Featured events


7-9 September 2012
Brussels Games
Brussels

Brussels Gay Sports will offer a weekend of fun and fairplay in the capital of Europe, with volleyball, swimming, badminton, and tennis, as well as fitness and hiking.

Learn more HERE.
26-28 October 2012
QueergamesBern
Bern, Switzerland

The success of the first edition of the QueergamesBern proved the need for an LGBT multisport event in Switzerland. This year will be even bigger, with badminton, bowling, running, walking, floorball.

Learn more HERE.
17-20 January 2013
Sin City Shootout
Las Vegas
The 7th Sin City Shootout will feature softball, ice hockey, tennis, wrestling, basketball, dodgeball, bodybuilding and basketball.

Learn more HERE.

13-16 June 2013
IGLFA Euro Cup
Dublin
After this year's edition in Budapest at the EuroGames, the IGLFA Euro Cup heads to Dublin for 2013, hosted by the Dublin Devils and the Dublin Phoenix Tigers.

Learn more HERE.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Reactions to the exclusion of men from international synchronized swimming

The issue of the ban on men in international synchronized swimming competitions has generated some reactions:

Shamey Cramer, who is a delegate from the FGG at the IOC Women and Sport conference currently underway in Los Angeles, writes:


It was noted at the Women and Sport conference tonight that Synchro Swimming will be the ONLY sport that does not have gender equity at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Very sad statement, indeed -- even women Olympians and administrators are confounded by FINA's old-world stubbornness.

We published the following on Le Nouvel Observateur' article:

The paradox is that LGBT sport is often accused of creating "ghettos". But with a few regrettable exceptions (in particular in the USA, in men's softball and men's flag football), the fundamental principle of LGBT sport is openness, in the spirit of the Olympic charter's commitment to "sport for all".

With Synchronized Swimming, we see a strong example of this principle. A man who wants to practice this sport internationally can only do so in LGBT competitions such as the Gay Games or IGLA international championships.

Events like the Gay Games are a laboratory for innovation and openness in sport, one that goes beyond the issue of men's participation in synchronized swimming. They included women's wrestling years before the sport joined the Olympics, and include same-sex pairs in sports like dancesport, figure skating and bodybuilding, where mainstream sport continues to reject them.

A message to the Olympic movement, including FINA: to respect the universality of your Charter, stop sex discrimination, react to the exclusion of women from sport in the name of "tradition", maintain the protection of women's participation from religious pressure.



Le paradoxe c'est que le sport LGBT est souvent accusé de créer des "ghettos". Or, avec quelques regrettables exceptions (notamment aux Etats Unis lors des championnats de softball gay et de football américain), le principe de base du sport LGBT est l'ouverture, selon le principe olympique du "sport pour tous".

Avec la natation synchronisée nous voyons une manifestation forte de ce principe : un homme qui veut pratiquer ce sport au niveau international ne peut le faire que dans des compétitions LGBT, comme les Gay Games ou les championnats de la fédération affinitaire IGLA.

Des évènements comme les Gay Games sont un laboratoire pour l'innovation et l'ouverture dans le sport qui dépasse la participation masculine à la natation synchronisée. On y a trouvé la lutte féminine de nombreuses années avant qu'elle n'entre aux JO, on y trouve des couples du même sexe dans des sports comme la danse sportive, le patinage artistique, et le culturisme, des sports où cette formule reste interdite dans des compétitions "normales".

Un message du sport LGBT au grand mouvement olympique, dont fait partie FINA : pour respecter le message d'universalité de votre charte, arrêter la discrimination du genre, réagir à l'exclusion des femmes au nom de la tradition, maintenir la protection de la participation féminine de pressions religieuses.

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