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Chicago 2006 Gay Games Announces
“Sports Equality Day” – 14 July 2006 October 19th, 2005,
http://www.gaygameschicago.org/media/article.php?aid=116
CHICAGO, IL –
Chicago, IL - Chicago Games, Inc (CGI), the host organization of
Gay Games VII, the Federation of Gay Games (FGG), and the Gay and
Lesbian Athletic Foundation (GLAF) announced today a partnership to
organize a series of workshops and educational seminars on issues of
gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people in sports. The
workshops will be held in conjunction with the 2006 Gay Games that
takes place in Chicago from 15-22 July.
With an overall title ”Sports Equality Day,“ the workshops will
focus primarily on aspects of sports for younger and collegiate LGBT
athletes, and the state of the LGBT sports movement in areas of the
world with relatively large potential for development.
“GLAF is honored to be selected as a preferred partner organization
of the FGG and the upcoming Chicago Gay Games 2006,” said O. Mac
Chinsomboon, Executive Director of GLAF. “From our inception, the FGG
has supported GLAF in our mission to create equality on the playing
field. The FGG has been a sponsor of past GLAF forums, where
intellectual discussion, debate and education have provided valuable
networking opportunities among athletes in Olympic, professional,
amateur, recreational, collegiate, and high school athletics
communities.”
In 2003 and 2004, GLAF organized two very successful conferences at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology about the issues of gays and
lesbians in sports, and FGG officials said working with GLAF
representatives again for 2006 will advance these issues further.
“This kind of partnership between a Gay Games host and another
organization like GLAF is precisely what the FGG advocates in our
position paper ‘The Image of the Gay Games’ that we published in
2003,” said Roberto Mantaci, co-president of the FGG. “There are a lot
of existing groups like GLAF that can play a valuable role in the
success of the Gay Games and this is an effective way for them to do
so in Chicago.”
“With thousands of LGBT athletes as well as other individuals
interested in the LGBT sports movement converging in Chicago during
the week of the Gay Games, CGI is pleased to provide the opportunity
for such a forum,” said Suzi Arnold, co-chair of CGI. “We will also
add new features to the Gay Games VII on-line registration system to
include registration for the workshops.”
CGI is in close partnership with several area universities offering
logistical support through use of their facilities and assistance
tapping into the many local youth and collegiate LGBT programs. These
universities are expected to play a key support role for the ”Sports
Equality Day” workshops.
“The Gay Games started the LGBT sports movement, which is now a
topic of research of many scholars working in the fields of sociology,
philosophy and other human sciences,” said Philippe Liotard, associate
professor at the University of Lyon, France. Mr. Liotard is one of
several researchers and academicians who will participate on the
steering committee for the workshops. He said, “I look forward to
being in Chicago during the week of the Gay Games to deepen my
research and have the opportunity to meet with other colleagues to
discuss our work in similar areas.”
About Gay Games VII:
Gay Games VII Sports and Cultural Festival will take place 15-22
July 2006. Over 12,000 athletes from more than 100 countries will
compete in 30 sports ranging from softball to dancesport, swimming to
tennis. The weeklong event will include band, cheerleading and colour
guard performances, chorus, an ancillary arts festival, and a series
of community-organised social events and parties. The opening ceremony
is scheduled for 15 July at Soldier Field, the lakefront home stadium
of American-style football’s Chicago Bears. Closing ceremony will be
22 July at Wrigley Field, the home of Major League Baseball’s Chicago
Cubs, located in the heart of Chicago’s largest LGBT neighbourhood.
For the first time, the Gay Games in Chicago will receive
widespread television coverage on the Q Television Network. Early
sponsors of Gay Games VII include PlanetOut/Gay.com; Q Television
Network; Walgreens; Orbitz; Sydney New Mardi Gras; McKnight Kurland
Baccelli; Human Rights Campaign; Mate, Genre, Pink and Girlfriends
Magazines; Windy City Media Group; Olivia Cruises and Resorts; and
more than 80 business sponsors.
Registration for Gay Games VII is now open at
http://www.GayGamesChicago.org (English),
http://www.GayGamesChicago.org/es/ (Spanish),
http://www.GayGamesChicago.org/fr/ (French), and
http://www.GayGamesChicago.org/de/ (German).
About The Gay Games
The Gay Games was conceived by Dr. Tom Waddell, an Olympic
decathlete, and was first held in San Francisco in 1982 with 1,350
participants. Subsequent Gay Games have been held in San Francisco
(1986; 3,500 participants), Vancouver (1990; 7,300 participants), New
York (1994; 12,500 participants), Amsterdam (1998; 13,000
participants), and Sydney (2002; 11,000 participants).
The Federation of Gay Games is the international governing body
that perpetuates the quadrennial Gay Games and promotes the event's
founding principles of Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best™.
For more information, visit
http://www.GayGames.org.
Chicago Games, Inc. is the host of Gay Games VII and is led by
experienced civic leaders from Chicago’s business, sports and
non-profit sectors. For information about how to sponsor or
participate in Gay Games VII in Chicago, visit
http://www.GayGamesChicago.org, e-mail
info@GayGamesChicago.org
, or phone (773) 907-2006.
###
"Gay Games", "Federation of Gay Games", the interlocking circles
device, and the phrase "Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best"
are trademarks of the Federation of Gay Games, Inc.
Trademarks are registered in the USA, Canada, Benelux, the UK, and
Australia.
Images of Chicago and the Gay Games VII logo are available for
download at:
http://www.gaygameschicago.org/images/downloads/
RESOURCES
Gay & Lesbian Athletics Foundation
http://www.GLAF.org
info@GLAF.org
Chicago Games, Inc
Kevin G. Boyer
4753 N. Broadway, Suite 602, Chicago, IL 60640, USA
(773) 907-2006
kevin.boyer@gaygameschicago.org
www.GayGamesChicago.org
CONTACTS
Gay & Lesbian Athletics Foundation
Monica VanBuskirk
Media Director
(617) 588-0600
Media@gayconference.org |