Blake Skjellerup's tweet for IDAHO

Follow Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup on Twitter @BlakeSkjellerup

En espanol / A call for action for IDAHO

Hoy, día 17 de Mayo de 2012, Día Internacional Contra la HOMOFOBIA, BIFOBIA y la TRANSFOBIA, desde la Asociación Deportiva Lgtb del Sur queremos recalcar la necesidad, ya no sólo hoy, sino el resto del año también, de luchar de forma enérgica contra cualquier acto de discriminación homofóbico o tránsfobo. Además, en nuestro caso, queremos realizar especial hincapié en la discriminación que se hace aún a día de hoy en el ámbito deportivo a las personas que deciden hacer pública su condición.
En Andalucía, este discriminación se recrudece aún más, con una homofobia increiblemente visible y permitida tanto en campos de fútbol, tanto de equipos de élite como regionales, como en otros terrenos de juego deportivos (baloncesto, natación, balonmano, etc.), por ello queremos pedir a todos los equipos de nuestra región que se unan a nosotros y trabajemos de la mano en la lucha contra esta discriminación que aún a día de hoy afecta a nuestro colectivo de forma tan directo. Mete un triple, contra la HOMOFOBIA, BIFOBIA Y TRANSFOBIA!!!

Em portugues / CDG IDAHO "Cartao vermelho para a homofobia"

O CDG Brasil - Comitê Desportivo GLBT Brasileiro dedica o "Dia Internacional de Luta Contra a Homofobia" para a criação do Selo "CARTÃO VERMELHO PARA A HOMOFOBIA" que será lançado no dia 01 de Julho, dia do aniversário de 4 anos da entidade !!! Compartilhe esta ideia !!!

Athletic Bilbao says no to homophobia on IDAHO

Via Errespetuz, a Basque trans group, a poster for IDAHO produced in collaboration with football team Athletic de Bilbao.

17 May 2012 / What are you doing for the International Day Against Homophobia?

From the IDAHO website: 

In practice, our first objective is to provoke action. Actions can take place in a number of different forms: a debate in the classroom, an exhibition in a cafe, a demonstration in the street, a radio program, a screening in a neighbourhood home, a round table organized by a political party, a short story competition sponsored by a newspaper, an awareness campaign led by an association, etc. These initiatives can be backed by LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans) associations, by human rights organizations, but also by women and men of any background and interest. In fact, today many people who are not specifically interested in questions of homosexuality are worried about the problem of homophobia. 

The second goal of this Day is to reinforce the visibility of the varied and often isolated efforts from activists all over the world. Actions happening the same day will benefit of the collective visibility and will gain in effectiveness and impact. And now the day becomes an annual meeting, the media and public opinion will be all the more attentive to the questions brought up, as well as to ground gained or lost. Moreover, those who coordinate this Day can report back the results of the efforts, informing journalists and favoring best practise exchanges among activists. 

This project has a third objective : to place this Day on the national calendar in the highest number of countries possible, and then to have it adopted at an international level. Obviously, this is a long term objective. But official recognition is not just a symbol, since even symbols have real power, as we all know. Recognition will contribute to the persistence of the fight. It will also make it possible to show that the fight against homophobia is not only the business of gay, bi or trans people, but that it is the full responsibility of public authorities and the concern of society as a whole.

Let us know what you're doing for IDAHO 2012! Just write blog@gaygames.org to share your news.

17 May 2012 / Sing with OutPostChoir for the International Day Against Homophobia

An update from the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir, a member of FGG member organization GALA Choruses following their song competition:

OutPostChoir is an opportunity for us to join together, be proud, and sing out. Post your voice online and be a part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir (SGLC), no matter which outpost you live in.

OutPostChoir will build a worldwide singing community of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer (LGBTQI) people and our straight allies by giving everyone the opportunity to be part of a supportive choir from their own homes. Whether you live in a large or small city, or in an isolated rural area - we invite you to add your voice.

“You Make Me Proud!” was selected as the official OutPostChoir song following a recent international song competition. The winning composer from Brighton, England was Howard Alexander who said, “The song is all about recognising and celebrating the wonderful people in the community around us who help to give us the strength to be who we really are and to be the best that we can be. The song really serves as a reminder that we are all there for each other and that no-one should feel afraid or alone in the challenges they face.”

Sing with us and spread the message around the world.

Learn more HERE.
What are you and your organization doing for IDAHO 2012? Write us at blog@gaygames.org!

Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir launches song competition for global choral performance for IDAHO 2012

A great initiative from a member of FGG member organization GALA Choruses:

Harnessing the power of song and the internet, Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir has launched an exciting project to celebrate diversity and speak out against discrimination and violence towards gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (GLBTQI) people.

OutPostChoir will allow people to sing out with the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir no matter where they are in Australia or around the world.

In April 2012, as the world takes action for the annual International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO), the OutPostChoir website will launch a specially written choral song. People from all corners of the globe and all walks of life will be able learn the song on line, record their part on their personal webcam and then submit their video to the OutPostChoir website. Each video submitted will be mixed into the virtual choir performance which will become an ever expanding mosaic of voices and faces as more and more people participate over the life of the project.

The first stage in the project launched this week is an international competition to choose the song which best captures the essence of the project. Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir’s Music Director, Dr Sarah Penicka-Smith said, “We are calling on composers from around the world to submit original songs which convey a positive message about celebrating diversity and speaking out against discrimination towards GLBTQI people. They must be approximately 3 minutes in length and in four-part harmony for soprano, tenor, alto and bass. It must be a song that will inspire the whole GLBTQI community and its allies to sing together from the comfort of their own homes, whether they live in the suburbs of Sydney, a remote town in regional Australia, New York City, Tanzania, or Iran.

This is an opportunity to be out, sing out, post your voice online and be a part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir no matter what outpost you live in.

The winning composer will have the honour of having their song performed by the world’s largest queer choir, creating a united message for the whole world to hear.

Entries for the OutPostChoir song competition close on Sunday 22 January 2012. The winning song will be announced on Monday 27 February and will be launched on the website in early April.

Sarah Penicka-Smith said, “As we approach IDAHO day on Thursday 17 May 2012, we will also be taking the winning song and the OutPostChoir project to the streets to get the message out there and to encourage as many people as possible to add their voice to the project.”

Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir is a non-auditioned choir which welcomes members regardless of their age, sexual identity or musical experience. Since forming 20 years ago, the choir has performed Carl Vine's Mythologia with Sydney Dance Company at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Arts Festival, hosted the first Australasian Gay and Lesbian Choral Festival, performed at the Sydney Gay Games Choral Festival, and toured Europe, Auckland and North America. Its 2009 production of Henry Purcell's The Fairy Queen was the first opera in the world to be staged by a queer choir. In June this year, Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir performed a major concert at Sydney Town Hall, performing the choir’s favourite pieces from its repertoire of the past twenty years. It recently performed the world premiere of a major new choral work Dreams & Visions, commissioned from Sydney composer John Peterson.

The OutPostChoir project supports the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir’s objectives of promoting inclusion and access, providing a positive role model for the GLBTQI community, and fostering new Australian music.

Further details on the Song Competition entry conditions and the OutPostChoir project can be found at www.outpostchoir.com.