Derek Liecty Gay Games Scholarships announced on his 80th birthday

Derek addresses his 100 guests

UPDATE: As of 27 July, we have already received some generous donations from friends of Derek and the Gay Games. We're looking for more such donations, to, if possible, create a specific endowment that can fund these scholarships for Gay Games to come.

On 21 July 2012 in Walnut Creek, California, Derek Liecty celebrated his 80th birthday party surrounded by more than 100 friends and family members. Included were three members of the Federation of Gay Games Board of Directors: Gene Dermody, Roger Brigham, and Doug Litwin

Although Derek’s many years of service to the Gay Games movement have been honored before – he is an Honorary Life Member and the 2006 male winner of the Tom Waddell award – additional honors were bestowed upon him on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

Derek was presented with a certificate of congratulations as well as a Medal of Honor. In addition, to publicly acknowledge his 20 years of tireless service on behalf of the Gay Games Scholarship Program, the FGG announced the creation of “The Derek Liecty Gay Games Scholarships.” This will take the form of two scholarships for a male and female footballer, Derek’s favorite sport. The first of these scholarships will be awarded for the 2014 Gay Games 9 in Cleveland + Akron. As with all other Gay Games scholarships, these will be administered by the FGG.

Cutting the cake

If anyone would like to donate towards the funding of these two new scholarships, please visit HERE (indicate “Derek Liecty” in the comments section of your donation) or write to scholarships@gaygames.org

Watch the video of this presentation and the announcement of the scholarships:

From Jeff Kagan: See Gene and John run

From Out in the Locker Room, Jeff Kagan's blog archive of his LGBT sport journalism:

Picture it: New York City, 1953. President Eisenhower is in the White House, the Korean War is just coming to an end. I Love Lucy dominates the airwaves as the most popular show on television, and an 18-year-old Elvis Presley just recorded his first song. American life is as picturesque and pleasing as a Norman Rockwell painting.

While life seemed so “carefree and gay” for most, there were many who couldn’t be as carefree and gay as they wanted to be. Being a gay American in that era meant hiding your sexual orientation from your family and your employer. It was in 1953 that President Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450 which mandated “sexual perverts” be fired from federal jobs. At that time, homosexuality was defined a disease, and gays were portrayed in public service films (one was titled Boys Beware) as having a “sickness that was not visible, like smallpox, but no less dangerous and contagious.” It would be another 20 years before the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder. Regardless of the discrimination and openly accepted condemnation, gays and lesbians persevered, living their lives in the underground and somehow managing to get by.

At age 24, John Kiley left his hometown of Adelaide, Australia, and came to the United States, settling in New York City. He secured a job with the Australian government as a writer with the news and information bureau, a precursor to the current Australian tourism department.

One warm evening in June 1953 John was having drinks with a friend at Lenny’s Hideaway, a basement bar on 10th Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues in the West Village when he struck up a conversation with a young, dark-complexioned man named Gene Silbert. A friendship commenced, and soon grew to be more than friendship. Neither could have imagined the future they’d have together.

Keep reading HERE (it's very cool!)

More photos from Cheer donation presentation

As a follow-up to our earlier post (HERE), here are some more photos from the event.

FGG representatives Alan Lessik, Derek Liecty, Sara Waddell Lewinstein, Kathleen McGuire, Doug Litwin

The athlete experience

Konstantin Yablonskiy, Dagmar Zeige, Karl-Heinz Schmitz, Georg Uecker

As a co-chair of the FGG Sports Committee, I had the pleasure of attending one of the daily Gay Games VIII press conferences at the Netcologne Stadium press center. The theme of the day was “sport”, and Games Cologne’s sports directors, Dagmar Zeige and Karl-Heinz Schmitz were present, along with an athlete representative, Konstantin Yablotskiy of Russia, accompanied by Games Cologne scholarship ambassador Georg Uecker.

Konstantin spoke of his delight at winning a gold and a silver medal in figure skating, of his pleasure in discovering an event that represents high standards in sport, but which at the same time offers innovative forms of competition, largely thanks to the strong partnership between the host, the FGG and its member governing body (in this case, the IGFSU), and a progressive international governing body (ISI for Gay Games figure skating).

Konstantin also discussed the evolution of his own attitudes thanks to his Gay Games experience. Before coming, he was out to few people. He stated that when he returns to Russia, if asked where he has been, thanks to the courage his experience in Cologne has generated, he will be able to say with pride that he was at the Gay Games, where he competed against other athletes, gay and straight, and won two medals.

Games Cologne/FGG scholarship reception

The morning before opening ceremony saw a reception for Games Cologne and Federation of Gay Games scholarship beneficiaries. Among the hundreds of athletes supported, Games Cologne was in charge of those from Eastern Europe, while the FGG handled the rest of the world, with a focus on the Chosen FEW soccer club from Soweto, whose journey to Cologne was made possible by a generous gift from Dick Uyvari in honor of his late partner Joe LaPat.

FGG Ambassador Leigh Ann Naidoo hosted the meeting, which included a speech from Deputy Mayor Angela Spizig, and a brief message of appreciation from GLISA co-presidents Wessel Van Kampen and Julia Applegate, who presented a plaque in honor of the occasion to the co-presidents of Games Cologne and of the FGG. Games Cologne head of scholarships Alen Popovic and his FGG counterpart Paul Oostenbrug welcomed participants, offered advice on the week to come, and explained to all present the challenges of funding and operating this program.

Also present were FGG Ambassadors Michelle Ferris, John Amaechi and David Kopay, along with guest Matthew Mitcham.

The meeting concluded with participants sharing stories of their journey to Cologne, including the reading of a rousing poem by a member of the Chosen FEW (we're trying to get the text for you), all to the sound of vuvuzelas (ahem).

Help the Chosen Few help themselves

SOUTH AFRICA -- 23 March 2010: In a bid to raise funds for the Gay Games World Tournament in Cologne, Germany, The Chosen Few, a lesbian soccer team, owned by the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) will be hosting a car wash and picnic at Zoolake on Saturday 27 March and are appealing to the community at large for support.

Having received a scholarship* from the Gay Games committee which covers travel expenses and accommodation the team is still in need of a proper gear, assistance with local travelling expenses to and from training and funding for a pre tournament camp.

"Without donations there is no Chosen Few, we need support from the LGBTI community which will further motivate us to perform at our best", said Matshidiso Mofokeng, player of the Chosen Few Team.

Continue reading HERE.

*Generously financed by Dick Uyvari and the late Joe LaPat