera’s— and we raked in as much dough. Were it not for the tips and the accents, the staff would never know one of the largest sporting events in the world was happening outside the front window. We were so tired after work that all any of us could do was lie on the couch with a pack of cigarettes and cry.

Keep reading HERE.

Matthew Mitcham supports Wallabies in Rugby World Cup

Our friend Matthew Mitcham is among the personalities appearing in ads supporting the Australian national Rugby Union team in the upcoming World Cup this September in New Zealand.

"Golden Skate" salutes pride month: Nick Traxler

A great series of profiles from Golden Skate. Here, Nick Traxler:

Nick Traxler

American ice dancer Nick Traxler came out to friends and family when he was 17 years old, long before he made his debut on the senior level at the U.S. Championships.

“I always felt confident that my skating friends and coaches would support me, and they did,” Traxler said. “Not only were they accepting of my coming out, but they were overwhelmingly supportive and affirming.”

Known for his personal motto ‘Let your sexy shine’, Traxler is currently looking for a new partner with whom to compete. He credits his career as a figure skater for helping him to grow into the confident gay man that he is today.

“I was never made to feel like an outcast,” he said. “Instead I was always encouraged to be myself. It has been 13 years since I came out, and it is because of my involvement in figure skating that I have had the confidence and support system to live my life to the fullest.”

A resident of Dallas, Traxler will celebrate pride with his city a little later in the year.

“Dallas is weird, and we don’t have our Pride celebration until September,” he laughed. “I plan on celebrating with friends by going to the parade and by letting my sexy shine as usual.”

Subscribe to the Federation of Gay Games newsletter

If you'd like to receive Participate!, the newsletter of the Federation of Gay Games, click HERE. It's a great day to get news about the FGG and coming Gay Games in your mailbox every couple of months.

Brenner Green tells his coming out story in Outsports

Outsports offers another great personal coming out story from a young athlete, Brenner Green:

I was out before I was a runner. My mom knew I would be both gay and a runner since I was an infant. Gay, because I liked the Disney princesses and the pink Power Ranger was my favorite; a runner, because I was very hyper and fast on my feet.

“One time I left you outside by the tree in the front yard to answer a phone call. When I came outside only a minute later, you were gone. I panicked, but soon found you in the backyard. You crawled all the way over there in that one minute I went outside,” my mom told me.

It took me more than several years to discover that I am actually both gay and a runner. I grew up in a small rural town in Connecticut called Lisbon. Lisbon is by no means a hick town, but it is pretty homogeneous, meaning that my brother and I were the only Jewish kids in our school, and I knew only a couple of black kids. Certainly no one was openly gay.

Keep reading HERE.

En français / Les questions des lecteurs de Têtu à Ben Cohen

Le magazine LGBT français Têtu a demandé à ses lecteurs de poser leurs questions à Ben Cohen. En voici quelques unes :

Selon toi, les instances sportives officielles devraient-elles prendre des mesures contre l'homophobie? (question posée par oum-berto)
Absolument! Ces dernières années, la Fédération Anglaise de Football a beaucoup œuvré pour bannir le racisme des stades et des vestiaires. Les clubs étaient condamnés à de lourdes amendes si leurs supporters tenaient des discours racistes et les matches devaient se jouer à huit-clos. Ce genre de mesures affecte directement les finances du club. Avec le temps, c'est devenu de l'autodiscipline. Selon moi, il serait bon d'étendre ce genre de mesure aux propos homophobes.

Qu'aurais-tu à dire à un jeune rugbyman qui se dirait ouvertement homophobe ? (question posée par aurelien_vitrac)
Prends le temps de connaître des homos. Comprends vraiment que ce n'est pas un choix et qu'on est tous différents de bien des façons. Je lui raconterais ces histoires terribles d'homos qui n'ont pas pu pas résister à la pression et comment la moindre des insultes homophobes peut avoir des conséquences désastreuses sur la vie d'un gay. Voilà ce que je lui dirais.


Dans le numéro juillet/Août de TÊTU, actuellement en vente, vous retrouverez un dossier «spécial rugby» avec des photos exclusives d'Alexis Palisson et une enquête sur «Le rugby est-il vraiment gayfriendly?»

Keph Senett on lesbophobia, sexism and top-level football

Thanks to Keph Senett for allowing us to publish this essay:

With the Women's World Cup underway, now is a good time to remind FIFA what it should be doing.

Sports fans are an indulgent lot with our obsessive statistics, our gang colors, and our willingness to entertain a well-told fable, like the one about Paul the octopus who could flawlessly forecast game outcomes. With the recent kick-off of the Women’s World Cup, I have another, less fantastic story to tell, and it’s one that just might help you with your match predictions.

The equation of women’s athletics with latent lesbianism is nothing new, and soccer is ground zero for salacious locker room tales. There’s an old joke that asks how to avoid sleeping with everyone on your soccer team. The answer: Join a men’s league.

The truth is that there are lesbian soccer players at every level of the sport. For those of us playing in our queer city leagues it’s a non-issue, and to witness the numerous athletes in various sports who have come out as gay in the past several months it would seem to be a non-issue at almost any level. But this is professional soccer.

British MP salutes out athletes

Comment from Iain Stewart MP published on Politics.co.uk (he might ask David Cameron to have a word with Nicolas Sarkozy):

At prime minister's questions last Wednesday, I decided to raise the issue of homophobia in sport. Although I was not on the list of MPs selected to ask a question that day, I was delighted when the Speaker called me.

On the day that the PM was hosting a reception in 10 Downing St for the LGBT community with a particular emphasis on sport, I felt it was important to give the issue of homophobia in sport a wider airing.

While there are some excellent projects to address this problem, such as Rugby League's 'Tackle It', too often homophobic and transphobic attitudes can prevail; amongst fans and players alike.

And while there have been a few hugely courageous players who have come out – like rugby's Gareth Thomas, cricket's Steven Davies and football's Anton Hysén – many feel pressured to stay in the closet. Although those who have taken this admirable step have received a positive reaction, many others remain in fear about the loss of their standing among fans and colleagues and about a potential drying-up of sponsorships.

Why does it matter? At the most fundamental level, sport should not be different from any other walk of life. Sportsmen and women should be able to participate in their game without fear of being who they are. Racism is rightly not tolerated; why should homophobia be? And how many players do not reach their full potential because they somehow cannot be true to themselves?

Tackling homophobia in sport is not just important for sport itself however, it is critical to addressing wider LGBT issues, not least homophobic attitudes amongst young people and homophobic bullying in schools. Young people need role models and if we don't have enough positive role models then behaviour won't change.

It works both ways. For young people who are struggling with the idea that they might be LGBT, how reassuring must it be to them that a sport star they might idolise is also gay; to realise that their sexuality has been no barrier to achieving their goals.

And for those who are straight, understanding that their sport hero or heroine has a different sexual orientation to them will be hugely influential in challenging attitudes and widening understanding.

Bullying of all kinds, but particularly homophobic bullying, remains unacceptably prevalent in our schools. Government clearly has a huge role to tackle this and to make sure headteachers have the powers they need to address the issue properly. However, it's not just a government problem or a legal problem. It's a societal problem. Legislation and powers can only go so far in changing attitudes. Sport has a massive influence.

That is why I salute those in sport who have taken the brave step to come out, and I applaud the initiatives taken by the government and the governing bodies to tackle it. Much more needs to be done and I hope that my small action, in raising the matter at prime minister's questions, has helped to give the issue the publicity it deserves.

Iain Stewart MP was elected as Conservative party MP for Milton Keynes South in 2010.

Featured product / "Three Generations of the Same Woman"

Doug Mattis shares a revealing while entertaining and touching, peek into his personal life. At the same time providing a glimpse of what is an online phenomenon, the blog. An easy read which will amuse to the point of out loud laughter. Doug weaves common points of emotional connection with most readers. (A sort of, the common sense of it, approach.) Mattis hits the highs and lows of several life experiences. Happily, most are of an enlightening and more entertaining value. However, the author does offer a personal side which brings some bite to the complete product. Oh and that "bite" is most enjoyed by the reader. Believe me, Mattis has the demonstrated literary skills to walk you up and down all paths dark and light.

"Golden Skate" salutes pride month: Doug Mattis

A great series of profiles from Golden Skate. Here, Doug Mattis:


Doug Mattis

In the late 1980s and into the early 1990s, Doug Mattis was a staple at the U.S. Championships, winning the junior men’s title in 1985, and skating in the final flight of the senior men’s free skate several times. An artistic sort, Mattis’s kryptonite was the triple Axel, which was fast becoming a required move to have any hope of standing on the podium.

“My triple axel was horrible,” Mattis said with a laugh. “I was training with Frank Carroll at the end of my eligible career, and his school of thought is that you have to have the numbers to put an element into your program. I was hitting one in about every 18 or 19, so I never put it in my programs.”

What Mattis did have was the ability to pull the crowd into his programs, as well as a one-footed back flip.

“At nationals in 1991, I skated last in the short program, and I skated a relatively clean program,” he recalled. “I did have a little issue with my combination spin, but I landed all of my jumps. I was used to being in the medal hunt after the short program, and then all of the sudden I was completely out of it. In the competition, there were only four clean short programs, and most of the other skaters missed two jumps. For example, (the 8th place finisher) fell on his triple Axel and popped his Lutz. I landed all of my jumps, got a standing ovation, and was in 14th place.

The next 24 hours gave Mattis time to think, and after a chance meeting on the concourse in the arena, he knew that it was time to move on from amateur skating.

“A man and his wife came up to me and said that they didn’t understand why I was placed so low, and how can an entire arena of people have a different opinion than the judges,” he remembered. “It was then that I knew it was time to move on, but it had nothing to do with the judges. I realized that the game had changed, and I realized that I just wanted to entertain.”

Mattis told himself that if he skated a clean program that day, he would throw in a back flip at the end of his program.

“I don’t know that I was being a rebel,” he said. “It was more about giving something to the audience.”

Mattis did skate clean, threw in the back flip, and earned one of the only standing ovations of the night. He finished in 13th place.

Throughout his career Mattis never kept his sexuality a secret, but was thrust into the gay spotlight in 1994 when he was invited to skate an exhibition at the Gay Games in New York City, which he considers to be one of the biggest honors of his career. A 1996 article in The Advocate solidified Mattis’s status as one of a handful of openly gay athletes.

“At the time (golfer) Muffin Spencer-Devlin and I were the only athletes who were willing to talk with the media about our sexuality,” Mattis recalled.

Mattis believes that being out never hindered his career as an athlete, but instead he believes that everything increased with his coming out.

“When I was younger, I thought about keeping my sexuality under my hat, but I didn’t want to disappoint my market,” Mattis said. “I was invited to skate in the Gay Games, be the Grand Marshall in Gay Pride parades, and was still getting work professionally. Being gay never adversely affected my career.”

Mattis is disappointed with the notion that figure skating being a gay sport has contributed to the decline of the popularity of the sport.

“If people think that viewers are going to turn the TV off because they think that the skaters are gay, they are crazy,” he said. “Most people assume that the male skaters are gay, and they still watch. It hasn’t hurt the sport one bit. If people think that figure skating being known as a gay sport is a bad thing, that’s just homophobic. There is nothing wrong with having lots of gays in the sport.”

When asked how he has celebrated Gay Pride month, Mattis jokingly responded with ‘leather pants’, but quickly corrected himself.

“My time on the dance floor is done. My partner, Terrence and I are inching closer to a decision to become parents,” he shared. “We are members of the Human Rights Campaign, and I have been keeping an eye on the New York decision. We have hosted some gay pride celebrations, but I prefer to keep my pride on the grassroots level at this point and work on the interpersonal level.”

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Doug Mattis shares a revealing while entertaining and touching, peek into his personal life. At the same time providing a glimpse of what is an online phenomenon, the blog. An easy read which will amuse to the point of out loud laughter. Doug weaves common points of emotional connection with most readers. (A sort of, the common sense of it, approach.) Mattis hits the highs and lows of several life experiences. Happily, most are of an enlightening and more entertaining value. However, the author does offer a personal side which brings some bite to the complete product. Oh and that "bite" is most enjoyed by the reader. Believe me, Mattis has the demonstrated literary skills to walk you up and down all paths dark and light.

Video / Gay Games 9 at Cleveland Pride

Special thanks to Vision Video for this video showing a part of the Gay Games 9 group in the Cleveland Pride parade, and the presentation of the award for Participation to Gay Games 2014.

Gay Games 9 host takes top prize at Cleveland Pride

The FGG extends its congratulations to our host organization for Gay Games 9: Cleveland Special Events Corporation won the prize for participation at the 2011 Cleveland Pride, with the most participants in the parade and at the festival.

A great sign for local support and involvement in Gay Games 9 as we look ahead to 2014.
More from Gay Games 9 at 2011 Cleveland Pride soon!

Take the Test, Take Control: National HIV testing day in United States

Today is national HIV testing day in the United States. The message is: "Take the Test, Take Control." Visit hivtest.org for info on where you can get tested (in USA), or outside the USA, consult your local health resource.

Featured product / "A Sense of Pride: the Story of Gay Games II"

We've already posted this book as a featured product, but now we have a link with a photo of the cover.

A song written on the occasion of Gay Games V

Auf Deutsch / Laudatio von Conny Kempe-Schaelicke für die Federation of Gay Games und GLISA International

Conny Schaelicke, Emy Ritt, Tina Kempe

Conny Kempe-Schaelicke, a longtime leader of LGBT sport in Berlin, in Germany and beyond, and a finalist for the 2010 FGG Tom Waddell Award, gave the citation for the 2011 Berlin Pride Civil Courage Prize. Here are some extracts:

Seit 1982 gibt es eine Veranstaltung, die alle 4 Jahre tausende Lesben, Schwule, Bisexuelle, Transgender und tausende freiwillige Helfer_innen aus aller Welt für Sport und Kultur zusammenbringt: die Gay Games.

Die Gay Games haben die EuroGames und die Outgames hervorgebracht und unzählige Sportvereine rund um den Globus sind infolge dieser Spiele entstanden.

1990 sind erstmals 120 Berliner_innen als team berlin zu den 3. Gay Games in Vancouver, Kanada gereist und - wir waren schier überwältigt.

Wer von euch schon bei den Gay Games oder Outgames war, kennt dieses Gänsehaut-Gefühl bei der Eröffnungsfeier mit deinem Städteteam in ein Stadion einzulaufen, in dem tausende LSBT und ihre Freund_innen und Verwandten die Vielfalt feiern und du mitten drin, irgend etwas schwenken und jubeln, dich selbst feiern und alle anderen dazu.

Du bist überwältigt von der Möglichkeit, dass da so unglaublich viele Menschen sind, mit denen du etwas teilst. Aus Japan, aus Indien, aus Südafrika, aus Mexiko, aus über 70 Ländern bei den Outgames in Kopenhagen 2009.

Eine hochrangige Person aus der Politik eröffnet die Spiele, 2010 die Gay Games in Köln der deutsche Außenminister, der, zum Erstaunen der ausländischen Gäste, erst ausgepfiffen und nach einer persönlichen und berührenden Rede dann doch beklatscht und bejubelt wurde.

Dabei sein ist alles und alle dürfen mitmachen, Heteros sind erwünscht.

Seit einem Jahr verhandeln die FGG und GLISA über gemeinsame Spiele im Jahr 2018. Weltweit gibt es den Wunsch, dass die Kräfte wieder gebündelt werden. Auch team berlin hat mit kreativen Aktionen zu diesem Prozess beigetragen.

Der Zivilcouragepreis 2011 ehrt beide Verbände, für das, was sie so vielen Menschen weltweit in den letzten 30 Jahren gegeben haben. Der Zivilcouragepreis 2011 soll aber auch beide Verbände bestärken, den Weg der Verhandlungen weiterzugehen, um 2018 gemeinsame Spiele mit Sport, Kultur und einer Menschenrechtskonferenz Wirklichkeit werden zu lassen.

Bitte begrüßt nun für die Federation of Gay Games die Co-Präsidentin Emy Ritt aus Frankreich – und für GLISA International den Co-Präsidenten Wessel van Kampen aus den Niederlanden.

"100 Days in Cleveland": An artist makes a drawing of something she likes about Cleveland each day for 100 days

What happens when you combine beautiful artwork and the great city of Cleveland? You get a terrific blog called ’100 Days in Cleveland’.

Julia Kuo is a free-lance illustrator who lives between Cleveland and Taipei. She is currently creating an original illustration each day for 100 days of something she likes about Cleveland.

Her website can be found HERE.

The "100 Days in Cleveland" blog can be found HERE.

Call out this "foul play"

Update: Nigeria just lost it's opening match to France, 1-0.

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Even before the Women's World Cup kicks off this Sunday, June 26, the rules have already been broken.

For the past two years the Nigerian Football Federation has conducted a witch-hunt to kick women off the national team who were suspected of being gay. And the team's coach just bragged to the New York Times that she has dealt with “the big problem” of lesbianism.

FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, has a powerful record of fighting discrimination. Now as Nigeria takes the field in the Women's World Cup opening game,FIFA needs to give coach Uche the red card: publicly condemn systematic discrimination and take the necessary steps to end homophobia in the league.

FGG and the IGLFA support this petition. Please sign at http://www.allout.com/fifa

Martina Navratilova urges athletes to come out

From Diva magazine, a message from Martina Navratilova (h/t Brian Sims):

Speaking to DIVA following David Cameron's reception at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday, she said transparency in sport is vital.

"Homophobia and transphobia in sports are problems that we need to give a lot more work and attention to eliminate. Fortunately (for me unfortunately), the UK is way ahead of the US in tackling these issues.

"I would love for more individuals and organisations to stand up and take a more forceful and public stand against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Too many gyms, locker rooms, and playing fields are often perceived as unsafe places for LGBT students. That can discourage that spirit and natural gifts of athletes. Athletes themselves should not fear coming out. Nobody should be able to stop you from playing. If you are good enough, you get to play and you get to win."

She also said that a greater number of out players would improve the wider culture of sport.

"I believe if all the gay men and women came out, the sports world and the world in general would be a lot better off. Athletes today are progressing to unprecedented levels of skill and strength. But homophobia slowly poisons the process and prevents people from realizing their dreams. And as long as prejudice prevails, athletes won't get their fair due.

"We must ensure that everyone has a voice; we must challenge unacceptable behaviour, and rid the sports world of homophobia and transphobia. Then and only then, will we make sports a welcome place for everyone."

First images from Berlin Pride "Civil Courage Prize"

This weekend the Federation of Gay Games and GLISA International received the annual Civil Courage Prize from Berlin Pride, in honor of the organizations' on-going efforts to work toward a single event in 2018.

Co-presidents Emy Ritt (FGG) and Wessel van Kampen (GLISA International) represened their respective organizations; Here are some first photos via Wessel van Kampen.

At municipal reception Friday, Emy Ritt and Wessel van Kampen center, Tom Waddell Award finalist Conny Schaelicke right

Emy Ritt, Wessel van Kampen, the Honorable Klaus Wowereit, Mayor of Berlin, after presentation of the Civil Courage Prize

The crowd at Branderburg Gate

All around Cleveland canal tourism special: Ohio & Erie Canal, Erie Canal, Rideau Canal, Cape Cod Canal

Each week, we'll be featuring a place of interest around Cleveland, site of Gay Games IX in 2014. Cleveland, Akron, and Northeast Ohio are great places to visit, and are also great places from which to experience some of the finest destinations in the USA and Canada.

This week we're featuring recreational opportunities on North America's historic canals. Once key means of transportation, some remain in use, and all abound in opportunities for recreation, hiking, biking, cruises, fishing, etc. 

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Within 50 km from Cleveland:
Ohio & Erie Canalway
Cleveland+Akron, Ohio

Enjoy walking, bicycling, or running on the Towpath Trail. You can travel the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal on the same path that mules walked to tow canal boats loaded with goods and passengers. From the trail, you can make connections to many natural and historic sites, as well as to Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR). Beyond the park, you can continue your journey on the Towpath Trail further along the Ohio & Erie Canalway.

Features of the Ohio & Erie Canal abound along the trail. Look for locks that raised and lowered boats through elevation changes and markers that indicate mileage as measured historically. Enjoy indoor exhibits at the Canal and Boston Store visitor centers. As you become familiar with the canal, you will discover its importance as apart of 19th-century transportation infrastructure that connected Ohio to the rest of the settled United States.


More info HERE.

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Within 250 km from Cleveland:
Roscoe Village on Ohio & Erie Canal
Coshocton, Ohio

Roscoe Village is the most remarkable example of the canal era in Ohio. An entire village has been restored to its historic character and complimented by an outstanding visitor's center.

Numerous canal structures remain including the renowned triple locks. Scenic views of the three canal basins are a photographer's delight and a canal boat replica transports visitors between the upper and middle basins.

Restaurants, shops and an inn are located in the village and a campground is located in Lake Park at the middle basin.

More info HERE.

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Within 500 km from Cleveland:
Old Erie Canal
Western New York State

The scenic Erie Canal-once labeled the 8th Wonder of the World-is a great ribbon of water that cuts clear across New York, the Empire State. In the Genesee Country, this spectacular recreational resource offers a score of canalside ports that are close, fun and relaxing. In fact, the old Erie Canal has turned into a linear park, on the verge of developing into one of the country's great tourist attractions.

The Erie is a boaters' paradise. You can glide serenely along in a canoe, skip from spot to spot in a fishing skiff, or take an excursion on one of several charter vessels that ply Erie's waters.

To experience the canal first hand, drive to one of several home ports for a boat tour lasting from an hour to all day and in some cases, all week. One boat is even powered by a pair of mules.

On board, you'll find canal balladeers, storytellers and sprightly explanations of local and canal history. Snacks and beverages are available, with reservations needed for lunch or a romantic dinner cruise. As you relax learn about the unique language of the "canawlers."

Modern canal travelers often find picturesque picnic areas with shady grounds under swaying willows. Today the old towpath serves hikers, joggers and backpackers. In some places, lights have been installed and long stretches black-topped to accommodate cyclists and casual strollers.

Ashore, there's great food to be found and some extraordinary out-of-the-way antique and fancy goods shops. All this, while recapturing 19th century romance in neighborly towns like Palmyra, Medina, Lyons and Lockport. And don't overlook Spencerport, Brockport, Pittsford, Fairport or Bushnell's Basin. They're filled with local color, offering lodging and legions of restaurants.

More info HERE .

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Within 750 km from Cleveland:
Rideau Canal
Ottawa, Ontario

A historic waterway filled with boaters spring through fall, the Rideau Canal winds through the heart of Ottawa before connecting with the Ottawa River through dramatic stepped locks right next to Parliament Hill.

The Rideau Canal stretches from Ottawa and the Ottawa River 202 kilometers south to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River at Kingston, connecting beautiful lakes and rivers through a series of 45 locks. The Ottawa portion of the Canal starts at Mooney's Bay in the south end of the city and continues through the city, flanked on each side by scenic parkways, cycling paths and gardens. Built under the direction of Lieutenant-Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers, the Canal opened in 1832 and is the oldest continuously operated canal in North America.

The Canal is both a National Historic Site of Canada and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. May through early October, the Canal is open to sightseeing cruises, pleasure craft, canoeist, and kayakers; paddleboats, canoes and kayaks can be rented at the Dow's Lake Pavilion.

More info HERE.

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Within 1000 km from Cleveland:
Cape Cod Canal
Eastern Massachussetts

The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.

Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 28 km long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south. The idea of constructing such a canal was first considered by Miles Standish of the Plymouth Colony in 1623, but the canal was not begun until the late 19th century.

Service roads on both sides of the canal provide access for fishing and are heavily used by in-line skaters, bicyclists and walkers. Several parking areas are maintained at access points. People often just sit and watch ships transiting the canal. Bourne Scenic Park is leased by the Corps of Engineers to the Town of Bourne Recreation Authority for use as a tent and RV campground adjacent to the Canal.

The Army Corps of Engineers maintains the Cape Cod Canal Visitor Center which introduces visitors to the history, features, and operation of the Canal. Features include a retired 41-foot US Army Corps of Engineers patrol boat, a 46-seat theater showing continuous DVD presentations on Canal history, Canal flora and fauna, real time radar and camera images of the waterway as well as a variety of interactive exhibits. Corps Park Rangers staff the center and provide free public programs on a variety of subjects. Tide charts, Canal guides and brochures are also available.

Scusset Beach State Reservation lies just north of the east end of the canal and offers beach facilities as well as tent and RV camping. A trail there leads to Sagamore Hill – once a Native American Indian meeting ground and later the site of a World War II coastal fortification with a fine overview of Cape Cod Bay.

More info HERE.

Auf Deutsch / Iran hindert prominente Fotografin an WM-Reise

Das Regime in Teheran hat die prominente Sportfotografin Maryam Majd festnehmen lassen. Die Iranerin wollte zur Frauenfußball-WM nach Deutschland fliegen, kam dort aber nie an. Die letzte Nachricht, die ihre Gastgeberin in Düsseldorf per SMS bekam: "Juhu!" - dann war Funkstille.


Maryam Majd hatte einen Traum. Die junge Iranerin wollte zur Fußball-WM der Frauen in Deutschland reisen, die Spielerinnen ablichten und ein Buch über das Turnier herausbringen. Doch in Düsseldorf kam die Fotojournalistin nie an.

ANZEIGE

Genau eine Woche ist es her, dass Petra Landers vergebens am Terminal gewartet hat. Die ehemalige deutsche Fußball-Nationalspielerin hatte Majd eingeladen, die Formalitäten geregelt, das Flugticket gebucht. Doch erst verging eine Stunde, dann noch eine - irgendwann war klar: Die 25-Jährige war nicht an Bord der Maschine aus Teheran. "Das hat mir die Fluggesellschaft dann auch nach wiederholter Nachfrage bestätigt", sagte Landers SPIEGEL ONLINE.
Jeder Versuch der Kontaktaufnahme schlägt fehl. Das Mobiltelefon ist ausgeschaltet, auch auf E-Mails reagiert Majd nicht. "Zunächst dachte ich, sie hätte den Flug verpasst. Aber dann habe ich mir doch langsam Sorgen gemacht", erzählt Landers. Tagelang herrscht Funkstille. Landers, bei der Majd zwei Monate unterkommen sollte, probiert, über Freunde in Iran an Informationen zu kommen. Vergebens.

Erst am Mittwoch dieser Woche wird offiziell, was Landers "insgeheim schon befürchtet hatte". Eine Anwältin in Teheran bestätigt, dass Majd in ein staatliches Gefängnis gebracht wurde. Was ihr vorgeworfen wird, warum der Zugriff so kurz vor ihrer Reise ins Ausland erfolgte, wie lange sie in Gewahrsam bleiben muss - alles noch offene Fragen.

Nur quälend langsam sickern Details über die Festnahme durch. Entgegen ersten Vermutungen geschah die Festnahme wohl nicht am Flughafen, sondern bei Majd zu Hause. Außerdem durfte sie vom Gefängnis aus mit ihrer Familie telefonieren. Was in diesem Gespräch gesagt wurde, ist nicht bekannt. Laut iranischen Menschenrechtsorganisationen übt das Regime in Teheran massiven Druck aus, um den Angehörigen die Kontaktaufnahme mit westlichen Medien zu verbieten.

Steckt Majds Engagement für den Frauensport hinter der Festnahme?

Auch Amnesty International hat sich inzwischen in den Fall eingeschaltet. Man nehme die Berichte aus Iran sehr ernst, hieß es. Für weitere Schritte fehlten aber noch konkrete Informationen.

Doch warum geriet Majd überhaupt in den Fokus der iranischen Sicherheitsbehörden? "Außer ihr gibt es kaum weibliche Sportfotografen in Iran. Dadurch hat sie beinahe exklusiven Zugang zu verschiedenen Frauensportarten", berichtete Exil-Iranerin Shadi Sadr, die eng mit Amnesty International zusammenarbeitet, dem britischen "Guardian".

Demnach habe sich Majd vehement dafür eingesetzt, dass Frauen schon bald Zugang zu iranischen Fußballstadien erhalten sollen. Bisher ist dies mit der Begründung untersagt, dort könnten weibliche Zuschauer Gewalt und rüden Umgangsformen ausgesetzt werden. Verschiedene regimekritische Internetseiten beschreiben sie als Aktivistin. Unter anderen hatte sie an der populären Frauenzeitschrift "Zanan" mitgearbeitet, bis diese 2009, auf Geheiß der Regierung, eingestellt wurde.

Sportlerinnen in Iran sind verpflichtet, sich von Kopf bis Fuß zu bedecken. Internationale Wettkämpfe werden im Land nicht übertragen, weil die gegnerischen Mannschaften zu viel Haut zeigen könnten.

Kontroverse um iranische Fußballerinnen

Anfang Juni war es zum Eklat gekommen, als die Fifa dem iranischen Team die Teilnahme an einem Qualifikationsturnier für Olympia 2012 untersagt hatte. Das Ganzkörpergewand, vor allem aber die Kopftücher seien nicht mit den Regularien des Weltverbands zu vereinbaren, hieß es. Fotos der weinenden Spielerinnen gingen um die Welt, Präsident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad bezeichnete die Fifa-Obersten als "Diktatoren und Kolonialisten".

"Es liegt auf der Hand, dass Maryam Majd aus politischen Gründen festgenommen wurde. Sie und ihre Arbeit stehen für Emanzipation, Gleichheit, Meinungsfreiheit und Pressefreiheit", sagt Volker Beck, menschenrechtspolitischer Sprecher der Grünen. "Die iranischen Behörden sind in der Pflicht, Frau Majd auf freien Fuß zu setzen und ausreisen zu lassen. Sie sollten sich daran erinnern, dass ihr Staat den internationalen Pakt über bürgerliche und politische Rechte ratifiziert hat, der solch ein staatliches Verhalten strikt untersagt", appelliert Beck.

Ein Sprecher des Auswärtigen Amts sagte SPIEGEL ONLINE, man sei "mit dem Fall über die deutsche Botschaft in Teheran befasst und bemühe sich intensiv um eine Aufklärung über den Verbleib von Maryam Majd".

"Mir kommen die Tränen"

ANZEIGE

Petra Landers beschreibt Majd als energische junge Frau, die sich voller Begeisterung auf ihren Einsatz bei der WM in Deutschland vorbereitet habe. "Wir haben uns während meines Iran-Urlaubs im Februar kennengelernt. Dabei ist auch die Idee für ein Buchprojekt entstanden", berichtet die Fußball-Europameisterin von 1989. "Sie ist Fotografin, ich betreibe in Deutschland eine Druckerei, und Grafiker kannten wir auch - so entstand der Plan für ein Fotobuch über die weniger bekannten Mannschaften im Frauenfußball."
Von der Fifa sei Majd für die Spiele der WM akkreditiert gewesen, sie habe sich voller Eifer in die neue Aufgabe gestürzt. "Noch kurz vor dem geplanten Abflugtermin bekam ich eine SMS, in der nur 'Juhu!' stand. Seitdem habe ich nichts mehr gehört."

Für Landers ist die Vorfreude auf das sportliche Großereignis in jedem Fall dahin. "Wenn ich daran denke, dass Maryam während des Eröffnungsspiels statt im Stadion wohl im Gefängnis sitzt - dann kommen mir die Tränen."

More politico-religious abuse in women's sport from... guess who? Ah, you guessed Iran. Too easy!

When will western "feminist" groups stop defending Iranian oppression of women athletes, sports journalists, and sports fans? Sport is for all, sport must be free from interference of priests, pastors, and mullahs! From the Guardian:

An Iranian photojournalist and women's rights activist who campaigned for female football fans to be allowed to enter stadiums has disappeared. Maryam Majd, 25, is feared to have been held by security officials before boarding a flight from Tehran to Düsseldorf, Germany, where she intended to cover the Fifa Women's World Cup.

Petra Landers, a former German national footballer who had invited Majd to join her in a book project about women's sport, said she has not heard from her since Friday when the photographer was scheduled to arrive in Düsseldorf. "I waited for hours in the airport but eventually found that she was not on the plane at the first place," Landers told the Guardian. "The last time I talked to her she was in the airport in Tehran waiting to board the plane and I have not been able to contact her nor her family since then."

Majd specialised in sports photography, although her pictures of female athletes were usually censored in the official media.

Shadi Sadr, a prominent women's rights campaigner living in exile in London, said: "We are almost sure that she has been arrested but the question is why authorities in Iran refuse to give any information about her after five days since her disappearance."

Many opposition figures have been arrested at Tehran airport, especially since the disputed presidential election in 2009.

Majd has been campaigning to allow women to watch football matches in stadiums. Women in Iran are prohibited from entering them amid fears they could face verbal abuse or violence.

"Maryam is one of the very few women sports photographers in Iran and because she is a woman, she has exclusive access to women's sports and had been able to attract lots of attention towards sportswomen in the country," said Sadr.

Sportswomen in Iran are required to cover themselves from head to toe, but despite the restrictions they have been active in international competitions. International games, however, are not broadcast on the state television because they feature foreign women players who are not covered.

Iran's women's football team was banned from an Olympic qualifier recently after Fifa ruled that their full-body strip broke the organisations rules.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the football association "dictators and colonialists" after the move and Iranian sports officials plan to file a complaint against the decision.

Offside, a 2006 Iranian film directed by Jafar Panahi – who has been sentenced to six years in jail and banned from filmmaking for 20 years – features a group of girls attempting to enter a stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying match.