Meet Melbourne's Jennifer Forward, the latest member of the FGG Board of Directors

The FGG is happy to welcome it newest member of the Board of Directors, Jennifer Forward from Melbourne, Australia. Jennifer has been a basketball player and official for some 15 years, with a long history of involvement in LGBT sport, including participation in Gay Games VI in Sydney, Gay Games VII in Chicago, Gay Games VIII in Cologne, and the 2006 Outgames. We'll let her present herself to you:

I first heard about the Gay Games late in 2001, and was excited that Gay Games VI were to take place in Australia. I ended up officiating for basketball, and celebrated my 22nd birthday on the closing night of the Games with referees from all over the world that I had never met before. It was amazing to see Sydney covered in Gay Games banners, to meet other queer officials, and see people enjoying social and competitive sport in different languages and from so many different angles. I immediately began four years of planning for the 2006 Gay Games, with the goal of playing as well as officiating. I returned to Melbourne where I was busy officiating, coaching and managing a mainly queer women’s basketball team, and playing basketball and soccer, as well as getting involved with FGG-member Queer Sports Alliance of Melbourne (QSAM).

I registered as an individual basketball player for the Gay Games VII in Chicago, but was soon organising a random group of Aussies and Americans to meet up and play in Chicago. This was my first trip outside of Australia. I spent the long hot days (you remember the Gay Games VII heatwave!) refereeing and playing from early in the morning until late in the afternoon, and loving every minute. I then repeated the operation with a group of Dutch girls at the Outgames in Montreal. The sports experience didn't stop: I travelled to London to visit my brother with a newfound friend (a gay Aussie bloke who had competed in powerlifting in Chicago and Montreal). While there, I was invited by the a couple of girls from the London Cruisers, a lesbian basketball team, to join some Spanish Girls in the Panteres Grogues competition in Barcelona.

I had such a great time that I decided to do it all again in Cologne in 2010, refereeing and playing basketball with "Mixed Zone", a ragtag bunch of German, American and Dutch players. For the first time I travelled with my partner, a cyclist (and later, after a few Mixed Zone injuries, a basketball player). I experienced the Gay Games anew through the eyes of my partner, from borrowing a bike from a complete stranger on the morning of the competition, to winning a silver medal, and the delightful random encounters and meeting new friends from all over the world. Seeing again what I held felt eight years earlier motivated me to help others share this experience, and to get further involved in the Gay Games.

I have been playing, refereeing, and coaching basketball for over fifteen years, and have played indoor and outdoor football (soccer), hockey, touch football, Aussie rules football, and a number of other sports along the way. Every sport and competition I have played has had a driving force of volunteers behind it. Whilst I have volunteered for as long as I have been involved in sport I felt it was time to step up and become part of the driving force behind the Gay Games. With a strong history in Industrial Relations (a Master’s degree in Workplace Relations and Employment Law and several years experience within the public service and several industrial Unions and Employer Organisations), I felt that I could brings my skills in personnel issues to the Board as an officer at large in charge of People Management, focusing on developing human resources for the board and managing the essential volunteer pool.

As we work toward Gay Games IX and plan for one quadrennial event in 2018, I'm excited by the challenges and opportunities for the Federation and the Gay Games movement, and am glad to be part of this adventure with our FGG Delegates and Volunteers!

Contact Jennifer at jforward@gaygames.org.

FGG Board and Assembly meeting sites announced

Fernando Carvajal and FGG coordinator for the Santiago meeting, Derek Liecty

During the Federation of Gay Games' Annual General Assembly in Cologne, Germany, the FGG announced the Board's proposals for sites for upcoming meetings.

Following the proposal made at the 2009 Annual General Assembly by Fernando Carvajal of member organization MovDeInChile to host a Federation meeting in Santiago de Chile, the Board is proposing to hold its mid-year meeting there in Spring of 2011. Dlegates from member organizations and other interested parties are welcome to be part of this event, which will also include a conference with LGBT sport and culture leaders from all of Latin America.

As for the 2011 Annual General Assembly, the Board is proposing that it be held in the Autumn of 2011 in Toronto, Canada. Other locations already determined for future meetings include Cleveland for the 2013 Annual General Assembly, per FGG custom of holding its Assembly meeting in the host city of the Gay Games in the year preceding the event.

2010 Federation of Gay Games Annual General Assembly

This year, for the first time, the FGG Annual General Assembly took place the day after Closing Ceremony, allowing for a large number of delegates to attend, and avoiding unnecessary travel costs that would be incurred by holding the meeting at the usual October-November date.

On the highly condensed agenda of the meeting, after confirmation of new member organizations, were elections to the Board of Directors, reports and discussions on important issues for the FGG, and a variety of motions, including ones committing the FGG to a process of consultation and on-going discussions with the goal of a single quadrennial event in 2018.

How many phones does an FGG co-president need?

During one of the many meeting of the FGG Board of Directors, Emy Ritt takes the floor, while Kurt Dahl keeps an eye on his three mobile phones.

New members join FGG board of directors

Kathleen McGuire

At the Federation of Gay Games Annual General Assembly held today in Cologne, the delegates of the FGG member organizations elected or re-elected a number of directors.

Male Co-President: Kurt Dahl* (Chicago)
Vice-President External Affairs: Kate Rowe* (Sydney)
Treasurer: Alan Lessik* (San Francisco)
Secretary: Sean Fitzgerald* (Atlanta), incumbent
Officer for Communication: Kelly Stevens* (Seattle)
Officer for Development: Robby Davis (Seattle), formerly Officer for Culture
Officer for Sport: Bettina Dietmann-Winter (Munich)
Officer for Technology: Gene Germody (San Francisco)
Officer for Culture: Dr. Kathleen McGuire (San Francisco)
Officer at Large, in charge of Procurement: Klaus Heusslein (Milan)
Officer at Large: Sébastien Datiche (Tours), formerly Officer for Sport

Every effort will be made to offer the candidates who were not elected the opportunity to make their talents available for the advancement of the FGG mission.

They join the following officers whose terms continue until the next AGA, to be held in Autumn 2011 in Toronto:

Emy Ritt (Paris), Female Co-President
Jon Baldan (Sydney), Vice President – Operations
Laura Moore (New York City), Vice President - Diversity
Paul Oostenbrug (Chicago), Vice President – Membership
Doug Litwin (San Francisco), Officer – Marketing
Marc Naimark (Paris), Officer - Sports
Paul White (Sydney), Officer - International Development
Dennis Sneyers (Chicago), Officer – Site Selection
Martyn Pickup (Berlin), Officer at Large
Sonia Abecassis (Paris), Officer at Large

New members offer a wealth of experience to the FGG Board. Bettina Dietmann-Winter is currently a co-chair of the FGG Sports Committee, and a member of the Board of Team Muenchen. Gene Dermody is a former FGG president and chair of Sports and Technology Committees. Dr. Kathleen McGuire is the artistic director and conductor of the San Francisco Gay Men's Choir. Klaus Heusslein is currently president of the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association.

Not returning to the Board are Israel Wright (Chicago) and Darl Schaaff (Anchorage). The FGG thanks them for their service to the Board, and hopes that they will continue to further the mission of the FGG and the Gay Games movement.



*Incumbent

Athletes, musicians, and board members

At Thursday's Gala Concert closing the music program of Gay Games VIII, we had the pleasure of hearing Emy Ritt playing second violin in the Games Cologne Orchestra, and Doug Litwin playing clarinet in the Team Band ensemble.

In addition to their duties on the board of directors of the FGG, where Emy serves as co-president and Doug as Officer for Marketing, they are also Gay Games athletes, with Emy attempting valiantly to sail a bit at Roermond, and Doug succeeding in bowling, where he took a silver medal.

Opening Ceremony speeches

The following speeches were made by FGG co-presidents at the Opening Ceremony of Gay Games VIII on 31 August 2010 at RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne.

EMY RITT

Greetings, Sports Fans,
Greetings, Culture Fans,
Greetings, Cologne !

Welcome to a Celebration of Freedom !

It is so great to be here with you all.

Tonight, we are graced with the presence of

Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Doctor Guido Westerwelle,

Stadt-Secretaire Schaeffer and Stadt-Secretaire Brederhost
representing the Land North Rhine Westphalia

the Lord Mayor of Cologne, Herr Jeurgen Roters

the Co-Presidents of Games Cologne, Frau Annette Wachter und Herr Michael Lohaus,

On behalf of the Federation of Gay Games, we thank you and the City of Cologne, and the entire Games Cologne team, from the bottom of our hearts.

This is the first time that the Gay Games has had such a distinguished dignitary as its patron, and we are very grateful to Vice-Chancellor Westerwelle for his support.

And so, we say to all of you:

Unsere Freunden in Koeln und in Deutchland, Vielen Dank fur Ihre ZusammenArbeit fur die Gay Games
und auch vielen Dank fur Ihre Arbeit und Ihre Erröffnung seit vielen Jaren und vielen Monaden.

Wir sind zehr stolz auf Sie. We are very proud of you.Viva Colonia !

FGG Board of Directors check in

The Board of Directors of the Federation of Gay Games is made up of volunteers located on three continents. They meet monthly by teleconference, and some meet more often for various committee and task force projects, but the opportunity to meet face to face is far too rare. So prior to an official board meeting tomorrow, board members already in Cologne met up at the Pullman Hotel to share their first impressions. Those who had already been to accreditation shared their pleasure at how fast and efficiently it went.

FGG at Budapest Pride

Heeding the call of the EGLSF to support plans for EuroGames 2012 in Budapest after recent parliamentary elections brought to power a government less favorable to LGBT issues, FGG Officer for Ceremonies Darl Schaaff attended the Budapest Pride parade. Here is a brief report from Darl on the parade and the party that followed.

This summer I've attended Pride parades in Berlin, with an estimated 850,000 people watching and participating, and in Cologne, with an estimated one million people in attendance. So it was fascinating to take part in the Pride parade in Budapest, among only about 100 marchers and a small but enthusiastic crowd watching.

The Berlin parade and the Cologne parade each took hours to complete. In Budapest it was a matter of blocks and minutes. Better attended was the closing party, held at a night club with a few hundred people. What struck me was the sheer volume of police assigned to watch the party venue. At any time there were a minimum of 8 to 12 uniformed officers on the streets around the club.

FGG supports Budapest Pride

This weekend sees the opening of Budapest Pride (info HERE). Following the recent parliamentary elections in Hungary, a majority less favorable to LGBT issues took office. In order to show our support for the Hungarian LGBT community, and in particular, for their efforts to organize the 2012 EuroGames (Facebook group HERE), the FGG will be present at the Saturday 10 July Pride March.

Board members Sonia Abecassis and Darl Schaaff would love to meet you there. In particular, we ask any FGG member or partner organizations to contact Sonia and Darl at sabecassis@gaygames.org and dschaaff@gaygames.org to let them know you'll be there. You may also want to inform the EGLSF via Lou Englefield at louise@eglsf.info of your support.

Auf Deutsch / En français / FGG Board of Directors affirms support for a single event in 2018

Co-presidents Kurt Dahl, & Emy Ritt (FGG), Julia Applegate & Wessel van Kampen (GLISA)*

(German version HERE and French version HERE)

San Francisco – (17 March 2010) The Federation of Gay Games board would like to issue these statements with joy and unanimous support from the board of directors.

Following a meeting of the Co-Presidents of the Federation of Gay Games and GLISA on 5 March 2010, in Manchester, UK, to discuss the future of worldwide LGBT sport and culture, the FGG Board affirms that one quadrennial event in 2018 is our goal.

Sports, Culture, and Human Rights will be components of the 2018 event, as they have been in the past.

We see a number of steps needed to move in this direction. The FGG's priority is a successful Gay Games VIII, to which GLISA has been invited to participate. After Cologne, more discussions and collaboration are needed between the two organizations and the members and communities which we all represent. A joint working group will be set up between the two organizations to continue the discussions required to carry out our intended goal of one quadrennial event in 2018.

We recognize that this is an important step to ensure that the legacy of global LGBT sports and culture continues to flourish.

With regard to the above statement, FGG co-president Kurt Dahl (Chicago) expressed his gratitude to the Board of Directors of the FGG, who recognized the important progress accomplished in Manchester as part of the ongoing process of discussions held between the two organizations with input from our members and the wider community: “We have heard the calls for a single quadrennial event and sought to achieve this goal to better serve our mission of promoting equality. We look forward to the first step in this new chapter, with the presence of GLISA at Gay Games VIII, which has received the enthusiastic support from our host organization, Games Cologne.”

Co-presidents Emy Ritt & Kurt Dahl (FGG), Julia Applegate & Wessel van Kampen (GLISA)*

Der Vorstand der Gay Games verspricht ein einziges LGBT-Event für das jahr 2018

Die FGG bestätigt ihr Objektiv eines gemeinsamen, alle 4 Jahre stattfindenden Events.

San Francisco – (17. März 2010) Der Vorstand der internationalen Federation of Gay Games –unter Einstimmigkeit all ihrer Mitglieder- freut sich bekanntzugeben:

Im Anschluss an eine Versammlung der Co-Präsidenten von FGG und GLISA am 5. März 2010 in Manchester/UK, bei der über die weltweite Zukunft von LGBT-Sport & Kultur diskutiert wurde, bestätigt der Vorstand, dass ab 2018 die Organisation eines einzigen, alle 4 Jahre stattfindenden Events angestrebt wird.

Sport, Kultur und Menschenrechtsfragen werden auch 2018 hauptsächliche Komponenten der Veranstaltungen sein, wie das schon in der Vergangenheit der Fall war.

Zur Erreichung unseres Zieles sind eine gewisse Anzahl von Etappen notwendig.

Augenblickliche Priorität der FGG ist das Gelingen der Gay Games in Köln; die GLISA wurde zur Teilnahme eingeladen.

Anschliessend an Köln sollen zwischen den beiden Organisationen, sowie den Mitgliedern und Gemeinschaften, die wir jeweils vertreten, weitere Gespräche und eine aktive Zusammenarbeit stattfinden.

Eine gemeinsame Arbeitsgruppe, bestehend aus Mitgliedern beider Organisationen, macht sich zum Ziel, die für die Realisierung unseres für 2018 geplanten Objektivs einer einzigen, gemeinsamen, je vierjährigen Veranstaltung unerlässlichen Diskussionen zu führen.

Zweifellos ist dies ein bedeutender Schritt für die Erhaltung, die Kontinuität und den Erfolg der LGBT-Kultur und des LGBT-Sports weltweit.

Bezügl. des obigen Beschlusses drückte FGG Co-Präsident Kurt Dahl (Chicago) dem Vorstand der FGG seine Dankbarkeit aus. Er hob den entscheidenden Fortschritt in Manchester heraus als Teil eines kontinuierlichen Gesprächsprozesses zwischen den beiden Organisationen, unter Einbeziehung von Beiträgen ihrer Mitglieder und der Community: “Wir haben den Wunsch nach einem einzigen, alle vier Jahre stattfindenden Event vernommen und uns die Frage gestellt, wie wir unserer Mission für mehr Gleichheit besser gerecht werden können. Wir freuen uns auf den ersten Schritt, auf dieses neue Kapitel, beginnend mit der Teilnahme der GLISA an den Gay Games VIII, welche von unserem Gastgeber, den Games Cologne, enthusiastisch begrüsst wurde.

FGG co-presidents Kurt Dahl & Emy Ritt*

Le Conseil d’administration de la Fédération internationale des Gay Games affirme son soutien pour une manifestation unique

La FGG s’engage sur l’objectif d’une seule manifestation sportive et culturelle quadriennale en 2018.


San Francisco – (17 mars 2010) Le Conseil d’administration de la Fédération internationale des Gay Games (FGG) a l’immense plaisir de faire la déclaration suivante, qui a reçu le soutien unanime de ses administrateurs.

A la suite de la rencontre du 5 mars 2010 à Manchester (Royaume-Uni) des co-présidents de la Fédération internationale des Gay Games et la GLISA, destinée à discuter de l’avenir du sport et de la culture LGBT dans le mode, le Conseil d’administration de la FGG affirme qu’il vise la tenue d’une seule manifestation quadriennale à partir de 2018.

Le sport, la culture, et les droits de l’homme seront des composants de cette manifestation de 2018, comme ils l’ont été par le passé.

Nous voyons un certain nombre d’étapes critiques pour parvenir à ce but.

La priorité actuelle de la FGG est la réussite des Gay Games VIII, auxquels la GLISA a été invitée de participer.

A la suite de ces jeux, de plus amples discussions et collaborations seront nécessaires entre les deux organisations et les membres des communautés que nous représentons.

Un groupe de travail conjoint sera mis en place par les deux organisations pour entreprendre les discussions requises pour réaliser notre objectif commun d’une manifestation unique en 2018.

Nous reconnaissons que ceci représente un pas important pour assurer la poursuite et la continuité de l’héritage du mouvement sportif et culturel LGBT mondial.

A propos de la déclaration ci dessus, Kurt Dahl (Chicago) co-président de la FGG, a exprimé sa gratitude envers le Conseil d'administration de la FGG, qui a reconnu le progrès important réalisé à Manchester comme la suite logique du processus de discussions entamé entre les deux organisations, avec les contributions de nos organisations membres et la communauté en général. "Nous avons entendu les appels pour une manifestation quadriennale unique, avons tenté de réaliser cet objectif afin de mieux respecter notre mission de promouvoir l'égalité. Nous anticipons avec plaisir le premier pas dans ce nouveau chapitre, avec la présence de GLISA aux Gay Games VIII, ce qui a reçu un soutien enthousiaste de notre comité d'organisation Games Cologne.

*Photos Manchester Pride Sports

New FGG Development Officer named

The FGG is pleased to announce that Gilbert López, Jr. will be joining the board of directors as Officer for Development.

Gilbert is a native of Los Angeles where he continues to live. He has over 15 years of experience in fundraising and non-profit management, with expertise in operations, donor relations, marketing, public relations, event coordination, and strategic planning.

Watch Didier Digneffe on RTBF's Studio 1

New FGG board member Didier Digneffe will appear on the Belgian TV channel "La Deux" Studio 1 Tribune football program Monday evening, 20.00 CET, to talk about refereeing (and maybe about the Gay Games?). Follow the show online HERE. Mais ce sera en français, alors...

FGG Board Elections - 45% from Europe and Australia

Following the recent FGG Board elections, 45% of board members reside in Europe or Australia. This is the result of a concerted effort to broaden the scope and representation of FGG Board members. The parity between female and male board members is 20%.

- 45% ( 9 of 20) reside in Europe or Australia.
- 55% (11 of 20) reside in North America.

- 20% ( 4 of 20) are women
- 80% (16 of 20) are men

Europe
Belgium
Officer at Large: Didier Diffegne

France
Co-President: Emy Ritt
Officer Sports 2: Marc Naimark
Officer at Large: Sonia Abécassis
Officer at Large: Sébastien Datiche

Germany
Officer at Large: Martyn Pickup

Pacific Rim
Australia
VP Operations: Jon Baldan
VP External Relations: Kate Rowe
Officer International Development: Paul White

North America
Anchorage
Officer Ceremonies: Darl Schaaff

Atlanta
Secretary: Sean Fitzgerald

Chicago
Co-President & VP Host Relations: Kurt Dahl
VP Membership: Paul Oostenbrug
Officer Technology: Israel Wright
Officer Site Selection: Dennis Sneyers

New York
VP Diversity: Laura Moore

San Francisco
Treasurer: Alan Lessik
Officer Marketing: Doug Litwin

Seattle
Officer Culture: Robbie Davis
Officer Communications: Kelly Stevens

Venue visits cap a successful 2009 Annual Meeting

If the Federation of Gay Games requests that the host of Gay Games organize its Annual Meeting in their city in the year prior to the Games, it is in large part to allow the delegates pressent to visit the venues planned for their sport and culture events, to express concerns and make suggestions, and to return to the organizations and communities they represent confident that next year's Games will be a success.

These tasks were carried out to the great satisfaction of all involved, both representatives from the FGG Board and Assembly, and the staff and volunteers of Games Cologne. Friday's visits focused on the Sportpark Muengersdorf, the site for the great majority of Gay Games VIII sports.



Sportpark Muengersdorf is a 14-minute tram ride from Rudolfplatz, in the heart of a major gay neighborhood, and the planned site for a Gay Games VIII village.


"Herding cats"


Annette Wachter describes the entry of participants into RheinEnergieStadion for Opening Ceremony.


In the Opening Ceremony configuration, RheinEnergieStadion has a capacity of 38,000.


Plans are not finalized, but Annette was able to provide a great deal of information about the potential of the RheinEnergieStadion.


Major renovation work is underway on the main swimming pool to make it compliant with international standards.


Work will be complete by March for this venue which will be used for Swimming and Pink Flamingo.


In the fields behind the RheinEnergieStadion is plenty of space for football pitches and temporary softball fields. In the rolling wooded area beyond, Mountain Bike and the Road Races will take place.


A bit of impromptu Beach Volleyball at the Playa in Colonia, with Games Cologne Volleyball sports manager Ludger, Fernando of MovdeinChile, and Michael and Bob from the Cleveland Synergy Foundation (Cleveland Synergy Foundation started out as an organization to promote and organize volleyball tournaments).


Andrea, Games Cologne manager for Martial Arts, presenting the beautiful venue for Martial Arts in Gay Games VIII.


The two indoor pools of the Swimming Center will host Synchronized Swimming, Diving, and Water Polo.


NetCologneStadion is a recently built venue to be used for Track and Field, and for Football finals.


The venue for Powerlifting was chosen because of its floor surface that won't be damaged by the movement of weights and other equipment used.


The main gymnasium can be divided as needed for Volleyball, Handball, Basketball, and other sports.

In addition to sport venues, they were able to visit some of the catering facilities, which include the Mensas, or student dining halls, which will offer meals for less than 5 euros during the Games. FGG representatives participating in the site visit were delighted with the venues they saw and the sports managers they were able to meet.

New board of directors for Federation of Gay Games

Many familiar faces, and more than a few new ones can be found on the board that takes office at the end of the 2009 FGG Annual Meeting....

Female co-president: Emy Ritt (Paris)
Male co-president and VP host relations: Kurt Dahl (Chicago)
Secretary: Sean Fitzgerald (Atlanta)
Treasurer: Alan Lessik (San Francisco)
VP Diversity: Laura Moore (New York)
VP External Relations: Kate Rowe (Sydney)
VP Membership: Paul Oostenbrug (Chicagoà
VP Operations: Jon Baldan (Sydney)

Officer Site Selection: Dennis Sneyers (Chicago)
Officer Marketing: Doug Litwin (San Francisco)
Officer Communications: Kelly Stevens (Seattle)
Officer Sports 1: Vacant
Officer Sports 2: Marc Naimark (Paris)
Officer Culture: Robbie Davis (Seattle)
Officer Ceremonies: Darl Schaaff (Anchorage)
Officer Technology: Israel Wright (Chicago)
Officer Development: Vacant
Officier International Membership Development: Paul White (Sydney)
In addition, four members-at-large were elected:
Sonia Abécassis (Paris)
Sébastien Datiche (Paris)
Didier Diffegne (Liège)
Martyn Pickup (Berlin)

In other elections, Erin Frawley (Boston) and Kyle Chang (Chicago) were designated as FGG Assembly delegates to the Tom Waddell Award selection committee.

Coming up at Federation of Gay Games Annual Meeting

Thursday will be the second day of the regular sessions of the FGG Annual Meeting. The day will be largely devoted to bylaw and board elections.

Bylaws to be proposed for approval by the Assembly aim to offer the FGG Board of Directors greater flexibility for organizing its meetings and other operations. A majority of board positions will be subject to a vote by the Assembly, with all current board members having submitted applications to return to the board.

Two year positions to be filled and their current occupants are Female Co-President (Emy Ritt, Paris), Female Vice President - Diversity (Laura Moore, New York), Vice President - Operations (Jon Baldan, Sydney), Vice President - Membership (Paul Oostenbrug, Chicago), Officer - Marketing (Doug Litwin, San Francisco), Officer - Sports 2 (Marc Naimark, Paris), Officer - International Development (Paul White, Sydney), Officer - Site Selection (Darl Schaaff, Anchorage), Officer - Development (vacant), Officer – Ceremonies (Robby Davis, Seattle). One-year positions for male co-president (Kurt Dahl, Chicago) and for VP External Affairs (Kate Rowe, Sydney) are also to be confirmed.
A number of applications for member at large have been received. The FGG Board is pleased to see this interest in new members, and is looking forward to working to expanding its range of skills and its capacity to manage the major projects it faces in the coming months.

Friday will be devoted to a morning session open to all on the subject of the Future of LGBT Sport and Culture, following the successful session on this subject run by the FGG during the 2009 World Outgames human rights conference. In the afternoon, sports managers for Games Cologne will show FGG delegates and sports coordinators the venues for Gay Games VIII at Sportpark Muengersdorf.

The board elected on Thursday will meet for the first time on Saturday morning, with a session devoted to new host Cleveland Synergy Foundation.

FGG Co-President speaks to Windy City Times on Gay Games VIII and IX

WCT talks with Kurt Dahl, the Federation of Gay Games male Co-President, about the 2010 Games in Cologne, Germany (above).

There was, initially, interest from 14 cities to host the 2014 Gay Games. Four of them actually expressed interest in sending in letters of intent to bid, and three did: Cleveland, Boston and Washington, D.C.

The winner will be announced Sept. 29 in Cologne, site of the 2010 Games.

The Federation of Gay Games ( FGG ) received three very strong bids, according to Kurt Dahl, the FGG male co-president and vice president of host relations. "The voters will determine which bid is best for the Gay Games movement," he said. Each FGG board member has one vote and each full member organization of the general assembly has two votes. The winning city is scheduled to be announced at 6:30 p.m. Cologne time.

Continue reading HERE.