Ross Hayduk hiking for the AIDS Memorial Grove

We are pleased to share some news from Ross Hayduk, former Team San Francisco delegate to the Federation of Gay Games.

Ross Hayduk, an inspiring friend to – and volunteer of – the National AIDS Memorial Grove, is embarking on an incredible journey. Inspired by the life of Dr. Tom Waddell (whose name was inscribed in the Grove in 2011), Ross became a Gay Games athlete in the 2002 and 2006 events, earning medals in Track & Field and Powerlifting. After participating in a 200-mile cycling event in 2010 and a 218-mile hiking event in 2011, Ross decided to combine his passions for endurance events and fundraising by planning to hike the 2,184-mile Appalachian Trail in 2012 to benefit the National AIDS Memorial Grove.

“I decided I could either traverse the Grove 7,688 times or hike 2,184 miles along the great American trail,” Ross jokes. “But as I hike, I will have a daily reminder of the beauty of this national memorial set in the heart of Golden Gate Park.” Inspired by the message of healing, hope and remembrance, Ross is investing his personal resources, as well as six months of his life, into a long-distance hike to draw attention to HIV-related health issues.

“I believe we can overcome challenges to our health like HIV, substance abuse, and bipolar depression, especially with the support of non-profit HIV/AIDS service organizations. But we must remember those who have gone before, who did not have the breadth of services available today. The only reason I am able to hike over two thousand miles is due to the sacrifices made by those whose names are inscribed within the Circle of Friends.”

Those interested in following his hike online [and donating] may visit www.HikeRossHike.org. Beginning in March in Georgia and ending in September in Maine, Ross looks forward to the adventure of a lifetime, trusting that his efforts will bring greater awareness to the National AIDS Memorial Grove in 2012.

En français / Tribune sur l'exclusion des hommes de la natation syncrhonisée

Après le reportage dans Métro, le Nouvel observateur publie une tribune d'un nageur de Paris Aquatique sur l'interdiction édictée par FINA à la participation de nageurs masculins aux compétitions internationales de natation synchronisée :

Est-il normal, en 2012, que l’accès aux compétitions d’un sport ou d’un autre soit encore limité à un seul sexe ?

Nombreux sont les exemples au sein du milieu sportif, où les femmes doivent se battre pour trouver leur place au niveau international. Mais elles ne sont pas les seules !

Chorégraphie de l'équipe masculine de natation synchronisée , 2 octobre 2011 , Paris Aquatique

Nous sommes des hommes nageurs de natation synchronisée et interdits de participation aux compétitions organisées par la FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur).

Les efforts et les progrès de la section créée en 1998 au sein de mon club, "Paris Aquatique", ont su convaincre la FFN (Fédération Française de Natation) de notre entière légitimité dans ce sport. Depuis la modification du règlement national en 2005, les ballets entièrement masculins sont acceptés en compétitions et intégrés au classement. Les podiums sont séparés dès qu’il y a au moins 4 équipes du même sexe par catégorie.

Continuer à lire ICI.

IOC Women and Sport conference: report from Friday morning

A report from Shamey Cramer from the IOC Women and Sport conference in Los Angeles:

During Friday's opening session, Lord Sebastien Coe, head of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, proudly announced that 50% of all London Olympics management staff are women, and that for the first time in Olympic history, the Director of Sport is a woman (Debbie Jevans). While Lord Coe announced 17% ethnic diversity, there was alas no mention of LGBT inclusion. We know has been an effort for LOCOG, and regret that Lord Coe remained silent on this "thread" of diversity.

Ms. Ann Stock, Assistant Secretary of the Education and culture Affairs Bureau for the US Department of State, laid out the three-pronged effort of Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton's "Smart Power Diplomacy" initiative, which will employ Mentors, Envoys and visitors between the US and 190 countries to engage and empower women through sports initiatives. Stating "Women achieve higher education and employment when active in sports," Ms. Stock went on to state that the Smart Power Diplomacy initiative will kick off this September, the 40th anniversary of Title IX which provided equal opportunities for women in collegiate and scholastic sports programs. US soccer player Danielle Slayton is currently in Malaysia as part of the State Department's effort. As a Mentor, Slayton is focusing on teaching leadership skills, the importance of team work and how to make effective lifetime network connections. A few of the initial countries engaged in this initiative include the Caribbean, Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt and Zimbabwe.

Roland Rich, Executive Director of the United Nations Democracy Fund made a presentation on what the UNDF has been doing to promote women through their efforts. "Women are the largest marginalized society on the planet" Rich stated. "Engaging them provides the greatest opportunity to change the patriarchal politics. The role of women in any given society is a good litmus test of modernity. The IOC and the UN strongly embrace this belief and look forward to a successful, continuing partnership in this effort."

Read all our coverage of this conference HERE.

Polar Magazine profiles Gay Games Ambassador John Amaechi, patron of UK LGBT History Month

Polar Magazine profiles Gay Games Ambassador John Amaechi, patron of UK LGBT History Month:


It’s hardly a surprise that with the Olympics looming (161 days and counting, if the clock hasn’t stopped… again) the focus of this year’s LGBT History Month is sport. Sport is one of the final frontiers of LGBT equality. The BBC documentary Britain’s Gay Footballers evidenced that there is still a lot of progress to be made despite the recent flurry of gay sportsmen coming out of the closet. This year, at the launch of LGBT History Month, John Amaechi was named, alongside former Welsh rugby captain Gareth Thomas, as one of the patrons of LGBT History Month.

Keep reading HERE.

En català / Dia Internacional contra la homofòbia en el futbol 2012

Dia Internacional contra la homofòbia en el futbol 2012 Panteres Grogues. Convidat especial Jonathan De Falco en la conferencia prèvia en el Hotel Axel. Retransmesa per BTV en entrevista en directe previ a la conferència. (With translation by Marc Andreu!)

IOC presents Women and Sport awards

From the IOC:

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday honoured five women and one organisation for their outstanding contributions to the development of women’s participation in sport and sports administration during a ceremony for the 2012 IOC Women and Sport Awards in Los Angeles.

Presented on the opening night of the 5th World Conference on Women and Sport, the trophies were awarded to one global and five continental winners selected by the IOC Women and Sport Commission from a pool of 52 nominees. The applicants were submitted by National Olympic Committees (NOCs), Continental Associations and International Federations.

India’s Manisha Malhotra was presented with the World Trophy for her commitment to helping disadvantaged girls progress through sport. Following a professional tennis career that saw her compete in the 2000 Olympic Games, Malhotra started offering women support in a range of sports, including archery, wrestling, boxing, badminton, athletics, squash and shooting. She travels all over India – visiting some of the country’s most remote areas – to find talented individuals among the socio-economically deprived.

As Chair of the Sports Committee of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, Malhotra has also worked tirelessly to promote female leaders in all aspects of sport in the economic sector.

Photo Shamey Cramer, FGG

“As a former Olympian, Ms Malhotra knows how important a tool sport can be in the lives of young women,” said IOC President Jacques Rogge, who was on hand to present the trophy to Malhotra. “Ms Malhotra has been, and continues to be, an inspiration to everyone she meets. I applaud her and all of tonight’s winners for everything they have done to help improve the lives of women around the world.”

The five continental trophies were awarded as follows:

- IOC Trophy for Africa: Peninnah Aligawesa Kabenge (Uganda)
- IOC Trophy for the Americas: the Bradesco Sports and Education Progamme and Centre (Brazil)
- IOC Trophy for Asia: Zaiton Othman (Malaysia)
- IOC Trophy for Europe: Aikaterini Nafplioti-Panagopoulos (Greece)
- IOC Trophy for Oceania: Roseline Blake (Cook Islands)

Click here to learn more about their profiles and achievements.

The 5th World Conference on Women and Sport, jointly organised by the IOC, United States Olympic Committee and the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games, concludes on 18 February.

Read all our coverage of this conference HERE.

More on the exclusion of men from international syncrhonized swimming

Jean-Philippe Franqueville, a swimmer from Paris Aquatique, a member club of Paris Aquatique, a member club of FGG member organizations FSGL and IGLA, has recently been invited to write on the website of noted French newsmagazine Le Nouvel Observateur on the exclusion of men from international synchronized swimming competitions.


Here is a summary of his piece:

There are many sports where women are fighting for a place in international sports competition, but they’re not alone.

It is thanks to the efforts of the synchronized swimming team of Paris Aquatique that the French federation modified its rules in 2005 to accept male teams. And if there are at least four teams of a gender in the event, separate rankings are made.

While the originality of our performances pleases spectators and fans, we face a great deal of prejudice from many, in particular with regard to the artistic element of the sport. Many swimmers can become discouraged by the mocking of male synchronized swimmers.

We bring “masculinity” to our performances, through the power of our movements, the themes of our ballets, and our musical choices. We don’t mimic women swimmers: we use the same techniques to produce a different result.

Men can only reach the highest level if they begin young. But until the sport is truly open to men, this will not be possible.

We asked the IOC to allow us to do a demonstration at the London Olympics, a request that was refused;

The rules of FINA do not in fact ban men, and refer only to “competitors”. But when we try to register online for competitions, as soon as we identify ourselves as men, the option “synchronized swimming” disappears from the options;

Other countries are changing their rules and several male teams now exist. But FINA refuses to budge. This is odd, since the sport was created by men, and only spread later to women.

16 March 2012 / Sing with the New York City Gay Men's Chorus!

A message about a fun event from NYCGMC, a member of FGG member GALA Choruses:

New York City Gay Men’s Chorus presents the opportunity of a lifetime! We are offering you the chance to sing with the chorus and full band in our up-coming ‘Big Gay Sing 4′ concert, which will take place on either Friday March 16th or Saturday March 17th at 8pm at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.

Entering is easy! Just read the rules and then follow the simple instructions carefully. [ALL LINKS HERE]

The Rules – Please Read These Carefully Before Entering

How to enter: Entries to the competition will initially be by a Video or MP3 audio file of you singing only the first 32 measures of Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’, exactly as printed in one of the two pdf files below. If female, it is important that you sing the one in female key, and if male, the male key. The chosen winners will perform the entire song at the concert, but we only need 32 measures for the audition. Please note that to enter, you MUST sing the appropriate audition piece in the key given A Capella (without accompaniment). Videos and MP3′s with photo submitted will appear on our website.

The Selection process: Once all the entries are in, we will then select up to 2 finalists – One for the 16th and one for the 17th. Each will sing on one of the two nights.

Your availability: To enter you must be available at both of the following times:
Tuesday March 13th from 7-9pm, at a rehearsal studio in Manhattan, for a 20 minute meeting and rehearsal with the Artistic Director and Director of the show.
Friday March 16th and/or Saturday March 17th for your performance. Please keep both nights free. The call time will be 7pm. Please note, we may also need you on the afternoon of your performance day for a 5-10 minute sound check at some point between 2 and 5pm.

Exclusions: Entries are open to any member of the public over 18 who can make themselves available at both times required. We welcome the family and friends of chorus members, as well as members of other GALA choruses and choirs in New York City. However, current or past members of NYCGMC may not apply.

Deadline: All entries must be uploaded to our server by midnight March 11, 2012. If shortlisted, we will call and email you on the 12th, and we will need to speak to you by phone that day, to confirm your rehearsal time on the 13th, which will be between 7 and 9pm.

Keep reading HERE.

Why won't you be seeing any male synchronized swimmers in London this summer?

As we reported HERE, French daily paper Métro devoted a long article on the refusal of FINA to accept male swimmers in international synchronized swimming competitions. Here is a summary of the article which focuses on Paris Aquatique, a member club of FGG member organizations FSGL and IGLA: 

There is only one male synchronized swimming team in France, that of Paris Aquatique. They can compete in French national competitions, but are barred from international events, including the Olympics.

Christian Bordeleau (FGG sports coordinator for synchronized swimming) protests: Why is it considered a women's sport? Because it's artistic. You have to be a bit open minded to understand that an artistic sport can be practiced by men.

The best male French swimmers are ranked 11th nationally in duet. American swimmer Kenyon Smith and German swimmer Niklas Stoepel do have an international level.

The national technical advisor for the sport claims that the issue is one of a lack of sufficient participants: it's not possible to have international competitions until the sport is practiced by men in more countries.

Male swimmers admit that there are too few men to compete in a men's division, and are pushing for mixed-gender competitions, like those that take place nationally. FINA remains closed to the idea, which the Paris Aquatique trainer claims is pure discrimination.

While FINA rules speak of “swimmers”, without a reference to gender, forms and competitions remain closed to men.

With regard to the artistic nature of the sport, the men point out that while they may be less “graceful” than women, they offer other qualities, including strength. Some coaches appreciate the originality male swimmers can offer. They note that mixed-gender events take place in sports like figure skating, tennis, shooting, equestrian, etc.

Roger Brigham's 30 years as an out sports journalist

Photo: Courtesy Jim Lavrakas, Anchorage Daily News 

Roger Brigham looks back on 30 years as an out sports journalist in his column this week in the Bay Area Reporter:

February 1982. I get up from my desk at the Anchorage Daily News and head to the editor's office, pumped up and ready for a fight. I walk through the room past colleagues and friends, feeling for the moment very alone, very isolated, and very unsure about what is about to happen.

Whatever it is, I am ready for it.

So I walk into the glassed-in office and tell my boss I'm gay.

At the time, I had not yet even come out to my parents. They were thousands of miles away in the Midwest and I did not want to tell them until I knew they would be able to see me often enough to know I was happy, the only thing they ever said they wanted me to be.

And I had no gay-and-out friends in sports. Glenn Burke's story had not yet been published in Inside Sports , and word of the first Gay Olympic Games to be held later that year in San Francisco had not hit Alaska yet. The only gay athlete I had even heard of was former NFL player David Kopay; he was a remote source of inspiration at the time, but the lack of others reinforced my concerns that this was going to be a very lonely and cold excursion.

Keep reading HERE.

We hope for many more years of thoughtful sports coverage from Roger, and thank him for the countless great stories already shared.

IOC conference opens

A press release from the IOC Women and Sport conference in which the Federation of Gay Games is participating:

Los Angeles again welcomes leaders of the worldwide Olympic Movement
IOC World Conference on Women and Sport includes 750 delegates from 140 countries

LOS ANGELES - The International Olympic Committee 5th World Conference on Women and Sport opens today in Los Angeles for 750 delegates from 140 countries. The three-day IOC event - hosted jointly by the U.S. Olympic Committee and Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games - will analyze the progress made within the Olympic Movement and identify ways to improve and increase the participation of women in sport.

“We’re pleased to be returning to a city with such great Olympic history,” said IOC President Jacques Rogge. “As we join the leaders of the Olympic Movement in working toward the common goal of advancing women in sport, our memories will be taken back to those magical two weeks in 1984 when the world turned its eyes on Los Angeles.”

The quadrennial conference is being held in the Americas for the first time and coincides with the 40th anniversary of Title IX, the 1972 landmark federal legislation milestone that opened the door for girls and women to participate in high school and college athletics.

“This critical conference falls during an especially significant time, as we reflect on the impact that Title IX has had in this country,” said Anita DeFrantz, the senior U.S. IOC member and chair of the IOC Women and Sport Commission. “While we have seen a substantial growth in female participation in all aspects of sport, we recognize that there is more to be done and this conference will provide a forum to share ideas among the worldwide Olympic Movement.”

Under the theme “Together Stronger: The Future of Sport,” the global event is co-chaired by two-time Olympic figure skating medalist Michelle Kwan and Hollywood producer Frank Marshall, under the direction of DeFrantz.

“Together Stronger really reflects the purpose of this conference,” said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. “By gathering some of the most influential and prominent leaders - both men and women - from around the world, we hope to use collaboration and partnership to further advance the idea of equality in the Olympic Movement and beyond.”

Beyond numerous notable IOC members, the long list of distinguished speakers and participants includes Rogge; actress Geena Davis; Lord Sebastian Coe, president of the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games; Billie Jean King, tennis legend and women’s equality advocate; Nancy Hogshead-Makar, Olympic medalist swimmer and Title IX expert; Donna de Varona, Olympic champion swimmer; and various other Olympians and Paralympians.

Other participants include Blackmun and USOC Chairman Larry Probst, along with representatives from National Olympic Committees, International and National Sport Federations, non-governmental bodies, global companies, universities and the United Nations system.

The event will officially open tonight at L.A. Live with a kickoff dinner and celebration of the 2012 IOC Women and Sport Awards, during which Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and a special Hollywood guest will be on hand. The remainder of the conference will take place at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live.

“A lot of thoughtful time and effort has gone into ensuring that the IOC World Conference on Women and Sport is a very special event,” said SCCOG President David Simon. “We have rolled out the red carpet for our worldwide friends and colleagues, who will be privy to great events and important discussions, as well as Los Angeles’ Olympic history.”

The conference program includes four plenaries: Leadership Views on Women in the World of Sport, Partnerships for Progress, Role Models and Leadership, and Growing Up in a Gender-Balanced Society. In addition, eight breakout dialogue sessions will take place with topics ranging from sustainable responsibility, government and education, to the business of sport, medical issues and the media.

Read all our coverage of this conference HERE.

Michael Holtz profile in DNA

Our friend Michael Holtz was profiled in the latest issue of Australian magazine DNA. You can purchase the full issue at your news agent in Australia, or online HERE.

The risks for closeted athletes

Jeffrey Gibb Kennett was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999, and until 2011 was the President of Australian-rules football club Hawthorn. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative. Here's a report from the Herald Sun on a recent radio interview he gave:

Jeff Kennett believes up to 5 per cent of AFL players are gay but are living in secrecy for fear of being ridiculed.

The former Victorian premier and Hawthorn Football Club president said players who concealed their sexuality from teammates were at risk of depression and, in this area, the sport had "a long way to go.''

"Not only am I not surprised at the number of players in the AFL who are suffering from stress, anxiety and depression - many of whom haven't sought help for fear of being ridiculed or not selected - I'm also quite sure within the AFL there are a number of young men who are gay, who keep that fact to themselves, worried about how they're going to be treated by their colleagues,'' Mr Kennett told Adelaide radio station 5AA.

Keep reading HERE.

En français / Les nageurs synchronisés exclus des JO

Le quotidien Métro consacre un long article au refus de FINA d'accepter des sportifs masculins dans les compétitions internationales de natation synchronisée, à travers un regard sur Paris Aquatique, le club membre de la FSGL et d'IGLA, tous deux des membres de la FGG : 


Dans l’eau, les visages ne sont pas maquillés et les jambes pas vraiment épilées. Trois fois par semaine, ce sont bien des hommes qui enchaînent les portés, positions du flamand rose ou du voilier dans un coin de la piscine Vallerey à Paris. Sur la bande originale de «Pirates des Caraïbes», une dizaine de nageurs se plient aux instructions d'Isabelle Girault, l’entraîneur de l’unique ballet masculin de natation synchronisée français. Sur les 260.000 licenciés de la FFN, ils sont une poignée de passionnés «peut-être une trentaine à tout casser», glisse le coach, à pratiquer cette discipline phagocytée par les filles. Au niveau national, rien n’interdit les hommes de participer aux compétitions élites. En revanche, les portes leur sont fermées à l’échelon supérieur, ce qui les prive d’office de sélection pour des Mondiaux et les JO.

Continuer à lire ICI.

IOC conference opens today in Los Angeles

The 5th IOC conference on women and sport opens on Thursday in Los Angeles. The conference theme is "Together Stronger", and the program can be found HERE.

The Federation of Gay Games will be represented by Shamey Cramer, FGG Officer for Ceremonies, and Martha Ehrenfeld, delegate from Team San Francisco and a member of the steering committee for Gay Games 9.

We hope to have regular reports from the conference. Stay tuned!

Read all our coverage of this conference HERE.

En español / John Amaechi: "Muchos dirigentes son homófobos"

photo Santos Cirilo

From El Pais:

"¿Tiene usted el virus del sida? Esta fue la primera pregunta que me hicieron en la cadena de televisión norteamericana ESPN cuando anuncié mi condición de homosexual. ¡Buuufff! Empezar así no es fácil". John Amaechi (Boston, 1970) hizo pública su orientación sexual hace cinco años tras haber escrito un libro, El hombre en medio, con el que se convertía en el primer, y único hasta el momento, jugador de la NBA en hablar públicamente de su homosexualidad.

Sus compañeros le recibieron de distinta manera. El ataque más brutal lo recibió de Tim Hardaway, en activo hasta 2003, cuando dijo: "Nunca habría aceptado a un homosexual en el vestuario". Steve Hunter, entonces en Denver, afirmó que no tenía ningún problema con un jugador homosexual "siempre que no intentara ligar con él, jugara como un hombre y se comportara como una buena persona".

Amaechi no sabe qué declaración es peor. "Lo que tengo muy claro es que si en un vestuario los heterosexuales temen la presencia de homosexuales es que se trata de un vestuario gay", afirma el exjugador, invitado a Bilbao por la Fundación Athletic para participar en unos encuentros sobre la igualdad en el deporte.

Keep reading HERE.

Cuyahoga County extends healthcare benefits to domestic partners

From Vison Video, news of Cuyahoga, the county in which Cleveland is located:

This is the video footage you won't see on the news - The County Council of Cuyahoga County (Ohio) passed in a 6 to 4 vote, a policy that will now extend healthcare benefits to domestic partners of Cuyahoga County employees on 2/14/2012. The Ordinance O2011-0042 is to take effect immediately.

We note that the coming of the Gay Games is explicitly mentioned as a motivation for this legislation.

Brian Burke on the first out NHL player

FGG Legacy Award winner Brian Burke on the George Stromboulopoulos program on CBC.

Elaios launches women's sport blog

FGG member organization Elaios in Zaragoza, Spain has launched Mujeres Enredadas, a blog devoted to their activities for women athletes, and a space for women athletes to come together. This is a great initiative, and we wish Mujeres Enredadas great success!

Chris Morgan video message for Football v Homophobia

In this interview with Gay Games Ambassador Chris Morgan, Chris speaks of the importance of the Gay Games for his own sporting career and for LGBT athletes in general.

En français / 28 avril 2012 / Meeting d'athlétisme à Marseille

Les FrontRunners Marseille organisent leur premier meeting d’athlétisme international avec le support de la Fédération Français d’Athlétisme. Plus d’information sur les épreuves (homologuées et non) dans le programme.

Étant donné que la FFA a signé la charte contre l’homophobie dans le sport en avril 2011, nous avons décidé d’organiser un meeting d’athlétisme avec pour slogan ‘Contre les discriminations, faisons du sport ensemble’ (slogan de la FSGL).

Le public visé est un public d’athlètes amateurs novices ou expérimentés à partir de 18 ans, sans limite d’âge, tout genre confondu. Nous visons tous les clubs, dont les clubs LGBT existants : Frontrunners Paris, Frontrunners Lyon, Frontrunners Nice, Athlétique Coeur de Fond (Paris), Chemin des Cimes (Montpellier).

Un mois avant le TIP de Paris et deux mois avant les Eurogames de Budapest, il sera un RDV incontournable pour les premières meilleures prestations de l’année!

Déjà plusieurs de meilleurs athlètes LGBT Européens ont annoncé leur participation, pour une journée de course, sauts et lancers excitante et FUN! GAYSPORTMED s’inscrit dans le cadre des perspectives pour l’EUROPRIDE 2013 (l’année quand Marseille sera aussi Capitale Européenne de la Culture!).

Organisé sur le stade René Ancelin de Luminy, le meeting dispose d’un cadre exceptionnel de verdure dans le futur 1er Parc National Périurbain en Europe.

Plus d'infos ICI.

If your beloved will accept a printout... you can still do your Valentine's Day shopping via the FGG!

If you've forgotten to get a gift for your favorite guy or gal, you can always order now and slip a printout in your Valentine's Day card! It's not very romantic, but it's better than those same-old roses...

Just use the search boxes below to purchase anything on Amazon in the US, Canada, the UK, France or Germany, and you'll also support the Gay Games!







USA: Start your Amazon.com search using the search engine below,
or visit our Amazon.com shop HERE.



CANADA: Start your Amazon.ca search using the search engine below,
or visit our Amazon.ca shop HERE.



UK: Start your seach on Amazon.co.uk using the search engine below,
or visit our Amazon.co.uk shop HERE.



FRANCE: Lancer votre recherche sur Amazon.fr en utilisant le moteur de recherche ci-dessous,
ou rendre visite à notre boutique en ligne Amazon.fr ICI.



GERMANY: Starten Sie Ihre Suche mit Hilfe der Amazon.de Suchmaschinen unten,
oder besuchen Sie unsere Shop Amazon.de HIER.

Dr Tom Waddell AIDS memorial quilt panel

Thanks to Ross Hayduk for this photo of the Tom Waddell panel. 

From SeasonOfPride.com:

January 26, 2012 – San Francisco, CA – Courtesy of Under One Roof (www.underoneroof.org), the NAMES Project Foundation (www.aidsquilt.org), the AIDS Emergency Fund (www.aef-sf.org), and San Francisco businessman Petyr Kane, sections of the renowned AIDS Memorial Quilt will be shown at various locations in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood the week of February 12 – 20, 2012.

Keep reading HERE.

17 February 2012 / Gay Games 9 fundraising raffle for Madonna show

FEBRUARY G2H2: DRINK, SUPPORT GAY GAMES 9 AND SEE MADONNA!

Brothers Lounge
11609 Detroit Ave.
Friday, February 17, 2012
5:30pm until 9:00pm

At this February's G2H2 and Gay Games 9 Benefit, we will be raffling off 2 tickets to see Madonna at her 11/10 Cleveland show - courtesy of our friends at Live Nation. Just in case you aren't the lucky winner, you will get a code for pre-sale tickets to the show with the purchase of your raffle tickets. All proceeds to benefit Gay Games 9. Stop by and show your support!

First photos from Sydney Mardi Gras Fair Day

Fair Day was yesterday. Here's some photos of some of the sports booths.

Australian rugby referee comes out

From Australia's Daily Telegraph (h/t Blake Skjellerup):

Grand final referee Matt Cecchin has revealed he is gay.

A closely held secret among parts of the rugby league community for the past six years, Cecchin has chosen to go public after his teenage son completed his HSC [school leaving certification] last year.

Engaged to be married 13 years ago, Cecchin told family and friends about his sexuality after reading a copy of retired NRL star Ian Roberts' book Finding Out.

Cecchin becomes the first NRL [national rugby league] official or player since Roberts in 1995 to declare he is gay.

"Like a lot of people, I thought to be gay you had to be feminine, you had to go to nightclubs and you had to be in the scene and I was never into that," said Cecchin, who has refereed 116 NRL games and four Test matches.

"I played sport, I loved rugby league, I liked going to the pub with my mates.

"It wasn't until I read Ian's book that I started to tick a few boxes. In the early days when people found out, I would tell my mates to ask me every question they wanted answered.

"And there were some good ones, especially after a couple of schooners.

"Sure, sometimes it was uncomfortable. My old man played reserve grade for Newtown and comes from far North Queensland.

"I thought he'd take it really, really badly, but he was fantastic."

Keep reading HERE.

En français / Les Gaillards parisiens dans Slate.fr

D'un long reportage dans Slate.fr sur le rugby, l'homosexualité et l'homophobie :



Dans le sport amateur, que ce soit en ville ou dans les villages, faire état de son homosexualité dans un club sportif demeure également une gageure et c’est ainsi qu’ont fini par naître des clubs gay friendly un peu partout en France, la natation et le volley-ball ayant été des sports précurseurs en la matière. Gay friendly veut dire que ces clubs sont, bien sûr, ouverts avant tout aux homosexuels, mais qu’ils sont aussi accessibles aux hétérosexuels et bisexuels.

Comme pour d’autres, c’est le modèle choisi par Les Gaillards, club né en 2004 et qui s’est d’abord constitué par le biais d’un Yahoo! groupe à une époque où les réseaux sociaux étaient embryonnaires. «Nous étions quelques gays passionnés de rugby et nous avons été plusieurs à discuter de la sorte par le biais d’Internet jusqu’au grand jour où nous avons décidé de nous rencontrer sur un terrain sans s’être vus auparavant, raconte Cyril, l’un des plus anciens du club. La première fois, nous étions huit.»

Depuis, le club a grandi pour passer à une soixantaine de membres. Exclusivement gay à ses débuts, il ne l’est plus désormais que pour moitié avec, au fil du temps, la venue de copains de copains etc. Brassant tous les âges et tous les milieux professionnels, il s’est structuré en association avec son comité directeur et son président, Greg, son trésorier, Alban, son chargé de communication, Jérôme, son secrétaire, Fabrice…

Et il participe régulièrement à un championnat corporatif face à des équipes issues de comités d’entreprises ou d’anciennes écoles qui les traitent ni plus ni moins comme toutes les autres équipes. «Au début, il y a peut-être eu un ou deux froncements de sourcil, explique Jérôme. Mais nous avons été considérés très vite si ce n’est aussitôt comme une équipe comme les autres. En huit ans, nous n’avons subi aucune remarque homophobe.»

Lire l'intégralité de l'article ICI.

18 February 2012 / Brite Winter Festival in Cleveland

Cleveland’s Third Annual Winter, Art, and Music Celebration:

The community-organized BRITE WINTER festival takes place at West 26th and Bridge Avenue, in Ohio City, on Saturday February 18th from 5-10pm. Entrance is free and open to the public.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (January 25th, 2012) For three years running, BRITE WINTER has gathered members of the Cleveland Arts community to create a glowing outdoor celebration of music, art, fire and light. The festival is free to the public, supported by in kind and cash donations from corporate sponsors, university student groups, and individuals who agree with the simple mission of celebrating winter. In 2012, the volunteer steering committee has chosen a new site in the Ohio City neighborhood, just west of downtown Cleveland. On Saturday, February 18th, a portion of Bridge Avenue, between West 26th and West 25th street, will be closed and occupied with an outdoor stage, bonfires, participatory art projects, light art installations, quirky games, and food vendors. With the move to Ohio City, neighborhood businesses have contributed their time, talent, space, and creativity for BRITE WINTER to extend to 5 venues for temporary art installations, an additional 8 venues for free music performances, and 10 venues with offers or special programming for festival goers.

Music: BRITE WINTER features an outdoor stage where bands (Bad Veins, Tom Evanchuck & the Old Money, Black Taxi, Lighthouse & the Whaler, Bethesda) will play a block party style concert to attendees huddled around bonfires in the heart of the city from 5-10pm. There will simultaneously be 8 other venues (Joy Machines Bike Shop, Bon Bon Pastry & Cafe, Garage Bar, Touch Supper Club, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Market Avenue Wine Bar, Dragonfly Lounge, and Franklin Circle Christian Church) where over 30 more music performances will be held during the festival. All of the music programming has been curated and organized by the Brite Winter Steering Committee with assistance from Bad Racket Recording Studio, The Grog Shop and The Beachland Ballroom.

Art and Games: These things exist in a category together because BRITE WINTER features participatory art and games as well as visual displays. Art and games are temporary installations of fun, like a box truck light and sound extravaganza, the smashdown game, giant skee-ball, giant snowflake, and bring-your-own lamp light sculpture. Kasumi, our featured artist, will display her video art, “Mid-winter’s Stereopticon”. More than a dozen artists, engineers, and creative groups are working together with support from General Electric Lighting, the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art Department of Community Arts, IngenuityFest, and Vertical Sound to create these art/activity installations for public enjoyment.

Brite Winter Mugs and Ohio City Vouchers: Brite Winter Festival Mugs come with two Ohio City Vouchers and provide additional access to festival programming in the neighborhood. 14 venues will offer a discount between 10-20% during the festival, for simply holding a mug, and each Ohio City Vouchers can be redeemed for Beer, Coffee, Hot Chocolate, or a variety of other items at listed venues during the festival. A Mug and 2 Ohio City Vouchers can be purchased for $12 on kickstarter.com or $15 on the day of the event.

BRITE WINTER festival is run by a 100% volunteer steering committee, currently operated without grant funding, and is supported by in-kind donations and sponsorships from Cleveland businesses, organizations, and university student groups. Donations of all kinds are accepted through the Ohio City Inc. Development Corporation, the festival’s non-profit fiscal agent.

Contact:
BRITE WINTER FESTIVAL
Thomas Fox
(440) 941-6560
BriteWinter@gmail.com

Info HERE.

Chris Morgan's tribute to Justin Fashanu for Football v Homophobia

Gay Games Ambassador Chris Morgan has written a moving tribute to Justin Fashanu for this month's Football v Homophobia:

I remember seeing the newspapers during the week after Justin’s death and feeling sick to stomach. There were graphic accounts of his last movements and interviews with people who had met him, or spent time with him in his final hours.

The press hounded him throughout his career, drove him to suicide and then afterwards printed some of the cruellest, nastiest stories ever published in the UK newspapers. As an athlete myself I felt angry that Justin was never allowed to meet his true potential on the pitch.

At the time all this happened I was just coming to terms with my own sexuality and was taking my first steps towards a career in sport. I realised that I was faced with a choice of whether or not to be open about my sexuality in the brutal and testosterone driven sport of Powerlifting.

Keep reading HERE.

More Cleveland-area mayors join call for marriage equality

Gary Norton, mayor of East Cleveland, and Mike Summers, mayor of Lakewood, have joined other area leaders among the "Mayors for the Freedom to Marry". From the Freedom to Marry website:

We're excited to announce the launch of Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, a bipartisan coalition of 75+ Mayors who pledge to support marriage for gay and lesbian couples! You may have first heard about this impressive coalition of Mayors a few days ago when the Wall Street Journal broke the story that Mayors of some of America's largest cities were joining together to support the freedom to marry.

The coalition will officially launch this morning at 10am, as Freedom to Marry and a handful of notable Mayors host a press conference at the 80th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington D.C. Participants at today's press conference include: Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles; Mayor Jerry Sanders of San Diegol Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston; Mayor Annise Parker of Houston; Mayor Marilyn Strickland of Tacoma; Marc Solomon, our National Campaign Director here at Freedom to Marry; and Tom Cochran, U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director.

Mayors for the Freedom to Marry includes mayors from cities and towns—large and small—with diverse geographic, ethnic and political backgrounds. The list includes the mayors of America’s four largest cities—Michael Bloomberg of New York, Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, and Annise Parker of Houston. It also includes mayors from cities including Juneau, Alaska; Des Moines, Iowa; Bloomington, Indiana; and Lewiston, Maine, where the freedom to marry may go to the ballot in 2012. You can click here to view the full list of Mayors.