FGG, GLISA suspend project for joint event

Shamey Cramer (FGG),  Dennis Sneyers (FGG),  Wessel van Kampen (GLISA),  Julia Applegate (GLISA), Nelson Lee (GLISA),
Klaus Heusslein (FGG), Daniel Vaudrin (GLISA) represented their organizations at the weekend's meeting hosted by Fierté Montréal Pride.
Also participating were Kurt Dahl for the FGG and legal counsel for both organizations.

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Contact:
Roger Brigham, FGG Board Member At-Large
rbrigham@gaygames.org
+1-510-868-1760

Kurt Dahl, FGG Co-President
kdahl@gaygames.org

FGG, GLISA suspend project for joint event
Goal was a single Gay Games - Outgames event in 2018

San Francisco, CA – (10 May 2012) During the weekend of 5-6 May 2012, representatives of the boards of the international Federation of Gay Games (FGG) and the Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association (GLISA) met in Montreal with the goal of approving a memorandum of understanding for the organization of a joint event in 2018 bringing together the Gay Games and the World Outgames. Such an agreement was not reached by the weekend’s deadline and a subsequent three-day extension.

This was to be the final step in a process that began over two years ago to respond to the desire of stakeholders to provide a single quadrennial LGBT sports and cultural event. “This was a noble effort by both the FGG and GLISA to identify the best way to hold our sports and cultural festivals along with a human rights component in a single combined event for all our constituents,” said FGG Co-President Kurt Dahl.

“We understand each other better,” said Dahl. “Numerous common goals were identified as well as the differences in operations and missions of the two organizations. But ultimately we concluded a mutually satisfactory agreement cannot be reached in time for the 2018 event cycle.”

Great progress was made, including during the Montreal meetings. The parties had reached agreement on issues such as the division of voting rights, governance for site selection and host relations, the time and location of the joint site selection meeting, and even the name of the joint event. The FGG has achieved significant support from its membership on these issues, notably through a series of information and discussion sessions at its most recent annual general assembly held in Toronto in October 2011. There remained, however, significant outstanding issues. These included the financial burden placed on the host. The current Gay Games model has financial risk being shared between the FGG and the host organization, and the FGG board believes it is important to maintain this principle.

Another was the FGG’s belief that the best way for individuals to make an informed choice when voting for site selection is to be physically present at the selection meeting.

A final offer for the proposed combined 2018 event was made in Montreal by the FGG the afternoon of 6 May but was not accepted by GLISA at the end of the extension they proposed.

The FGG hopes to pursue a working relationship with GLISA and discuss the possibility of the organizations merging.

The process of choosing the host of Gay Games X in 2018, previously delayed so as to offer every chance for reaching agreement on a single event, will begin immediately with the publication of a Request For Information (RFI) to be followed by the beginning of July 2012 with a Request For Proposals (RFP).

The host for the 2018 Gay Games will be named in 2013 at the FGG’s site selection and annual general assembly meeting in Cleveland, host of Gay Games 9 in 2014.

For information about the Federation of Gay Games, visit www.gaygames.org.

The ninth edition of the quadrennial Gay Games will be held in Cleveland + Akron, OH August 9-16, 2014. For information about Gay Games IX Cleveland 2014, visit www.2014gaygamescleveland.com.


Read all blog posts on this project for a single quadrennial event HERE.
 
About The Federation of Gay Games:
The international Federation of Gay Games is the governing body the quadrennial Gay Games and promotes the event's founding principles of “Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best”™. The Gay Games was conceived by Dr. Tom Waddell, an Olympic decathlete, and was first held in San Francisco in 1982 with 1,350 participants. Subsequent Gay Games were held in San Francisco (1986 - 3,500 participants), Vancouver (1990 - 7,300 participants), New York (1994 - 12,500 participants), Amsterdam (1998 - 13,000 participants), Sydney (2002 - 11,000 participants), Chicago (2006 - 11,700 participants), and Cologne, (2010 – 10,000 participants). Gay Games IX will be held in Cleveland, OH 9-16 August 2014.

“Gay Games”, “Federation of Gay Games”, the interlocking circles device, and the phrase “Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best” are trademarks of the Federation of Gay Games, Inc. Trademarks are registered in the USA, Canada, Benelux, the UK, Germany and Australia.