Play the Games: Day 2

Find the Play the Game 2011 website with more information, photos, video, program, etc. HERE.

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Rai

Day 2 of the conference began with a plenary session entitled "Chasing the White Elephants - Mega-events for the Public Good". The first speaker was football start Rai, whose talk had been rescheduled from the prevous day. My first observation is that he is tall and big. One of the particularities of Play the Games is that many of the speakers are former elite athletes, but even among this crowd, he stood out. He spoke on the contrast between the promise of Brazil's hosting of the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics, and the social and economic realities of the country.

Ian Nuttal (photo Play the Game)

The bulk of the session was devoted to an analysis of the impact of the construction of stadiums for mega events. In a word: they are almost all failures. The sanctioning bodies are able to demand these investments which burden cities and countries for decades, simply because they can. In a period when the IOC and others are proclaiming their commitment to "sustainable development", why do they continue to ignore the failure of sustainable economic development provoked by their absurd requirements for mega stadium white elephants?

Stefan Smanski (photo Play the Game)

Also in the session, a discussion of the economic impact of the 2012 Olympics, which will be meager. As an example, the majority of workers in the area of the future Olympic Park come not from the local boroughs, and not even from London, but from outside the city.

View Part 1 and Part 2.

Cornelia Rogall-Grothe (photo Play the Game)

During this session, the conference participants were greeted by Cornelia Rogall-Grothe, the Ministry of the Interior State Secretary in charge of sport.

Wilfried Lemke (photo Play the Game)

The afternoon opened with a plenary entitled "Fair Play, Fair Pay: How to create growth in grassroot sport". Among the speakers were Wilfried Lemke, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General for sport for development and peace. He focused on the need for local support, lest a short-term program become a waste of money rather than a long-term investment in development by sport.

View Part 1 and Part 2

Annie Sugier

I then attended a workshop on "Gender in sport - a case of discrimination?" with a great talk by Annie Sugier about the exclusion of women from the Olympic teams of several Muslim countries, and the refusal of others to respect the Olympic Charter's ban on visible religious signs in sports competitions. Women athletes are forced, explicitly or implicitly, to wear head coverings, or full body coverings, in competition.

Anja Veum

Anja Veum of the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports presented the guidelines developed to prevent sexual harrasment and violence, while Thomas Grant of the University of Idaho imagines a set of values other than the dominant masculine values of social order. What would sport based on feminine values like caring offer to all?

Marko Begovic

Marko Begovic spoke of the study he's managed on sport in Montenegro, which demonstrates the huge challenges to women's participation, beyond the more general difficulty of sport for all in the country.

Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims on the cover of Compete Magazine

Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims is the cover story of the October issue of Compete Magazine. They look at his evolution as a public figure, with the latest step being his candidacy for the Pennsylvania legislature.

News from Chicago: Belated decision in Gay Games VII case, Tom Waddell Award winner at library event, 70-year-old marathon runner

A verdict on the appeal of a case concerning Gay Games VII in Chicago 2006 has finally been announced, in favor of the defendants, the city of Chicago et al. The plaintiffs were "Christians" who used various Gay Games events to harrass participants and spectators. Read it HERE.

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Brent Nicholson Earle, winner of the 2010 Tom Waddell Award, was the keynote speaker at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Gerber-Hart Library. Read about it HERE.

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Ross Forman reports on a Gay Games medal winner who will be competing in this weekend's Chicago Marathon in the 70-74-year-old category. Read it HERE.

17 October 2011 / Invisible Athletes in Boston

On October 17th from 6-8pm at the Sunday School Building in the Christian Science Plaza, Sport in Society will host GForce Sports as they present Invisible Athletes. Invisible Athletes is a program about gay athletes, straight allies and changing locker rooom attitudes. A panel of gay and lesbian athletes will present their personal stories and experience. Some of the featured panelists include:

• David Farber, a former captain of the University of Pennsylvania’s hockey team, now working for the US Department of Justice in New York
• Dr. Andrew Goldstein, a former Dartmouth University All-American and professional lacrosse player, now a molecular biologist and UCLA professor
• Lee-J Mirasolo, a former Boston College women’s hockey team captain and current Princeton University assistant coach.
• The panel will be moderated by Patrick Burke who’s brother Brendan couragelously came out to his Miami University’s teammates in 2009 prior to his passing in a fatal car accident.

Best wishes to Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup at Australian championships

Best wishes to Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup as he competes tomorrow in 500 and 1500m at the 2011 Australian Short Track Speed Skating Championships.

Info HERE.

FRIDAY 7th & SATURDAY 8th OCTOBER
Medibank Icehouse, the home of Australia's Olympic short track speed katers, is set to host the fastest event on ice this year! Over two big days, see local favourites and Olympic hopefuls as they fly around the rink at tremendous speeds and jostle to become the Nation's best. Enjoy the thrills and spills of this mesmerising sport in the comfort of the Henke Rink grandstand with seating for up to 1,000 spectators.

Federation of Gay Games Legacy Award winner in report on "corrective rape"

The Federation will be honoring Ndumie Funda and her organization Luleki Sizwe with a Legacy Award for Social Justice at its Annual General Meeting later this month in Toronto. Here is a report from Salon/Global Post on the cause for which we are recognizing Ndumie, her fight against "corrective rape":

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Just as Nono was beginning to understand her lesbian sexual identity at the age of 18, a male cousin began to rape her.

Before the first attack, he admonished, “Now I am going to teach you how to be a lady.” He threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

Nono, who has asked that her last name not be used, learned two years ago that her cousin had been shot and killed in an unrelated incident.

“In my heart I was so happy,” the 29-year-old said of her cousin’s death. “I thought, ‘Now I can live my life like I want as a lesbian.’”

Nono said she never reported her abuse to police. She belongs to a silent majority of gay South African women who have been victimized by “corrective rape,” a controversial term describing the practice of straight men raping lesbians to “correct” their sexual orientation.

[...]

Organizations like Luleki Sizwe, a Cape Town non-profit organized to fight violence against lesbians, have focused their attention specifically on the problem of “corrective rape.” Last year the group started an online petition on Change.org that garnered 170,000 signatures from activists around the world. The petition along with protests and pressure from other gay rights groups motivated the government to partner with the organization last June to appoint an interim task force on gender-based violence.

[...]

The homophobic violence LGBT people face in South Africa stands in stark contrast to the comprehensive legal rights and protections accorded them in their country’s constitution, which took effect in 1997.

Those rights are rooted in the struggle to overthrow apartheid, and the violence in the legacy of apartheid. “We are terribly violent as a culture,” said the activist Melanie Judge, who co-edited To Have and To Hold: The Making of Same Sex Marriage in South Africa. “That is one of the most horrific scars of apartheid. A violent system begat a violent population.”

The successful mass movement to abolish apartheid was built on a vision of a society based on equality. South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution was the first in the world to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation; in addition a host of laws were enacted forbidding discrimination in the work place, public accommodations and services. In 2006, South Africa became only the fifth country in the world, and the only country in Africa, to legalize same-sex marriage.

However, translating these rights into reality for the majority of South Africa’s gay citizens has been difficult in part because homosexuality is widely seen as alien to the religious beliefs and cultural norms of South Africa, which remains a largely conservative society.

“We are treated like we are not expected to be in this world,” said Ndumie Funda, founder of Luleki Sizwe.

Read in full HERE.

Play the Game: Day 1

Find the Play the Game 2011 website with more information, photos, video, program, etc. HERE.

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Heading to first plenary

Among the highlights (from my point of view) of Monday's opening session:

Doris Pack, a member of the European Parliament, welcomed participants. Ms Pack has been a leader in efforts to expand the role of the European Union in sport.

Researchers presented the results of the International Sports Press Survey 2011, and the need for further reseach. Among the (unsurprising) findings are the lack of women writers of sports stories (8%), the dominance of men among athletes featured (85%), and the dominance of football.

Hans Bruyninckx (photo Play the Game)

I particularly enjoyed a provocative talk by Hans Bruyninckx on "Obsession with rules vs. mistrust in being ruled" which highlights a problem close to my heart: the insistence by the undemocratic sports institutions that they are a power unto themselves, not subject to the rule of law of elected governments, while working hand in hand with autocratic regimes.

Richard Pound

Richard Pound of the IOC and founding president of WADA, then spoke on the fight against corruption... but his dollop of realism wasn't enough to respond to Bruyninckx's critique.

View Part 1 and Part 2.

Break dancing

Students from the university offered a break dance performance during the welcome reception. I must note the great work by the 85 students of the German Sports University who volunteered with great energy, efficiency, and friendliness during the conference. Many of them had volunteered at Gay Games VIII, and those who had arrived too late to do so expressed regret at missing this opportunity which has marked the student body.

(photo Play the Game)

In the evening, I attended the workshop on doping prevention, which was rather disappointing, but illustrative of some of the opportunities and challenges. Among the opportunities was an innovative pilot program for doping prevention among youth, and a talk by John Gleaves on integrating treatment as a key component in anti-doping efforts. More disappointing was a talk from a researcher from the German Sports University on a pedagogical program against "doping", which demonstrates the creep of the term "doping" to the use of sustances on the WADA list for any purpose whatsoever, including anorexia, body dysmorphia, or simply a desire to improve ones appearance. While efforts to improve children's self-confidence to better enable them to resist the appeal of dangerous substances are great, it seems dangerous to allow sports doping, and the invasive practices invovled in fighting it, to englobe such broad areas of non-sporting life.

View the session HERE.

Former World Outgames director named Danish minister of culture

Uffe Elbaek, director of World Outgames 2009, was elected last month to the Danish parliament, and this week was named minister of culture in the new government of Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the first woman to serve as prime minister of Denmark. 

Mr. Uffe Elbaek
Minister of Culture
Kulturministeriet
Nybrogade 2
DK 1203 Copenhagen
Denmark
min@kum.dk

Dear Uffe,

We were so very pleased to learn of your nomination as Minister of Culture, and wish to express our congratulations on behalf of the entire Gay Games family.

We remember with great fondness the welcome you offered to the Federation of Gay Games at the 2009 World Outgames in Copenhagen. We believe that the Danish people are fortunate to have you in a position to use your skills to promote positive change in the pragmatic fashion that you demonstrated at the Outgames.

Marc Naimark, FGG Vice President for External Affairs, is currently in Cologne for the Play the Game conference, an event based in Denmark. He has commented to us on the extensive presence there of Danes and Danish organizations involved in sport, and in particular, in improving sport for all athletes and in using sport as a tool for social progress. Denmark is a country whose influence in sport far exceeds its population.

We are confident that under your leadership, this impressive Danish presence in the world of sport will only become stronger.

Congratulations and Best of Luck in your new role !

Best Regards,

Kurt Dahl
Emy Ritt

FGG Co-Presidents
kdahl@gaygames.org
eritt@gaygames.org

EGLSF recruiting consultant for development of LGBT sport in Central and Eastern Europe

EGLSF Central and Eastern Europe Development Consultancy
EGLSF is recruiting a suitably qualified and experienced individual, to work on a consultancy basis for two years to develop key projects in Central & Eastern Europe. These projects form part of the Federation’s strategy to broaden the reach of its work, increase impact and strengthen partnerships in the region.
This tender is open only to independent consultants. EGLSF will not consider applications from private companies or NGOs.

Whilst it is not essential that the successful candidate is based in Poland, it should be noted that during year one of the project a substantial amount of the project work is required on the ground in Poland and travel expenses are included in the total contract price of €35,000.

Background
The European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) was founded in 1989. Its aims are to:
• fight against discrimination in sport on grounds of sexual preference
• stimulate integration in sport and emancipation of lesbians and gays
• enable and support the coming out of gay and lesbian sports men and women
• exchange information and enable co-ordination between European sport groups and tournaments
• support the founding of new gay/lesbian/bisexual/straight/transgendered and mixed sport groups

The EGLSF represents over 15,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered athletes through the membership of more than 100 LGBT sports groups throughout Europe.

Amongst a number of strategy partnerships, EGLSF has worked significantly as part of the Football Against Racism in Europe Network (FARE) www.farenet.org since 2002. During this time, EGLSF has worked to raise the visibility of the campaign against homophobia in football.

EGLSF presence in Central & Eastern Europe (CEE)
Since 2008, EGLSF has become increasingly involved in the campaign for LGBT human rights through sport in CEE. Key achievements have been:
• A significant growth in EGLSF membership from LGBT CEE sports groups (Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, FYR Macedonia, Romania)
• Funding of anti-homophobia events during the FARE weeks of action in Poland and Slovenia
• Funding of Innovation & Good Practice (small grants programme) projects in Croatia, Poland and Slovenia.
• Licensing of a 2012 EuroGames in Budapest
• Representation at a number of CEE events

EGLSF has also recently become a partner in the transnational Football for Equality project lead by Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC), which sees a number of initiatives planned in CEE during the next 24 months, including an LGBT Human Rights conference in Budapest delivered during EuroGames 2012 and a Pride house established during the UEFA Euro 2012.

EGLSF will also be contributing to the development and implementation of FARE anti-discrimination initiatives during EURO 2012.

The Consultancy
Through this consultancy contract, EGLSF aims to achieve the following outcomes:
• The further growth of EGLSF membership in CEE
• Increased input to FARE initiatives in the region particularly in relation to EURO 2012
• Delivery of a Pride House and anti-homophobia campaign as part of Football for Equality II during EURO 2012
• Successful delivery of EGLSF Annual General Assembly held in Split, Croatia in March 2012
• Greater profile of EGLSF and its campaign against homophobia in sport in the region
EGLSF is offering a consultancy contract of €35,000 over a two-year period, November 2011 to November 2013; €20,000 for the first consultancy period (November 2011 – November 2012) and €15,000 for the second period (November 2012 – November 2013).

FOR ALL DOWNLOADS VISIT THE EGLSF WEBSITE HERE

Outsports top-100 moments in LGBT sports history: top 10

Here's a reminder of the final ten stories in the great Outsports series:

Over the rest of the summer we will release our list of the 100 most important moments in gay-sports history. We have focused on specific moments, whether they be a few minutes or a day, that have shaped the course of our history; Many of the faces of those moments will be familiar to our readers.

We focused on what we consider to be the “gay-sports movement.” There were certainly amazing gay and lesbian athletes before the Stonewall riots in 1969, but there wasn’t a push for gay equality in sports until after that fateful day in New York City. Our moments range from July 1, 1969 to July 1, 2011.

As you might expect, this top ten is particularly heavy on Gay Games-related stories. Gay Games Ambassadors David Kopay, Billie Jean King, and Billy Bean are on the list, as is, of course, the first Gay Games.

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1) Dave Kopay comes out / 1975 / football
2) Martina Navratilova comes out / 1981 / tennis
3) Billie Jean King outed / 1981 / tennis
4) Publication of ‘The Front Runner’ / 1974 / books
5) First Gay Games / 1982 / various sports
6) Corey Johnson’s story is told / 2000 / football
7) Billy Bean comes out / baseball / 1999
8) John Rocker spews homophobia to Sports Illustrated / 1999 / baseball
9) First gay softball world series / 1977 / softball
10) Matthew Mitcham wins diving gold / 2008 / diving

Team Philadelphia runner in Warsaw marathon

Bob Szwajkos, Marketing Director for Team Philadelphia, the umbrella organization for the LGBT athletic teams and clubs of Greater Philadelphia completed his 16th marathon in Warsaw, Poland on 25 September 2011, representing Team Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Front Runners.

Bob was a silver medalist in the Marathon at the 2011 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany.

Team Philadelphia will participate at Outfest on 9 October 2011.

8 October 2011 / Philadelphia wrestling tournament

Saturday October 8, 2011
 The Spartan Wrestling Club of Philadelphia Fall Wrestling Tournament

First Unitarian Church, Basement

2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia 
The tournament will run from 1PM – 4 PM
Weigh-ins starting at noon
Spectators admitted at 12:30 PM
Wrestling beginning at 1 PM

 Wrestlers $20.00
Spectators $10.00

23 October 2011 / First Pride Run in Mexico City

To all Frontrunner clubs around the world:

Mi orgullo es llegar a la meta... ¿Cual es el tuyo?
My pride is to reach the goal ... What's yours?

The Secretary of Frontrunners Mexico has announced that Mexico's (and Latin America's) FIRST Pride Run will take place on Sunday, October 23, at 7:30am, in Mexico City.

Almost 1,000 runners have already signed up for either the 5K or the 10K races of the first PRIDE RUN MEXICO. The number is expected to double over the next three weeks, especially after a press conference held on October 6.

It will be a historic moment for the region and also for Front Runners International. Please help spread the word and come support us if you can!

www.miorgulloes.com

http://www.frontrunners.org

9 October 2011 / Team Philadelphia at Outfest

This weekend in Philadelphia
11th Street to 13th Street, Walnut S. to Spruce St
Sunday, October 9, 2011 Noon to 6 p.m.
OUTFEST IS A BLOCK PARTY, BUT THE BIGGEST AND MOST INTERESTING BLOCK PARTY YOU HAVE EVER SEEN.

Traditionally, every community group has a booth or tent at Outfest. We have at least 25 core vendors selling everything you can imagine and more. We always have a flea market. Every bar and restaurant in the Gayborhood has some sort of event, usually outside. There are fun and games. There is a children's zone. There are food and libations. There are circus events. There is a main stage at 13th and Locust. There is a dance area at 12th and Spruce. There is no end to people-watching. Most of our elected officials will pay us a visit. Mayor Nutter will be speaking from the main stage. AND, OF COURSE, ABOUT 40,000 ATTENDEES!

 FGG member organization Team Philadelphia will be part of it!

23 October 2011 / Mexico's first Pride Run

To all Frontrunner clubs around the world:

Mi orgullo es llegar a la meta... ¿Cual es el tuyo?
My pride is to reach the goal ... What's yours?

The Secretary of Frontrunners Mexico has announced that Mexico's (and Latin America's) FIRST Pride Run will take place on Sunday, October 23, at 7:30am, in Mexico City.

Almost 1,000 runners have already signed up for either the 5K or the 10K races of the first PRIDE RUN MEXICO. The number is expected to double over the next three weeks, especially after a press conference held on October 6.

It will be a historic moment for the region and also for Front Runners International. Please help spread the word and come support us if you can!

www.miorgulloes.com

http://www.frontrunners.org

Play the Game opens in Cologne

Find the Play the Game 2011 website with more information, photos, video, program, etc. HERE.

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Participants and spectators from Gay Games VIII will be familiar with the main auditorium of the German Sports University, the venue for plenary sessions of Play the Game, an international conference that takes a critical look at the world of sport. This year, the focus is on corruption, match fixing, the perils of mega-events like the Olympics, consequences of anti-doping programs, and issues relating to gender in sport.

Will the real Billy Bean(e) please rise?

As a frequent blogger here, and the person in charge of the Gay Games Ambassador program, I have a news alert for most of our Ambassadors. This is great, except for lately, when I keep getting false alerts for Billy Bean. The problem is from journalists who are writing about the movie Moneyball, which tells the story of Billy Beane. With an EEEEEE.

Here's Billy Bean's take on it, as published in Outsports:

 I got this text a couple of days ago. “Hey Billy, I’m sitting here watching a movie called “Moneyball” with Brad Pitt. Is he you?” Sigh. Even my own friends are confused. No, I replied, the movie is about Billy Beane, not Billy Bean. There’s no “e” at the end of my last name.

That’s what I’ve always told them. It’s my auto response when people ask me if I’m the General Manager of the Oakland A’s baseball club. I’m not him, I’m the “other” Billy Bean, the only man alive who played Major League Baseball to acknowledge he’s gay.

 The other Billy Beane just happened to be my teammate in 1988 when we both played for the Detroit Tigers Triple A team, called the Toledo Mud Hens.

Keep reading HERE.

Keynote from Opening Ceremony of Gay Games VI the libretto of an original work of music

Michael Kirby with new Gay Games
Ambassador Matthew Mitcham
at a recent business diversity event

From the Brisbane Times:

Former Justice Michael Kirby has been heard in countless courtrooms, lecture halls and rallies around the country. And now some of his words will be taken up in song, as part of a new piece commissioned by the Sydney Gay And Lesbian Choir to be debuted next month. Part of Kirby's speech at the 2002 Sydney Gay Games has been turned into the libretto of Australian composer John Peterson's new work Dreams And Visions. ''When we started working with John [Peterson] he said he likes using what he calls 'found text' - newspaper headlines, speeches, articles, interesting topical snippets,'' the choir's musical director, Sarah Penicka-Smith, said. ''I said to him: 'Well Michael Kirby's our patron, I wonder if there's anything in his speeches?' I sent him, with Michael's permission, the speech from the Gay Games and John wrote back and said: 'This is perfect, it almost reads like free verse! and it works really, really well.''' We are not sure yet which words will be used when the choir gives its world premiere performance on November 5. As to whether Kirby will attend, they are keeping their fingers crossed. ''It's in his diary and hopefully he'll be able to join us,'' Penicka-Smith said.

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Here is the text of the speech:

Courage
by Michael Kirby

Under different stars, at the beginning of a new millennium, in an old land and a young nation, we join together in the hope and conviction that the future will be kinder and more just than the past.

At a time when there is so much fear and danger, anger and destruction, this event represents an alternative vision struggling for the soul of humanity. Acceptance. Diversity. Inclusiveness. Participation. Tolerance and joy. Ours is the world of love, questing to find the common links that bind all people. We are here because, whatever our sexuality, we believe that the days of exclusion are numbered. In our world, everyone can find their place, where their human rights and human dignity will be upheld.

This is a great night for Australia because we are a nation in the process of reinventing ourselves. We began our modern history by denying the existence of our indigenous peoples and their rights. We embraced White Australia. Women could play little part in public life: their place was in the kitchen. And as for gays, lesbians and other sexual minorities, they were an abomination. Lock them up. Throw away the key.

We have not corrected all these wrongs. But we are surely on the road to enlightenment. There will be no U-turns.

Little did my partner Johan and I think, thirty years ago, as we danced the night away at the Purple Onion, less than a mile from this place, that we would be at the opening of a Gay Games with the Queen's Representative and all of you to bear witness to such a social revolution. Never did we think we would be dancing together in a football stadium. And with the Governor. And that the Governor would be a woman! True, we rubbed shoulders on the dance floor with Knights of the Realm, such as Sir Robert Helpmann and with a future Premier, such as Don Dunstan. But if an angel had tapped us on our youthful shoulders and told us of tonight we would have said "Impossible". Well, nothing is impossible to the human spirit. Scientific truth always ultimately prevails. So here we are tonight, men and women, indigenous and newcomers, black and white, Australians and visitors, religious and atheist, young and not so young, straight and gay - together.

It is put best by Corey Czok, an Australian basketballer in these Games: "It's good to be able to throw out the stereotypes - we're not all sissies, we don't all look the same and we're not all pretty!"

His last comment may be disputed. Real beauty lies in the fact that we are united not in the negatives of hate and exclusion, so common today, but in the positives of love and inclusion.

The changes over thirty years would not have happened if it had not been for people of courage who rejected the common ignorance about sexuality. Who taught that variations are a normal and universal aspect of the human species. That they are not going away. That they are no big deal. And that, between consenting adults, we all just have to get used to it and get on with life.

The people of courage certainly include Oscar Wilde. His suffering, his interpretation of it and the ordeal of many others have bought the changes for us. I would include Alfred Kinsey. In the midst of the McCarthyist era in the United States he, and those who followed him, dared to investigate the real facts about human sexual diversity. In Australia, I would also include, as heroes, politicians of every major party, most of them heterosexual. Over thirty years, they have dismantled many of the unequal laws. But the first of them was Don Dunstan. He proved, once again, the astonishing fact that good things sometimes occur when the dancing stops.

I would also add Rodney Croome and Nick Toonen. They took Australia to the United Nations to get rid of the last criminal laws against gay men in Tasmania. Now the decision in their case stands for the whole world. I would include Neal Blewett who led Australia's first battles against AIDS. Robyn Archer, Kerryn Phelps, Ian Roberts and many, many others.

But this is not just an Australian story. In every land a previously frightened and oppressed minority is awakening from a long sleep to assert its human dignity. We should honour those who looked into themselves and spoke the truth. Now they are legion. It is the truth that makes us free.

I think of Tom Waddell, the inspired founder of the Gay Games. His last words in this life were: "This should be interesting". Look around. What an under-statement.

I think of Greg Louganis, twice Olympic gold medallist, who came out as gay and HIV positive and said that it was the Gay Games that emboldened him to tell it as it was.

I think of Mark Bingham, a rowdy Rugby player. He would have been with us tonight. But he lost his life in one of the planes downed on 11 September 2001, struggling to save the lives of others. He was a real hero.

Je pense a Bertrand Delanoe, le maire ouvertement gay de Paris, poignarde a l'Hotel de Ville au course de la Nuit Blanche. Il a fait preuve d'un tres grand courage - et il est un homme exceptionnel. When the gay Mayor of Paris was stabbed by a homophobe he commanded the party at which it happened to "Dance Till Dawn". Do that in his honour tonight. And in honour of the Cairo 52; the Sister movement in Namibia; Al Fatiha - the organisation for Gay Moslems and many others struggling for their human rights.

And I think of all of you who come together on this magical night to affirm the fundamental unity of all human beings. To reject ignorance, hatred and error. And to embrace love, which is the ultimate foundation of all human rights.

Let the word go out from Sydney and the Gay Games of 2002 that the movement for equality is unstoppable. Its message will eventually reach the four corners of the world. These Games will be another catalyst to help make that happen. Be sure that, in the end, inclusion will replace exclusion. For the sake of the planet and of humanity it must be so.

Amusez-vous bien. Et par l'exemple de nos vies defendons les droits de l'humanite pour tous. Non seulement pour les gays. Pour tout le monde.

Enjoy yourselves. And by our lives let us be an example of respect for human rights. Not just for gays. For everyone.

Washington Blade features portrait of Frontrunner Alex Wilson

From the Washington Blade:

Queery: Alex Wilson

Alex Wilson had long enjoyed running track in high school and long distance during his time at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. So it was kind of a no brainer when he saw a Blade notice in 1981 that a new gay running group was forming. He’s been in D.C. Front Runners ever since.

The group celebrated its 30th anniversary last weekend. Wilson has since run seven marathons, competed in three Gay Games with the group and coached the ’98 team in Amsterdam. He was a coordinator in ’95, ’96 and ’97 and is the member with the longest continual membership.

Keep reading HERE.

Portrait of trans wrestler Donna Rose

Dan Woog has written a fine portrait of wrestler Donna Rose (see our posts on Donna HERE , HERE), HERE, and HERE, who is targeting two competitions: the 2012 Olympics, and Gay Games 9 in 2014:

David’s father was an academic, so the family moved often. Whether in California or Nova Scotia, though, sports provided a great way to make friends. David was “pudgy and klutzy” as a child, but in high school he discovered football and wrestling.

Playing linebacker was fun, but grappling really drew him in. He worked out, lifted weights and molded his body to a masculine ideal. In 1979, at Halifax’s Dalhousie University, he became Canada’s Maritime Provinces 158-pound champ.

He married, had a teenage son and embarked on a successful, lucrative career in information technology.

But even those accomplishments did not fully satisfy David. He’d always been masculine – never effeminate or girly – yet he never felt he fit in. In 1999, he came out to his mother as transgender. She was stunned. The realization was almost as stunning for David. “My sense of myself as an athlete had been the biggest part of my identity for years,” he – now Donna Rose – says. “There had been two seasons in my life: wrestling, and getting ready for wrestling.” It was hard to let that go.

Keep reading HERE.

En français / Tournoi de volley féminin européen à Paris le week-end de Pâques

Depuis plus de 20 ans, chaque année, plusieurs centaines de volleyeuses se retrouvent à Pâques pour participer au plus grand tournoi européen lesbien de volley-ball. Après Varsovie, Groningen, Bruxelles et tant d’autres villes, le tournoi retourne à Paris en 2012 pour sa 24ème édition ! Contrepied association LGBT a le plaisir d’organiser, avec l’aide de ses adhérents & de leurs amis, le LADIES EURO VOLLEY à Paris du 6 au 9 avril 2012. Le tournoi Européen Lesbien a vu le jour en 1989, à Berlin, avec la participation de 23 équipes féminines. Une majorité de joueuses allemandes, mais quelques équipes étrangères, telle que l’Italie, les Pays-Bas, la France et la Grande-Bretagne. Avant 1989, les volleyeuses participaient aux compétitions internationales gaies de volley-ball auprès des hommes. Elles étaient en minorité, la hauteur du filet de volley était à hauteur homme, soit près de 20cm supplémentaires. Face à cet handicap de départ et à la force « masculine », ces équipes féminines se trouvaient malheureusement vite écartées de la compétition. Face à l’enthousiasme des Allemandes de créer un tournoi Européen Lesbien, le gouvernement berlinois ne peut que soutenir un tel projet et en 1989 le premier tournoi naît … 1991 Amsterdam se lance dans l’aventure avec 33 équipes, elles ont même du refuser l’inscription de certaines équipes par manque d’infrastructure ! Autre lieux, autre ambiance, Barcelone en 2001 avec 44 équipes participantes, et Paris en 2002 avec plus de 400 joueuses. Pâques 2012 sera la 24ème édition du Tournoi Européen Lesbien. Deux joueuses de Contrepied, déjà engagées en 2002 dans l’organisation à Paris, décident de relever à nouveau le défi avec l’aide de ses adhérents & leurs amis. Un taux de participation avoisinant les 500 sportives à Paris est déjà évoqué. Ce tournoi débute par l’accueil des participantes dès le vendredi 6 avril après-midi. Samedi et dimanche sont dédiés au jeu, soirée de clôture avec un mini spectacle le dimanche soir. Le lundi un brunch pour se dire au revoir tout en douceur. Infos ICI.

IAAF says that racing with men gives women an unfair advantage... or something like that

From the New York Times, a report on a particularly hard-to-understand rule from IAAF that affects women distance runners. So should runners in masters divisions not be allowed to set records when they race with younger (and faster) runners?

BERLIN — Now added to the list of banned performance-enhancing substances for female distance runners: men. 

The world governing body for track and field decided in late August that records in women’s road racing will count only if they are set in women’s-only events, to nullify the benefits of pacesetting by faster male runners, a dynamic that can exist in some marathons, half-marathons and 10-kilometer races where men and women are in the same field.

Continue reading HERE.

Professional sport leagues and protection for sexual orientation

Pete Olsen from Wide Rights has analyzed the new collective bargaining agreement from the NFL, and discovered that protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is now part of the contract under which players work for their teams.

Read Pete's analysis HERE.

Outsports provides more background on how the change was made HERE:

An NFL spokesperson explained that it "was introduced early on in the drafting process of the CBA by our lawyers as something that needed to be included. It parallels the policies and practices of our own office, which include non-discrimination, domestic partner benefits, and the hosting of PFLAG and related events."

And Outsports also provides news on demands for the NBA to follow the NFL's lead. The appeal comes from The Resource Center Dallas, an LGBT advocacy group that has sent a letter to NBA Commissioner David Stern and union head Billy Hunter asking that language like that of the NFL be added to a new NBA contract currently being negotiated.

Gay Games Ambassador John Amaechi to launch HIV initiative

From Pink News: 

John Amaechi, the openly gay former basketball player, is supporting a new HIV programme aimed at African communities in the UK.

The 40-year-old, who has Nigerian heritage, will launch the three-year Terrence Higgins Trust programme tomorrow (Friday). The programme will see 15 volunteers each year taking a two-month training course on HIV and mentoring skills. They will then hold training workshops in the community on HIV treatment, prevention and stigma. Barclays gave the programme a £141,000 donation and staff will help trainees with skills such as marketing and basic accountancy.

Amaechi, who now works as a psychologist and political activist, said: “I’m proud to be endorsing such an innovative community focused project which will make a tangible difference through the powerful medium of peer to peer support. HIV is now a manageable condition but people are still dying needlessly because of a lack of education about the virus and social stigma which contributes to fears about HIV testing in African communities. As someone with Nigerian roots I know just how complex cultural beliefs are about sexual health and how important it is that this group has specialist support to counter prejudices and equip people with the information and tools they need to look after their health and the health of their families.”

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Federation of Gay Games to present talk at Play the Game conference

Find the Play the Game 2011 website with more information, photos, video, program, etc. HERE.

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PLAY THE GAME 2011: Bringing change to the heart of sport
German Sport University, Cologne, Germany
3-6 October 2011

The Federation of Gay Games, represented by VP for External Affairs Marc Naimark, will be participating in Play the Game, an international conference on change in sport, to be held from 3 to 6 October 2011 at the German Sport University in Sportpark Muengersdorf, which participants in Gay Games VIII will remember as the main sports hub.

The topic of the talk is "Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best: How the Gay Games strive to include women and transgender athletes", and will be part of a session entitled "Transgender Challenges". Also speaking in that session will be Honorata Jakubowska on the topic "Gender (division) troubles in sports", and Zeljko Blace of FGG member organization qSport Croatia, who will speak on "QueerSport: tension between sport normativity and queer expression".

View conference sessions online: 

For the seventh time Play the Game will gather stakeholders in sport to join the discussion on essential issues in world sport at the world communication conference Play the Game 2011 - bringing change to the heart of sport. Play the Game 2011 is organised in cooperation with the German Sport University in Cologne, Germany. Many topics from the international sports agenda will be up for debate on Play the Game 2011 from 3-6 October.

If you are unable to attend Play the Game, you still have the opportunity to follow the plenary debates and presentations through live streaming from the conference on our streaming page and after they take place with video on demand. Some parallel sessions will also be available after the conference as audio or video on demand.

The full schedule, for which sessions will be live-streamed including possible changes in the programme, is shown on the streaming page of the conference.

Watch Play the Game 2011 live.

Most presentations from the speakers will also be available for download the day after the presentation is scheduled and pictures from the conference will be uploaded continuously on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/play_the_game/) and the conference website.
The following sessions are scheduled to be streamed live during the conference:

Monday 3 October:13.00-16.15: Opening Session: Play the Game 2011 - Changing the Heart of Sport
16.30-18.30: Plenary session: Match Fixing - the biggest single threat to sport?
20.00-20.40: Main theme session: Volleygate
20.40-21.45: Main theme session: The Middle East on the Move

Tuesday 4 October:9.00-11.45: Plenary session: Chasing the White Elephants - Mega-events for the Public Good
14.15-16.40: Plenary session: Fair Play, Fair Pay: How to create growth in grass root sport

Wednesday 5 October:9.00-10.55: Main theme session: Little Difference, Huge Impact: The Gender Challenge to Sport
11.00-12.45: Main theme session: The intersex challenge to sport?
14.00-16.40: Plenary Session: WADA reforms - which changes are most urgent in anti-doping policies?

Thursday 6 October:10.50-12.45: Change in Sport Day - part 1: Symptoms and diagnosis
15.30-18.20: Change in Sport Day - part 2: Finding the cure
18.20: Closing session

See more on the individual sessions in the conference programme.

Gay Games I at number 5 in Outsports' top 100 LGBT sports moments

We've been posting updates as each group of ten events on the Outsports countdown is published, but for this one, we didn't want to wait.

Multisports, 1982: Dr. Tom Waddell was an Olympic decathlete who had a dream of holding a sports event geared to gay and lesbians, to shatter the stereotype of what being an athlete meant. He was thwarted in his attempts to call them the Gay Olympics and instead settled on Gay Games.

The first were held in San Francisco from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2, 1982. There were 1,350 athletes from 10 countries competing in 17 sports.

Keep reading this post which has great quotes from Gene Dermody and Roger Brigham HERE. 

If Gay Games I is number 5, we're eager to see number 4 through 1!

Euro Gay Cup regatta opens in the Netherlands

We send our best wishes to all participatnts in the Euro Gay Cup sailing weekend as it opens today.

The event, sanctioned by GLORY and organized by Christoph Gaspers-Carouge, who organized the sailing event at Gay Games VIII, brings together sailers from around Europe.

This 9th Euro Gay Cup 2011 is taking place in Lemmer, in the Netherldands through October 3th 2011. The Euro Gay Cup 2011 will be held on sailing yachts for the first time in the history of the event.

Learn more about the event and its history HERE.

University of Michigan public service announcement: what should happen when a player makes a homophobic slur

Via Outsports, a public service announcement produced by Howard Bragman and the Spectrum Center, the oldest US campus LGBT center at his alma mater, the University of Michigan. The film was broadcast in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Spectrum at last weekend's U of M football game.

The Spectrum Center: "Huddle Up" from Filmic Productions on Vimeo.

Carlin Yetts reports from San Francisco's WWB III wrestling tournament: part 4

You may remember Carlin Yetts as our 700th Facebook fan. Carlin is a wrestler from Columbus, Ohio, and in part to prepare for Gay Games 9 in nearby Cleveland+Akron, he has launched a new LGBT wrestling club in his town. 

He's back from San Francisco, where he competed in the third WWB wrestling tournament hosted by Golden Gate Wrestling Club.

Here is his final report on his experiences there for the Gay Games blog. 


Getting up Saturday for the WWB Cup, I felt like I was a freshman in high school all over again. New to freestyle wrestling, Ii took a crash course in the rules a practice the night before. So it was now or never, and I was ready to get at it. Since I left my singlet at home I was very honored to wear one of Gene's. Those who know Gene and me know that I'm a bit bigger than him, so while it may have fit fine on Gene, on me, it left nothing to the imagination. So singlet, shoes, and knee pads on, I'm ready t owrestle in my first freestyle tournament ever.

My first match was against John Flavia from Southern California. Still in the folkstyle mindset, I wanted to give it my all. I didn't travel out here to get pushed around just because I don't know any freestyle moves. The firstt period went to John. I was giving up points for being pushed out of bounds. I didn't realize that this was giving him points! Like I said, I'm a newbie to freestyle.

(Thanks to Golden Gate Wrestling Club for this video of the match)

Another great thing was to be coached by Roger during the break. He calmed me down and got my focus back. In the second period John went in for a shot and I pulled a nice Turk on him. In the end, John won the period and the match. I was so pumped up, because even though I lost I knew I had gone out and given it my all. Then Gene came over to me and told me that I had done his singlet proud and that it was the best match he had seen. When he said that it almost brought me to tears. To hear that from the man who was at the first Gay Games say that to me, a guy who knows nothing about freestyle, was a true honor.

My next match was against Golden Gate Wrestling Club's very own Ross Capdeville. I had watched him wrestle in the previous round, and decided I was going to try to work the inside for a bearhug or throw. But
once I went for it and he saw what I was trying to do, he took it away from me. Ross won both periods but again I made him work for it and gave it my all.

After the tournament we all went back to Gene's house to eat and for the awards. John and I were given the award for the most exciting match. I was very honored that Gene and Roger chose our match.

This week has been such a eye-opening experience. Meeting new friends from different parts of the world. Learning a new form of wrestling in three days. Just that feeling of togetherness when all these clubs come together in one big family. No matter what your race, sexual orientation, or where you come from we are all wrestlers and we love this sport.

See you all at Sin City in January in Las Vegas!

Northwestern University athletics staff say "It Gets Better"

Northwestern University athletics staff have made a video for the "It Gets Better" project.

The video was filmed over the summer and features Northwestern Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips, head coaches Pat Fitzgerald (football), Kate Drohan (softball) and Claire Pollard (women's tennis) along with current or former student-athletes Michael Thompson (men's basketball), John Shurna (men's basketball), Amy Jaeschke (women's basketball) and Michelle Batts (softball).

Participants in Gay Games VII will remember that Northwestern hosted several sports, including wrestling, powerlifting and bodybuilding.

Find the full press release from Northwestern HERE.

View the video below, and visit our "It Gets Better" page HERE.