The Federation of Gay Games and London and Paris synchronized swimming clubs appeal to IOC and FINA for equal treatment

We are writing to remind you of the principles of the Olympic Charter which state that “any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.”

Despite this noble principle, the Olympics continue to see discrimination between men and women in regard to the disciplines proposed to athletes. For the most part, this discrimination has affected women athletes, and great progress has been made in this area. But in at least one sport, it is men who are victims of this discrimination, which is no less intolerable than that aimed at women.

We are speaking of synchronized swimming, a sport with a long history of men's participation, and which is growing in number and quality of participants.

Despite the goals announced by British Olympic authorities to make the 2012 Summer Olympics a place for true equality, men will remain excluded from this discipline in London.

We are calling on you to act promptly to offer men synchronized swimmers the opportunity to compete – or at the very least participate in some fashion, in this summer's Olympic Games, to plan for full participation of men at future Olympics, and to open FINA international championships to men.