Chicago 2006 Gay Games Announces “Sports Equality Day” – 14 July 2006
CHICAGO, IL –
Chicago, IL - Chicago Games, Inc (CGI), the host organization of Gay Games VII, the Federation of Gay Games (FGG), and the Gay and Lesbian Athletic Foundation (GLAF) announced today a partnership to organize a series of workshops and educational seminars on issues of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people in sports. The workshops will be held in conjunction with the 2006 Gay Games that takes place in Chicago from 15-22 July.
With an overall title "Sports Equality Day," the workshops will focus primarily on aspects of sports for younger and collegiate LGBT athletes, and the state of the LGBT sports movement in areas of the world with relatively large potential for development.
"GLAF is honored to be selected as a preferred partner organization of the FGG and the upcoming Chicago Gay Games 2006,” said O. Mac Chinsomboon, Executive Director of GLAF. “From our inception, the FGG has supported GLAF in our mission to create equality on the playing field. The FGG has been a sponsor of past GLAF forums, where intellectual discussion, debate and education have provided valuable networking opportunities among athletes in Olympic, professional, amateur, recreational, collegiate, and high school athletics communities."
In 2003 and 2004, GLAF organized two very successful conferences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology about the issues of gays and lesbians in sports, and FGG officials said working with GLAF representatives again for 2006 will advance these issues further.
"This kind of partnership between a Gay Games host and another organization like GLAF is precisely what the FGG advocates in our position paper ‘The Image of the Gay Games’ that we published in 2003," said Roberto Mantaci, co-president of the FGG. "There are a lot of existing groups like GLAF that can play a valuable role in the success of the Gay Games and this is an effective way for them to do so in Chicago."
"With thousands of LGBT athletes as well as other individuals interested in the LGBT sports movement converging in Chicago during the week of the Gay Games, CGI is pleased to provide the opportunity for such a forum," said Suzi Arnold, co-chair of CGI. "We will also add new features to the Gay Games VII on-line registration system to include registration for the workshops."
CGI is in close partnership with several area universities offering logistical support through use of their facilities and assistance tapping into the many local youth and collegiate LGBT programs. These universities are expected to play a key support role for the "Sports Equality Day" workshops.
"The Gay Games started the LGBT sports movement, which is now a topic of research of many scholars working in the fields of sociology, philosophy and other human sciences," said Philippe Liotard, associate professor at the University of Lyon, France. Mr. Liotard is one of several researchers and academicians who will participate on the steering committee for the workshops. He said, "I look forward to being in Chicago during the week of the Gay Games to deepen my research and have the opportunity to meet with other colleagues to discuss our work in similar areas."
Program
GLAF/FGG/Chicago has established a Chicago GLAF Steering Committee that has been designated to organize a series of workshops and educational seminars on issues of gays, lesbians, bisexual and trangender people in sports, to be held in conjunction with the 2006 Gay Games that takes place in Chicago from 15-22 July. These educational seminars and workshops will take place on a day dubbed “Sports Equality Day”, Friday, July 14 2006, a day prior to opening ceremonies.
The seminars will focus primarily on aspects of sports for younger and collegiate LGBT athletes and the state of the LGBT sports movement in areas of the world with relatively large potential for development.
“GLAF is honored to be selected as a preferred partner organization of the FGG and upcoming Chicago Gay Games 2006”, said O. Mac Chinsomboon, Executive Director of GLAF. “From our inception, the FGG has supported GLAF on our mission to create equality on the playing field, and as a sponsor of GLAF forums for intellectual discussion, debate, education, and networking among athletes in Olympic, professional, amateur, recreational, collegiate, and high school athletics communities.”
PROGRAMMING
10:30am Registration
10:45am - 12 noon
Youth sports: Not what your parents were thinking of, or is it?
Panelists: Bridget White, Head Volleyball Coach, Kean University, Dave Lohse, Associate Athletic Communications Director, University of North Carolina
This workshop will explore today's meaning of "Sport" and "LGBT Sport." Ever since the founding of the Gay Games, there are now several generations of participants at the games. There exist many leagues that have traditionally been defined as gay but also have a growing number of non-gay players. These are friends of the LGBT people, friends of friends, athletes that like to compete in a non-discriminating environment free of any bias, and just people looking for good old-fashioned competition. At the high school and collegiate levels, the needs of our youth are different, though there are still many challenges. Are the needs of the today's young athletes the same as those for that have been involved with the initial movement? This panel will discuss the new reality as it exists for all of us in sport. We'll explore several generations including high school, Collegiate, Olympic, professional, and recreational sport genres.
We'll also touch upon questions such as: Does sport build character? As a young athlete that's LGBT, how do I compete? How can a youth sport coach become a true mentor? How can my son and daughter get the most out of their sport experience? Can sport be created in a manner that promotes positive youth development? What about human resources for professional sports leagues -- do they handle it at all? Come network and share ideas with the leading sport psychology and youth development experts in the world. Whether you're a parent, student, sport psychologist, educator, coach, researcher, community leader, or youth development specialist, you will find plenty of valuable information, while enjoying interactive presentations.
12:30pm-1pm
Keynote/Q&A with Esera Tuaolo
Born of Samoan descent in Hawaii, Tuaolo was quick, 280-pound (127-kilo) defensive tackle, playing for nine years in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons. He played in the Super Bowl in 1998. He retired from the NFL in 1999 and came out in late 2002, bcoming a prominent spokesperson for numerous LGBT causes. In 2003 he spoke to nearly 200 NFL employees in New York on the topic of being a gay man in sports. Esera was the first player to perform the national anthem at a nationally televised football game, and he released a CD, First Christmas, in 2004. He is a Gay Games ambassador and he will sing at the Opening Ceremony at Soldier Field.
1pm-1:30pm
Keynote/QA with Leigh-Ann Nadoo
Naidoo is the first member of the Gay Games Ambassador program from Africa. She lives in Cape Town, South Africa, after a short time living in Chicago with her partner. In 2004 she was a member of the first African team to compete in beach volleyball at the Olympic Games. Her father, Derrick, was president of South Africa's first non-racial volleyball organization. Before beach volleyball, she competed in athletics (javelin, shot put and discus), tennis, soccer and softball.
1:45pm- 3:00pm
Where in the World is Sport?
In many places around the world, the LGBT movement (perceived or otherwise) is light years ahead of other countries. There's pro-LGBT in many western European countries and in the United States, yet often times there's still a backlash in very specific communities in these countries. Is the United States as progressive as many think? What about other parts of the world like Africa or South America, and elsewhere? Is the LGBT sports movement in outreach countries just "some years behind"? Can LGBT sport movement in these countries just look at the example of North American and European groups? Or is it the context so different that adjustments in the strategy of development of LGBT sports are necessary? How can we best foster the development of LGBT sport in this countries? Money or knowledge and expertise? And if money, is the allocation of scholarships to individuals to help them participate in a Gay Games (or other event) the best way to help? Or should this money be rather donated to local groups to realize local projects?
3:15pm-4:30pm
It Takes A Team! Educational Campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Sport
Lindsey Cardin, Women in Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports Foundation is committed to creating an athletic climate that is respectful and safe for all people and eliminating barriers to all girls being active and healthy. It Takes A Team! is an education project focused on eliminating homophobia as a barrier to all women and men participating in sport. Lindsey Cardin is the Project Coordinator at the Women's Sports Foundation. She will go through a training session discussing topics such as teammates dating, negative recruiting, LGBT athletes and coaches in the locker room, and sexual harassment.
