Brussels Gay Sports will offer a weekend of fun and fairplay in the capital of Europe, with volleyball, swimming, badminton, and tennis, as well as fitness and hiking.
26-28 October 2012 QueergamesBern Bern, Switzerland
The success of the first edition of the QueergamesBern proved the need for an LGBT multisport event in Switzerland. This year will be even bigger, with badminton, bowling, running, walking, floorball.
After this year's edition in Budapest at the EuroGames, the IGLFA Euro Cup heads to Dublin for 2013, hosted by the Dublin Devils and the Dublin Phoenix Tigers.
We like the fact that the TIP has once again produced a whole series of flyers promoting their multisport tournament, that they feature athletes from the various sports on offer, and that they focus on the message of playing sport together to fight discrimination.
A message from Ms Ingrid Beutler of SportAccord, the world's leading union of sports organizations:
Lausanne, 1 March 2012 – The Los Angeles Declaration agreed upon during the 5th IOC World Conference on Women and Sport held from 16-18 February 2012 in California had as one of its main themes the need to bring more women into management and leadership roles.
Much work is to be done if equality is to be reached in the near future. In a Factsheet on Women in Leadership Positions released by SportAccord today, only 13% of SportAccord members have females in Executive Committee positions. While this shows a 2% increase since July 2011 when the first Factsheet was released, only 24 women hold Executive Committee positions (or the equivalent) amongst the 105 international sports federations and organisations who are members of SportAccord.
There are 5 Women Presidents amongst the 105 SportAccord Members (1%), one less than in July 2011. As for women holding the Secretary General position, the increase was also of 1% making the female representation in this post 12%.
Despite the 5% decrease in the number of Executive Committees with 0 women, they still represent an alarming 28% of SportAccord Members. On the other side of the spectrum, an increase of 6% in Members with more than two female representatives in decision making positions was noted.
Almost half (46%) of SportAccord Members have only 0 to 20% of female representation in their leadership positions. As the number of Members with no female representation on their executive committees decreased by 6%, there was a 5% increase in the Members with over 20% of female representation.
Grouping the data in Olympic Programme Sports, IOC recognised Sports and SportAccord Associate Members leads to the conclusion that not much has changed over the last six months except for the 10% increase in SportAccord’s Associate Members with 20% or more women in leading positions.Overall, there was a small but positive evolution towards gender equity in leadership positions within SportAccord’s Members. The acceptance of the IOC 5th Conference on Women and Sport Declaration and the findings of SportAccord’s Factsheet on Women in Leadership Positions serve as motivation and inspiration to keep working towards Gender Equity.
Congratulations to "Just a Ball Game?" and all involved in this Football v Homophobia event!
As League leaders Hyde FC return to action this weekend and play Droylsden in the Blue Square North on 25th FEB 2012 at 3pm, they will once again create a little bit of history when they officially recognise the match as a FOOTBALL v HOMOPHOBIA event, and as part of LGBT History Month.
LGBT campaign and activist group "Just a Ball Game?" will be match ball sponsors, the first time any LGBT organisation has been match ball sponsors of a semi-professional football match in the UK. The day of awareness-raising has been jointly arranged by the club and "Just a Ball Game?" and we urge everyone who enjoys football whether they are LGBT or straight to come along and support the Tigers in this local derby and join in with the days events.
A number of LGBT campaigners and local players from Village Manchester FC will also attend the game and show support for the semi-pro club whose players will come out onto the pitch before kick -off wearing both "Just a Ball Game?" and Football v Homophobia t-shirts which they will then hand out to the fans. The Football v Homophobia banner will be on display throughout the game. Flyers, stickers and badges will be handed out to fans to help raise awareness around anti-gay issues in the game.
Founding director of "Just a Ball Game?" Lindsay England stated: "We are grateful for the support that Hyde FC are giving to help challenge any anti-gay prejudice in football, and although we will not change a culture over-night; much progress is being made to educate, and this is testimony to the club's proactive planning and forward thinking."
Alan Duffy of the Justin Campaign added: "The Justin Campaign is delighted that Hyde FC are supporting Football v Homophobia. The involvement of clubs such as The Tigers is vital to the continuing growth of our initiative in particular and the fight against homophobia, biphobia, transphobia in football in general."
Alan Duffy, Director of Communications, The Justin Campaign.
John Amaechi is a Gay Games Ambassador, but he's also an ambassador for the Special Olympics in the UK:
NBA Star and Special Olympics GB's ambassador John Amaechi was interviewed on BBC London radio Breakfast Show [listen below].
He talked about Unified Sports, an inclusive programme where athletes with learning disabilities practise and play together on the same teams with people without learning disabilities. Read more: HERE.
Special Olympics GB is Great Britain’s largest sports training and competition program which transforms the lives of young people and adults with learning disabilities through the power of sport.
The Unified Sports is run by the charity Special Olympics GB and supported by Coca‑Cola Great Britain. It will run in Great Britain as a series of coaching and competitive sports of all types throughout sport centres, clubs and communities all over the country.
Former NBA star John Amaechi OBE a Special Olympics GB ambassador and England Commonwealth Games medallist, visited Tower Hamlets College in East London to take part in the first Unified Basketball session of this initiative.
John said, “Unified Sports programmes will play a valuable role in breaking down the barriers to sport that exist for people with learning disabilities enabling them to compete in popular sports on the same team as those without learning disabilities; and in an environment that promotes equality and inclusion. With such a great range of sports to choose from now everyone can get involved. As we’ve shown here today, it can be a lot of fun.”
The growth of the Unified Sports program this year forms part of the long-term partnership between Coca‑Cola Great Britain and Special Olympics GB, which aims to make a range of sports more accessible for people with learning disabilities, empowering them and their families to take an active and more confident role in their communities.
Karen Wallin, CEO Special Olympics said:“With such an exciting year of sport ahead, young people around the country are being inspired to take up new sports, but for the 1.2million people in the UK with learning disabilities it’s not always easy to take part as they can often encounter exclusion and discrimination. The model of Unified Sports – bringing together athletes with and without learning disabilities – has been proven to overcome these difficulties and promote social inclusion. With many team sports to choose from, the Unified Sports programme will offer fun and fitness for thousands more people.”
Tower Hamlets College was chosen as the venue for the launch because of its commitment to disability sports. Last year the College launched the FE Special Games, a disability sports tournament, which was sponsored by Special Olympics GB.
We like the fact that the TIP has once again produced a whole series of flyers promoting their multisport tournament, that they feature athletes from the various sports on offer, and that they focus on the message of playing sport together to fight discrimination.
From Channel 4, a report featuring Stonewall FC, a member of FGG member organization IGLFA:
As the Football Association launches its strategy to combat homophobia, David Fuller asks why there is still so much resistance to gay footballers in the professional game.
Stonewall FC are probably the world's best gay football team - and they are on the front line of the battle against homophobia in football.
Today is their biggest match of the season so far: a cup quarterfinal.
Racism has filled the headlines, with several high-profile incidents leading to Prime Minister David Cameron calling a Downing Street summit later this week.
But for many campaigners, homophobia in football is a much bigger problem - and a fight that has barely begun.
However, as the Football Association launches its strategy to tackle homophobia in the wider game, Stonewall FC see their story as proof that attitudes can change.
Anti-homophobia strategy
In the past the FA has been accused of not taking homophobia seriously enough. This week's strategy launch was meant to happen two years ago. Campaigners have accused the FA of getting cold feet.
Gay rights activist Peter Tatchell has been working with the FA for 10 years, and says the association has not come up with enough concrete proposals to counter homophobia.
The FA disagrees. It says it has all the main gay rights groups fully behind its proposals.
'Stay in the closet'
It was black players that helped defeat racism on the terraces in the 80s. So are we any nearer to seeing gay footballers come out?
Publicist Max Clifford says he knows some gay footballers – and he would advise them to stay in the closet.
As a warning, gay players have the cautionary tale of the first "out" gay footballer, Justin Fashanu, who was bullied over his sexuality and later killed himself.
Most involved in this debate say they are aware of footballers who are out to teammates and those close to them. But what stops them coming out publicly is the reaction of the fans.
Even those on the front line think it would not be possible for a Premier League player to come out. Stonewall's Jamie Feldman admits he would stay in the closet if he was a professional footballer.
Gay footballers and fans hope to win eventually. But they know it will be a long, hard season.
Patrick Burke’s ‘You Can Play’ project launches on NBC featuring eight NHL players
Mar 4th, 2012 by Cyd Zeigler jr.
Philadelphia Flyer scout Patrick Burke has unveiled a new non-profit organization created to lay out the welcome mat in sports for LGBT athletes. The “You Can Play” project focuses on producing videos of mostly professional athletes with a simple message: If you can play sports, you’re always invited to play with us.
A 30-second video of eight NHL players (including Blue Jacket Rick Nash, right) saying various incarnations of “You can play” airs on NBC during the first intermission of the New York Rangers-Boston Bruins game Sunday, March 4. The game starts at 12:30pmET. The spot was shot and produced by HBO. It is the first of many the group says will soon be available on their Web site. You can watch a 60-second version of the video below.
Burke is the brother of the late Brendan Burke, the openly gay Miami (Ohio) men’s hockey manager who was killed in a car crash in 2010. Since Brendan’s death, Patrick has found incredible support for his brother and for gay equality in sports. In fact, he struggles to think of any personally homophobic incidents he has encountered in the NHL since Brendan’s death.
The “You Can Play Project” is designed to show that sports simply aren’t as homophobic as many people think.
“The sports world is all about just talent,” Burke told Outsports. “If you’re good enough to help a team win, you can play. Athletes aren’t as homophobic as people think. Athletes are ready for and would support a gay teammate. And for most of these guys it’s a complete non-issue.”
Keep reading HERE.
From Patrick Burke, brother of Brendan Burke and son of FGG Legacy Award winner Brian Burke, his message on You Can Play, his new organization aimed at supporting athletes who come out:
I am honored and proud to be a founding partner of the You Can Play Project. My brother Brendan taught me what the locker room can be like for young LGBT athletes, then showed me the difference one person can make by standing up for what is right. With the You Can Play Project, we hope to provide a means for athletes, coaches, and fans to stand up and create an atmosphere of inclusion. As each person or team stands up, LGBT athletes everywhere will become aware that they can be themselves without fear. Freed from the burdens of fear and shame, these athletes will be free to play to their full potential, making our teams, our leagues, and the sports themselves better, stronger, and more entertaining.
It's time to change the way the world thinks about athletes - both straight and gay. Talent, work ethic, and character are all that matters when evaluating a player. It's time for straight allies to show their character by enabling LGBT athletes to show their talents without fear. If you can play, You Can Play.
You Can Play is dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation.
You Can Play works to guarantee that athletes are given a fair opportunity to compete, judged by other athletes and fans alike, only by what they contribute to the sport or their team’s success.
You Can Play seeks to challenge the culture of locker rooms and spectator areas by focusing only on an athlete’s skills, work ethic and competitive spirit.
In 2009, the Federation of Gay Games offered its first Legacy Award for Outreach and Scholarship Support to Dick Uyvari and Joe La Pat. Dick Uyvari and his late partner Joe La Pat are both leading lights of the Chicago LGBT sports scene, as competitors and organisers in bowling and other sports, and more recently as the primary donors to the Gay Games VII scholarship fund, which brought dozens of athletes and artists from around the world to Chicago in 2006.
We like the fact that the TIP has once again produced a whole series of flyers promoting their multisport tournament, that they feature athletes from the various sports on offer, and that they focus on the message of playing sport together to fight discrimination.
Toby Helm writes in the Guardian on the situation of Saudi athletes:
Saudi Arabia has been accused of breaching the spirit of the Olympic movement by discriminating against women in sport and failing to bring a female team to the 2012 London Games.
Tessa Jowell, the former culture secretary and Olympics minister – who is now a member of the Olympic Board – said the Saudis were "clearly breaking the spirit of the Olympic Charter's pledge to equality" with their attitude to women in sport and the Games.
The Saudi government, which closed private gyms for women in 2009 and 2010 and severely limits their ability to undertake physical activity, is under mounting international pressure to adopt a more liberal approach.
Jowell spoke out after a report by Human Rights Watch highlighted the way in which Saudi Arabian women and girls are denied the right to sport.
[...]
The International Olympic Committee reserves a limited number of places for male and female athletes who are not required to meet the qualifying standards in swimming and athletics events. However, despite this concession, Saudi Arabia has never sponsored a female team and its national Olympic committee does not have a women's section.
Jowell stopped short of saying the Saudis should be excluded from this year's or future Games if they did not improve their record. But she called on them to demonstrate a commitment to change, noting that Afghanistan was banned from the 2000 Sydney Olympics over its attitude to women under Taliban rule.
"The London Games would be the perfect opportunity for the Saudis to spell out a way forward," she said. "I would like to see them set out a clear plan for equal inclusion of women in time for the 2016 games in Rio de Janiero. This has to be a substantive commitment."
Barbara Keeley, a Labour MP who works extensively to promote women's sport, said female athletes had fought for more than a hundred years to take part in the Olympics on an equal basis with men. "It is time to call a halt to discrimination against women in Olympic events. It seems totally unacceptable for any country competing in the Olympics to be allowed to have a team that is entirely male."
A spokesman for the IOC said some progress was being made. "The IOC strives to ensure the Olympic Games and the Olympic movement are universal and non-discriminatory, in line with the Olympic Charter and our values of respect, friendship and excellence. National Olympic committees are encouraged to uphold that spirit in their delegations. The IOC does not give ultimatums or deadlines, but believes a lot can be achieved through dialogue.
"We have been in regular contact with the three national Olympic committees that have yet to send women to the Olympics, ie Qatar, Brunei and Saudi Arabia. As a result of fruitful discussions, the three NOCs included women in their delegations competing at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last summer. Dalma Rushdi Malas was one of them. She was the first female Saudi athlete to compete in an Olympic competition and claimed a bronze medal in the equestrian jumping event."
As part of their new initiative against homophobia in football, the English Football Association has produced a document, which can be downloaded HERE. Featured in the document are representatives of FGG member organizations Lou Englefield (Pride Sports) and Paul Miller (IGLFA). The FGG is proud of the involvement of our member organizations in such important projects that further our goal of equality in and by sport.
Better late than never? An oldish story, but a good one!
It is great that among the four icons on this issue is an athlete, Gay Games Ambassador Matthew Mitcham, as reported in the Pink Paper:
GT magazine marks its landmark 400th issue with four celebratory covers featuring iconic gay men – sportsman Matthew Mitcham, actor Sir Ian McKellen and singer Joe McElderry – and the world's most famous female gay icon, Lady Gaga.
The issue celebrates 37 years of GT (Gay Times) from its humble beginnings in 1974 as HIM Magazine, the UK’s first newsstand title for gay men.
The issue features the great and the good of 37 years of our collective ‘Gay Times’ including Matthew Mitcham, Sir Ian McKellen, Joe McElderry, Will Young, Matt Lucas, Brian Dowling, Paul O’Grady, Gok Wan, Chris Bryant MP, Mike Mills, Nick Bowles MP, Rikki Beadle-Blair, Jonathan Harvey, Scott Mills, John Barrowman and Patrick Wolf.
We like the fact that the TIP has once again produced a whole series of flyers promoting their multisport tournament, that they feature athletes from the various sports on offer, and that they focus on the message of playing sport together to fight discrimination.
Gay Games Ambassador Blake Skjellerup is heading to Shanghai where he'll be competing for New Zealand in the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships.
Welcome to GaydarRadio’s Hero and Heroine Awards 2012!
Throughout January, February and March we're celebrating LGBT History Month by recognising the people who influence and make a difference to the LGBT community in the UK.
We'll also be running our Hero and Heroine Awards where you’ll get the chance to nominate and vote for the people you think make a significant contribution to our lives. So, get your thinking caps on and see who you'd like to nominate as a Hero or Heroine for 2012. Voting has now opened!
Every Sunday for the next twelve weeks, GaydarRadio will be interviewing an important person from the LGBT community who is successful in their field. The special guests will talk about the heroes who have influenced their lives, before being crowned GaydarRadio’s Hero or Heroine of the Week!
GaydarRadio’s Hero and Heroine season is a celebration of everything LGBT and proves that we are all heroes from our own community!5) Sports Personality of the Year
The shortlist of sports personalities is:
Anton Hysen
Ben Cohen
David Beckham
Gareth Thomas
Tom Daly
Anton Hysen is also nominated as "Hero of the Year", and Gareth Thomas as "Celebrity of the Year".
(Question: where are the female sports personalities???)
From stltoday.com, news on Al Fischer, now fired from a second position after church officials learned of his intent to marry his male partner.
Of course, it is not particularly shocking to be a victim of homophobia when one works for an employer affiliated with an officially homophobic institution, it still sucks.
And this action may impact the Gay Games community directly, because Fischer is also the director of the Gateway Men's Chorus in St Louis, a member of FGG member organization GALA Choruses.
The Catholic school music teacher who was recently fired after church officials learned that he planned to marry his male partner of 20 years has been fired from a second position in the Archdiocese of St. Louis: as a music director at a north St. Louis County Catholic church. Al Fischer, 46, learned Wednesday night from a pastor at St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Catholic Church in Florissant that he could no longer work as one of the parish's part-time music directors, a paid position he's held for several years, according to Fischer's partner, Charlie Robin. The reason given by the priest, according to Robin, was that Fischer's firing and pending marriage had become "too public of an issue." A story about Fischer's firing was published on the front page of Wednesday's Post-Dispatch.
Neither the pastor nor Fischer could be reached for comment Thursday. But a spokeswoman for the archdiocese said in an email Thursday that Fischer "was relieved of his duties (at St. Rose) when he publicly demonstrated a life inconsistent with Catholic teaching. This is outlined in the Christian Witness Statement that is on the first page of the Parish Employee Handbook." The email said the witness statement applies to all employees of the archdiocese and its parishes and schools.
Fischer was fired Feb. 17 from his job as music teacher at St. Ann Catholic School in Normandy, where he'd taught for four years. Several sources have said Fischer's sexual orientation was well-known at the school. According to Robin, officials first took action against Fischer after a representative of the archdiocese overheard Fischer talking to co-workers about the couple's plan to marry in New York City on March 9.
Robin said Fischer signed a Christian Witness Statement at St. Ann, but that he was never asked to sign such a document at St. Rose. The witness statement says all who serve in Catholic education should, among other requirements, "not take a public position contrary to the Catholic Church" and "demonstrate a public life consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church."
The top photos from the exhibition held in conjunction with the EGLSF AGA in Split can be viewed online thanks to The Independent. View them HERE.
The photo above is by Luciana Magalhaes from Portugal:
"In this image that I called GO (60) we see an attitude of pure altruism, an act of solidarity. In the event, 'April 25 Race', an athlete that had special needs and showed some difficulties in going on is helped by the generous heart of another sportsman who is more used to these situations. He held out his hand to him, hence providing him with the satisfaction of crossing the finish line. This man shares generously a smile, brings the joy of a 'mission accomplished' to another in a world where, increasingly, selfishness, greed and avarice prevail. By reaching goals together, without discrimination, and calling for diversity, we will make Europe a place for all, so GO EUROPE!"
Last year, Downtown Soccer Toronto (DST) released a sexy calendar to raise money for the Justin Campaign, a British-based sports charity aimed at educating children and fighting homophobia in sports.
The Justin Campaign was founded in memory of UK footballer Justin Fashanu. Before Fashanu came out in 1990 he was one of football’s brightest stars and the first black footballer to make £1 million. But no other athletes followed him out of the closet, and for eight years he was the UK’s only openly gay man in professional football.
Homophobia blighted Fashanu’s career until his retirement in 1997. His brother publicly disowned him, and Brian Clough, Fashanu’s team manager, barred him from training with the team when he found out he was gay. In 1998, a 17-year-old American accused Fashanu of sexual assault. The media erroneously reported that the police were out to arrest Fashanu, even though there was insufficient evidence to lay charges. Fashanu succumbed to public humiliation. In his suicide note he wrote, “I realized that I had already been presumed guilty. I do not want to give any more embarrassment to my friends and family.”
Why did DST go so far afield in the search for a recipient charity? The short answer is that there doesn’t seem to be a charity dedicated specifically to fighting homophobia in professional sports in Canada.
That absence may seem odd, but Avery Miller, a DST spokesperson, says Canadians do not share Brits’ near-obsessive passion for sports. And, until recently, most people involved with Canada’s gay movement seemed focused on winning legal rights. Gay politicos in the UK, on the other hand, tend to be more focused on turning hearts and minds away from homophobia than pursuing court cases and fighting for legislative reform.
We like the fact that the TIP has once again produced a whole series of flyers promoting their multisport tournament, that they feature athletes from the various sports on offer, and that they focus on the message of playing sport together to fight discrimination.
Tonci Kranjcevic Batalic writes on the work of video artists featured in conjunction with the EGLSF AGA opening in Split (details HERE):
The image of sport that we have today is a spectacular image with set meanings, defined mostly by media, especially televised pictures.
In the 60s Marshall McLuhan tried to define TV's image on the basis of its technical specifications, as well as physical and psychological perceptions of it, as a "cool" medium, or medium that requires an additional commitment for the interpretation of information, thus making the receiver of the image an active and critical observer.
The situation we have today with the presentation of sports as a spectacle in media is just the opposite: a uniform image of sports where viewer is treated as a passive observer, and his emotional reaction is simplified to basic euphoria or disappointment about the success or failure of a sport event. Such a communication process would classify TV media as a "hot" media, a term which for McLuhan describes "high definition" media. It is interesting that today, with the transition of TV images to HD, the viewer has made the path from active to passive recipient. However changes of the technical characteristics of media did not play the key role in that transition. The level of individual experience interacts with media and socio-cultural context play the key role in defining reception.
Apart from being presented in a form of video, the works of artists in this exhibition have in common a demand for an active and critical interpretation of offered information. Another common point in presented works is artist's performative act, in which the artist, accepting or violating the rules of sport, creates new and unfamiliar situations that reflect both personal and social reality.
Freedom of decision and imposed social values are related to the construction of gender identity in the works of Renata Poljak and Vedran Perkov. From the perspective of sport, the works of Boris Šitum and Sandra Sterle manifest absurd situations. Sterle's act is opposing professionalization of sports and thus indicates aesthetic and ideological elements of sport as a game. The absurdity of Šitum's serves from the roof of the bankrupted Uzor factory refers to the current socio-political situation. Experimenting with recording and animation, Ana Hušman reconstructs the historic match between Argentina and England in 1986, thus indicating the social and political relations that can be found in football.
A wide range of topics found in these sport-related performative acts indicate multiple possibilities of sports in the construction of individual and social realities and identities, which are usually ignored in spectacularized and professionalized sports of today. This exhibition is a reaction to passive acceptance of simplified sport images promoted by the media and society. It is an incentive for understanding sport as a space of realization of different kinds of social and human conditions.
Tonci Kranjcevic Batalic writes in pogledaj.to ("look") on the work of video artists featured in conjunction with the EGLSF AGA opening in Split.
Što se sve može izraziti koristeći jezik sporta, tema je projekcija koje se ovog vikenda održavaju u Splitu. Kao popratni program konferencije Conte[s|x]ting SPORT, danas u 18h u auditoriumu hostela Goli±Bosi održava se program Više od sporta.
Radovi pet hrvatskih umjetnika, osim video forme u kojoj su prezentirani, veže i izvedbeni akt u kojem usvajaju jezik sporta. Prihvaćajući pravila sporta ili kršeći ih, u video radovima stvaraju nove i nepoznate situacije koje obilježavaju kako osobnu, tako i društvenu realnost.
Pitanja slobode odluke i društveno nametnutih vrijednosti isprepleću se s konstrukcijom rodnog identiteta u radovima Renate Poljak i Vedrana Perkova. Iz perspektive sporta, radovi Sandre Sterle i Borisa Šituma donose apsurdne situacije. Kod Sterle apsurd je oprečan profesionalizaciji sporta te tako ukazuje na estetski i ideološki element koji sport nosi u sebi kao igra, a kod Šituma apsurdno ponavljanje serviranja lopti s krova propale tvornice Uzor problematizira aktualnu društveno-političku situaciju.
The U.K. has taken steps forward to combat homophobia in sport this week, with Prime Minister David Cameron meeting with football representatives and equality organizations Wednesday.
The meeting was held because of the recent series of racism accusations, but Cameron said the meeting was to “reaffirm our vigilance against racism – and all forms of discrimination.”
Amal Fashanu, niece of Justin Fashanu and who recently made a documentary video about homosexuality in football, was one of the participants at the meeting. This past week the FA launched an action plan for tackling homophobia at a grassroots level, but Cameron also pushed for more work to be done in the top leagues.
“It’s obviously quite unlikely that there are no gay Premiership players, and that tells you something about the tolerance within the game,” said Steve Field, Cameron’s spokesman.
Meanwhile, the FA have punished West Ham player Ravel Morrison for a homophobic remark he made on Twitter. The player was fined £7000 and warned about any future misconduct after admitting to the charge of “using abusive and/or insulting words including a reference to a person’s sexual orientation.” (The Telegraph)
Finally in Scotland, a new initiative was launched Tuesday against homophobia in Scottish sport as part of Football vs Homophobia week. The initiative, Out for Sport, will be run by the Equality Network, a charity working for LGBT human rights in Scotland, with work also being done by LEAP Sports Scotland, a national organization established to support LGBT sporting groups. Out for Sport will research homophobia and transphobia in Scottish sport and use the results to produce a series of recommendations to the Scottish government and sports bodies.
Scott Cuthbertson, Community Development Coordinator for the Equality Network, said; “For too long homophobia and transphobia has been allowed to plague Scottish sport, with prejudice and discrimination too often left unchallenged. This will be Scotland’s biggest research to date on homophobia and transphobia in sport.
With all eyes on Scottish sport in the lead up to the Olympics and Glasgow Commonwealth games, now is the right time to ensure sport is fully inclusive to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.” (Gay Today)
Des Nouvelles News, à propos de la déclaration faite par le Comité international olympique suite à la conférence de Los Angeles :
Les promesses du CIO pour un sport plus féminin
Cafouillage - Écrit par Arnaud Bihel - Lundi, 20 Février 2012 17:20
Le Comité international olympique promet de renforcer la place des femmes aux postes de responsabilité. Et se félicite que les JO de Londres seront les premiers Jeux paritaires. Mais n'évoque qu'entre les lignes le cas sensible de l'Arabie Saoudite.
Une déclaration de bonnes intentions. La 5ème Conférence mondiale sur les femmes et le sport organisée par le Comité international olympique (CIO) a abouti samedi 18 février à l'adoption de la "déclaration de Los Angeles". Le texte met notamment en avant la nécessité de faire accéder davantage de femmes aux postes de responsabilité dans le domaine sportif.
« Je promets que nous ferons ce qui est nécessaire », a assuré Jacques Rogge, président du CIO. Le comité devrait « revoir le nombre minimum » de femmes nommées dans ses instances décisionnaires, stipule la déclaration. Les comités nationaux sont également invités à faire de même. Le texte n'a toutefois rien de contraignant et ne fixe pas d'objectifs chiffrés. Aujourd'hui, les 4 vice-présidents du Bureau exécutif du CIO sont des hommes. Sur ses 10 autres membres, on ne compte que 2 femmes.
Juste une allusion
La déclaration de Los Angeles salue le fait que les JO de Londres seront « historiques » dans la mesure où, pour la première fois, tous les sports au programme des Jeux connaîtront des épreuves féminines.
Mais le texte souligne que ce principe « devrait être étendu pour assurer que tous les comités nationaux incluront des femmes dans leurs sélections ». Une allusion, sans la nommer, à l'Arabie Saoudite, dont la délégation aux Jeux de Londres risque d'être exclusivement masculine... comme cela a toujours été le cas, sans que le pays ait été pénalisé par les instances olympiques.
La semaine dernière, l'ONG Human Rights Watch appelait le CIO à ne pas se contenter de déclarations d'intention et à se montrer ferme à l'encontre du royaume intégriste, qui « mène une politique discriminatoire systématique à l’encontre des femmes dans les domaines du sport et de l’éducation physique ».
A la clôture de la Conférence de Los Angeles, Jacques Rogge a assuré que des discussions se poursuivaient avec les autorités du royaume pour assurer la présence d'athlètes saoudiennes à Londres. Le président du CIO s'est déclaré « prudemment optimiste ».
Notre réaction : On constate que la parité n'est pas atteinte en termes d'égalité d'accès des hommes et des femmes aux sports olympiques (exclusion des hommes de la natation synchronisée, par exemple), que le CIO n'a pas pris une position claire et ferme de protection des sportives des pressions religieuses, et que la parité en termes de participation dont se vante le CIO cache des disparités honteuses entre sports et entre pays, avec le cas de l'Arabie saoudite n'étant que le cas extrême d'un problème bien plus large. Le mouvement sportif a, avec raison, exclu pendant des années un pays, l'Afrique du sud, qui privait une partie de sa population d'accès au sport. Comme c'est trop souvent le cas, une discrimination tout autant flagrante, tout autant inacceptable, tout autant contraire aux principes de la Charte olympique passe comme si c'était normal, ou en tout cas acceptable lorsqu'il s'agit de femmes. Ne serait-ce pas temps que l'on oblige le club fermé de l'élite (quasi exclusivement masculine) du CIO, autoproclamé maître du sport, anti-démocratique, à respecter au moins, au moins ses propres principes ?
Friend of LGBT sport Stephen Frost, director of diversity and inclusion at the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, recently lost his father.
On behalf of the Federation of Gay Games and the Gay Games family, we send our sincere condolences to Stephen and his family.
Madison Gay Hockey Association's 4th Blades Against AIDS
Sunday, March 18, 2012 from 1:00pm until 3:00pm
This open skate fundraiser, sponsored by Kraft Oscar Mayer and the CUNA Mutual Foundation, will help to raise awareness around how HIV disproportionately affects the LGBTQ community. All proceeds benefit AIDS Network.
In 2009, the Federation of Gay Games offered its first Legacy Award for Outreach and Scholarship Support to Dick Uyvari and Joe La Pat. Dick Uyvari and his late partner Joe La Pat are both leading lights of the Chicago LGBT sports scene, as competitors and organisers in bowling and other sports, and more recently as the primary donors to the Gay Games VII scholarship fund, which brought dozens of athletes and artists from around the world to Chicago in 2006.
