WORLD REGISTRATION DAY FOR THE 1ST WORLD OUTGAMES
"After contacting many LGBT sport teams around the world, our ambassadors in almost forty cities on five continents are ready to hold a World Registration Day for the 2006 Outgames," Mark Tewksbury Co-President of Montréal 2006 announced today. "World Registration day will be held on Saturday, 13 November."

On 13 November 2004, Montréal 2006 expects to significantly increase the number of registrations to the Outgames. Almost 700 people have already registered, which is 15% higher than the numbers originally forecast for the time period.

In all the communities volunteers will organize activities to celebrate, sport, culture and Rights in the perspective of the Outgames in 2006.

All of the Early Registration benefits for teams and indivuals will apply during World Registration Day.

Montréal 2006 will be present in cities on all continents, including the well know ones in Europe like Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Barcelona and, in the States, Denver, New-York and Seattle. And, for the first time in the history of LGBT sport, cities like Shanghai in China, Lagos in Nigeria, Lusaka in Zambia, Karachi in Pakistan, Sao Paulo in Brazil, Montevideo in Uruguay and Istanbul in Turkey have joined the movement. For more information, please contact us.

All the information here >>

MANY NEW MEMBERS
GLISA is pleased to announce today that eight new sports organizations have become members bringing our new membership total to 14," Mr. Thomas Kevin Dolan, Founding Board member and Co-President of the international association, announced today.

"We are thrilled that these sports groups come from three different continents" added Ms. Catherine Meade, Co-President of GLISA. "Our vision is becoming a reality. All we hoped for is beginning to come true, we are very, very proud to support the global GLBT sports community in this way and are so happy to know that these organizations share our vision."

The eight organizations are:

• Team Sydney(Australia) representing 13 different sport clubs
• Halifax Front Runners (Canada) founded 10 years ago
• Seattle Front Runners (USA) a well respected club with 200 members
• Running Moose Squad (Ontario, Canada), primarily serves runners in rural areas and smaller communities
• Washington Wetskins (USA), the longest continuously operating gay water polo team in the US.
• Women4Montreal/GG2006 (Toronto, Canada), raises awareness and funds to support women's participation at international GLBT games.
• Danish-D-Lite Aarhus (Denmark) a multi-sport group from the country's second-largest city
• An African national sport association, with hundreds of members; we can not identify the country because of the political situation.

These previous teams were announced in an earlier media release:

• Montreal 2006
• Club aquatique ÀContre-courant(Montreal, Canada)
• Équipe Montréal(Montreal, Canada)
• International Association of Gay and Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs(International)
• The Gay + Lesbian Rowing Federation(International)
• Out to Swim(USA)

WASHINGTON D.C.
Today, the Metropolitan Washington Gaymes, Inc. announced that they will not bid, at this time for the Gay Games in 2010.

EARLY REGISTRATION FOR CULTURE OPENS: SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!
Registration for the four official cultural activities in the 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006 programme is now open. Take advantage of the many Early Registration benefits, including the reduced registration fee, effective until 31 December 2004! Groups and clubs can also take advantage of our Instalment Payment Programme and may also receive one free registration in our team promotion, which runs until 31 October 2004.

CHORAL FESTIVAL
In collaboration with GALA Choruses, the Choral Festival will bring together hundreds of choral singers from around the world. As part of the official Outgames programme, choruses will produce events in a professional environment and they may also, if they wish, register to participate in performances offered to spectators and visitors to the 1st World Outgames.

COUNTRY WESTERN DANCE
Country Western Dance competitions will take place over three days and will bring together some 500 dancers of all ages and abilities. Activities will be organised in collaboration with Club BOLO of Montréal and will be sanctioned by The International Association of Gay/Lesbian Western Dance Clubs (IAGLWDC).

SQUARE DANCE
Square Dance performances will be sanctioned by the International Association of Gay Square Dance (IAGLSDC) and will be organised in collaboration with The Ottawa Date Squares Dance Club.

BANDS AND COLOUR GUARDS
Band and Colour Guard activities will be created to showcase Bands, Colour Guards and the ROTC (The Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps).

The 1st World Outgames Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the Olympic Stadium will be televised in a one-hour mass-market broadcast on the Radio-Canada television network.

Whether it's at the Olympic Stadium, the Imperial Theatre-an architectural gem from the "Roaring Twenties"-the St. James United Church or simply in the parks and streets of the Village, downtown Montréal will delightfully overrun with artists and performers, and will become a world cultural capital for the Outgames.

METCALF AND ORSER JOIN THE MONTRÉAL 2006 ATHLETES' CIRCLE
American Olympic rowing champion, Holly Metcalf, and Canadian Olympic figure skating champion, Brian Orser, have become the two first members of the 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006 Athletes' Circle.

HOLLY METCALF
Holly Metcalf has been involved in rowing for almost twenty years and was a member of the American national/Olympic team six times. At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, she won the gold medal and from 1981 to 1987, she earned three silver medals and one bronze in world rowing championships. With a Masters and Certificate of Advanced Study from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Risk and Prevention and in Human Development and Psychology, Holly remains passionately involved in many different projects related to the battle against discrimination of all kinds.

BRIAN ORSER
Born in Ontario, Canada, Brian Orser began figure skating at a young age and by the time he was six, he was participating in his first skating carnival with the Midland Skating Club. In 1977, Brian became the Canadian Nationals Novice Champion and, in 1979, the Junior Canadian Champion. Nicknamed "Mr. Triple Axel", Brian Orser competed at the 1984 Winter Olympics Sarajevo, winning a silver medal. Despite three fractures and a gruelling battle against pneumonia, Brian came back to win his second silver medal in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Still active in figure skating, Brian Orser is a living legend, not only in Canada, but to thousands of people around the world who see him as a symbol of courage and excellence.

SWIMMING
Last Saturday, during the Annual Assembly of À Contre Courant (ACC), Mr. Pierre Rajotte was re-elected as president of Montréal gay and lesbian aquatics club. Participants in the meeting also renewed their support for Montréal 2006 and their commitment to collaborate in the planning and organization of swimming competitions in the 1st  World Outgames. About one hundred ACC members have just registered for the Outgames.

Montréal 2006 is also a partner in the twelfth annual Coupe de Montréal des maîtres nageurs 2004 competition, which will be held on 27 November 2004.

GAYAFRIQUE.COM MEDIA PARTNERSHIP
The 1st  World Outgames Montréal 2006 has just signed a media partnership agreement with Africa's only French-language gay website, www.gayafrique.com. The agreement is valued at $80,000. This young site is the creation of Rwandan Alexis Musanganya, and operates in difficult social and political conditions, given the few rights afforded to LGBT individuals in the majority of countries it serves. We would like to extend a warm welcome to our African friends.