Gay Games are out, Outgames are in

SOURCE: Gay & Night News Magazine
by Hans Verhoeven
February 2005

Two years ago Montreal was nominated to organize the Gay Games 2006. And not without reason. Compared to their rivals, Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta they didn’t just present sounder plans, but also brought along four million dollars in sponsor money; solid commitments by the city of Montreal, the province of Quebec, the State of Canada and the Montreal Bureau of Tourism. The other contestants had no way of competing with this. Enthusiastically the organization was taken in hand, sponsor contracts with a/o Air Canada and beer brewer Labatt finalized and the search for cooperation with umbrella organisations put on the road. And then it all turned sour!

On second thought the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) decided the Canadians had a little too much drive, that their plans were too grand and their budgeting ill founded. With the problems of the previous Gay Games in the back of their mind, they demanded that the estimated costs and the expected number of visitors had to be brought down. The organising Canadian committee didn’t agree with the criticism. Never before had a Gay Games organisation managed to put together such solid financing plan for the Games. Millions of sponsor and subsidy money in the bank, a fantastic contract with Air Canada and Labatt, as well as many smaller sponsor contracts. Discussions with American and European sports umbrella organisations and the cooperation with the Montreal municipality were proceeding nicely.

All the necessary sports infrastructures were made available by the government, free of cost and the first registrations came rolling in. There was no single reason whatsoever to readjust the estimation. Moreover the Canadian organisation team was afraid that by adjusting the plans and the budget they wouldn’t be able to handle the stream of participants and visitors adequately.

The FGG washed their hands of the organisation and refused the Canadians permission to organise the Gay Games 2006.

In the ensuing weeks the Canadians again proved their strength. In no time they founded a new international sports umbrella organisation, the Gay and Lesbian International Sports association (GLISA). This sports umbrella aim to a/o organise a four-yearly international Gay and Lesbian Bisexual Transgender (GLBT) sports event, the Outgames. The first Outgames will (of course) take place in Montreal, Canada, from July 26 to August 5, 2006.The event was saved. After weeks of endless negotiating with the FGG the focus was back on organising.

The programme of the first Outgames is impressive. Next to an overly full programme with 33 official sports, numerous social and cultural events are being organised.

Sports: achievements finally recognised

For the first time in the history of Gay sports events the Outgames were officially recognised by the international mainstream sports organisations. Those who manage to achieve a world record can also expect international recognition. The rowing races have even been included in the competition list of the International Rowing Union. With that the Outgames are an officially recognised international sports event and participation of top sports people is a real option. To give amateur sports people a fair chance to return home with a medal, the top-level sports people will participate in another category. This recognition is a step closer to becoming associated with, and recognised by, the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Conference: The right to be different!

During the Outgames hundreds of international participants will confer on GLBT rights in the world, and themes as discrimination & sports. Their leitmotiv; The right to be different. Joke Swiebel (member of the European parliament) and Robert Wintemute (professor at the London King College School of Law) chair the Science Committee that is preparing this conference. The forty-four members of the Science Committee represent seventeen countries and members com from al sections of society; judiciary, politics, education human rights organisations, action groups and labour unions. Remarkable is the high membership numbers of Asian, African, East European and South and Mid-west of America countries. A sponsor programme supports participants from these countries by paying their costs for Montreal because particularly in these countries GLBT-right need quite some improvement. Their participation is therefore of evident importance.

Culture; Also a competition

A cultural programme is part of the Outgames and features a number of competitive elements for choirs, cheerleading teams, country & western and square dancing. Many countries have shown to be interested in these categories, in particular America. Classic concerts and the film festival are the relaxing elements in this overly full Outgames programme. The opening and closing ceremony (televised live on national Canadian television) is part of the cultural programme.

Parties; there is always something on!

That Montréal is capable of organising a party you have read elsewhere in this issue of Gay&Night (Black & Blue festival, page 40). The celebrated Divers/Cité, and the yearly Gay Pride,early August, is more proof that the Canadians are an organisational power (see issue 45 of Gay&Night News Magazine). During the Outgames partying until the early hours of the morning is no problem whatsoever. The Outgames coincide with Divers/Cité and the Chorus Gala, the largest gay choir festival in the world.

Outgames; The place to be!

To participate in sports, to party or confer; Montréal is The place to be from July 26 until August 5, 2006. You can enrol as a contestant in the Outgames via www.montreal2006.info. On this site you’ll find all the information on sports, parties and other activities.

Team Holland needs help!

Under the name Team Holland Dutch sportspeople are invited to participate in the Outgames, Johanna de Groot is looking for enthusiastic sportspeople to organise Team Holland. One of the first activities that will be set up is a national registration day, where sportspeople can get information on the Outgames and register their participation in the Outgames. A while ago Johanna and a number of sports organisations teamed up to organise a similar kind of day, which proved very successful. Lend a hand in setting up Team Holland and apply by mail to Johanna_degroot@zonnet.nl. Gay&Night News Magazine is the media partner of the Outgames and will give monthly account on the Outgames and the progress of Team Holland.

Copyright (c) 2005, Gay & Night