Press Release

Rendez-Vous Montréal 2006 and the Future of the Worldwide Gay and Lesbian Sporting Movement

MoMontréal, 15 January 2004 - At the invitation of the Rendez-Vous Montréal 2006 Organizing Committee, about thirty representatives of the gay and lesbian sporting movement from around the world will meet in Montréal this weekend for a Think Tank on the future of the gay and lesbian sporting movement. This forum was organized in the wake of the turbulent events that took place at the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) Annual Assembly held in Chicago in November 2003. It will provide the framework for an open and constructive discussion among academics, representatives of the gay and lesbian sporting movement and the sporting community in general, as well as individuals recognized for their experience and expertise.

It was at the FGG Annual Assembly on 11 November 2003 that the FGG revoked Montréal's right to use its name and logo. Montréal refused to give in to the Federation's demands to exercise financial control of public and private Canadian and Québec funds, and rejected the Federation's retrograde vision with regards to the number of participants. With its public and private partners, the Montréal 2006 Board of Directors has decided to go ahead with its plans to host gay and lesbian Games as originally planned for 2006.

An Encouraging Survey

At the request of numerous GLBT sports teams from around the world, Montréal 2006 arranged to host a forum that will open tomorrow in the city. This Think Tank, bringing together representatives of Canadian, American, European and even Australian sports teams, will be based on issues raised in a survey sent to 845 sports teams around the world. The total number of responses received to this survey represents more than 13,000 GLBT athletes.

One of the questions asked in the survey was: "Do you agree with the idea of establishing a democratic, representative international sporting association whose mission would be to develop the gay and lesbian sporting movement worldwide and to offer tangible services to its members?"

The response to this question was overwhelming, with 84.1% of respondents returning a positive response. Other questions in the survey asked about the specific kinds of services that such an association should provide to its members.

A Time for Reflection

Over the next two days, participants in the meeting will concentrate on issues that address the needs of gay and lesbian athletes around the world such as, obtaining recognition for their sporting activities, creating visibility for international events and having the opportunity to create a democratic, representative international sporting association.

Think Tank participants will present the results of their discussions and make recommendations for future action. The Rendez-Vous Montréal 2006 Organizing Committee is committed to following up on these recommendations with all the energy and means at its disposal.

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Source:

Tom Czerniecki
Marketing Communications Director
Montréal 2006
(514) 252-5858 ext. 5860
Cell. (514) 668-3439
tomcz@montreal2006.org