Gay Games VIII in Project Q Atlanta: Jeremy Koziol blocks the score

We missed this series from Project Q Atlanta when it first appeared, but are pleased to share these stories of Atlantans in Cologne for Gay Games VIII:

Among the more than 9,000 LGBT athletes and artists competing in the Gay Games this week in Cologne are about two-dozen Atlantans, including water polo player S. Jeremy Koziol.

The 33-year-old plays with the Hotlanta Soccer Association and is on the roster of the Atlanta Rainbow Trout and its water polo team. We caught up with Koziol (photo) before he left for the Gay Games to discuss gay jocks and his plans to play goalie for the Trout’s water polo squad.

Project Q Atlanta: What’s the most challenging part of your sport?
Koziol: For any sport, the biggest challenge is staying focused for the entire length of the game/match/routine. The physical aspect can be trained for and prepared for, but with the mental aspect, the focus is so more complicated.

Keep reading HERE.

London Orcas brave the cold streets of Soho to promote coming pool party

M

 Details and tickets HERE.

A message from Gareth Johnson from the Out to Swim London swim club:

Well that was an interesting experience!

As part of our PR drive for the Out To Swim Pool Party 2012, our social rep Ming organised a Soho Speedo Splash!

It was the Sunday evening of the May Bank Holiday weekend, and at 19:00 a hardy group of eight OTS-ers assembled at Rupert Street. In the squad were Ming, Ian E, Gareth W, Andrejus L, Tommy T, Stephen L, Tristan G (our official photographer) and myself. It wasn't really until we were all there that it kind of hit me that it was only Ming and myself who had agreed to strip down to speedos, everyone else was keeping their OTS t-shirts (and jeans) safely on...

Despite the cold (like, seriously cold), we had a lot of fun and had a great reception from everyone as we wandered around Soho chatting to people and handing out flyers. We started with Rupert Street, moved on to The Yard, The Village, Admiral Duncan, Circa, The Edge, Candy Bar, Profile and Ku (Chinatown).

One of the best receptions we got was in Candy Bar which was having a busy night but all the women were really friendly and interested in what we were doing and the event we were promoting.

With our flyers all handed out we headed to Kopi Tiam (a nearby Malaysian restaurant) to warm up, eat some food, and share stories about our adventures that evening.

Outsports round-up

Here are some recent stories from Outsports that caught our attention:

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Former St. Louis Cardinals All-Star pitcher Bob Tewksbury has voiced his support of same-sex marriage rights in New Hampshire. He and his wife, Laura, live in Concord, N.H., where Tewksbury was born. They have joined Standing Up for New Hampshire Families to stop the state legislature from removing same-sex marriage rights in the Granite State.

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One of the coolest and most gay-supportive pro athletes in the world is Brendon Ayanbadejo, linebacker and special teams player for the Baltimore Ravens. He has been a vocal supporter for gay marriage in Maryland and gay rights in general

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Golden State Warriors president Rick Welts, who came out of the closet last May, will receive Out & Equal’s advocacy award for coming out in the front office of his former team, the Phoenix Suns.

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Openly gay professional soccer player David Testo has been nominated for a position on the U.S. Soccer Athlete Council. The Council represents the interests of athletes in U.S. Soccer.

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We also looked back at Outsports and found some interesting stories that we missed when they were first published:

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A California high school water polo coach claims he was fired for his sexual orientation. Mitch Stein, an openly gay man, was fired as the junior varsity boys water polo coach at Charter Oaks High School in Covina, Calif., after pictures surfaced of him with people dressed in drag. Stein is a graduate of the school and his daughter is a freshman at the school. Stein alleges that he was fired because he is gay.

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Cyd Ziegler takes a good hard look at the politics and consequences of "gay rumoring", using Troy Aickman as the starting point. Here's an extract:

It’s time for our community to make a choice. Are we going to be that bully in fourth grade who pushes gay people deeper into the closet and makes enemies of potential allies? Or will we spend the time we’d otherwise use spreading gossip to make our world easier for those gay people to be themselves and those allies to be a little warmer and a little fuzzier?

Read the thoughtful essay in full HERE.

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Flashback to Gay Games VIII: Water polo

Via Gay Games Broadcasting Service

Why LGBT sport? The example of a water polo player

From a Lodon Orca's player via the club's blog, a message that helps explain one aspect of the desire for LGBT athletes to compete in gay-friendly clubs and events:

As I'm heading temporarily back to Australia to sort out the renewal of my visa, I've been reflecting on my time with London Orca and Out To Swim.

It was nearly 18 months ago that I made the decision to give water polo with London Orca a try. One of my friends had been playing for a while and I was looking for a new challenge and a bit of extra fitness. Any regrets? That I didn't do it sooner!

As one of the few left-handers in the team, my water polo skills developed quite quickly and by regularly hitting the Out To Swim swimming sessions my swim-fitness developed nicely too. Being part of the gold-medal winning team at the Gay Games in Cologne was fantastic, but really every tournament that we've played has been a lot of fun and it's been great to see the overall standard of our water polo improve each time.

The local games in the London League have often felt like hard work - long trips out into the suburbs to play experienced teams that play a physical game, but we're definitely matching it with them now.

It's the social aspect of London Orca and Out To Swim that I'll miss the most while I'm away - from a few quiet drinks after training, to the annual Christmas party, to big nights out on the town, to be part of such a fantastic and diverse network of people has really helped me enjoy my time in London immensely.

See you all soon!
Sads.