Gay Games Blog

Brian Burke on the first out NHL player

2012-02-14T12:30:00.002-08:00

FGG Legacy Award winner Brian Burke on the George Stromboulopoulos program on CBC.

Elaios launches women's sport blog

2012-02-14T00:30:00.000-08:00

FGG member organization Elaios in Zaragoza, Spain has launched Mujeres Enredadas, a blog devoted to their activities for women athletes, and a space for women athletes to come together. This is a great initiative, and we wish Mujeres Enredadas great success!

Chris Morgan video message for Football v Homophobia

2012-02-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

In this interview with Gay Games Ambassador Chris Morgan, Chris speaks of the importance of the Gay Games for his own sporting career and for LGBT athletes in general.

En français / 28 avril 2012 / Meeting d'athlétisme à Marseille

2012-02-13T08:30:00.000-08:00

Les FrontRunners Marseille organisent leur premier meeting d’athlétisme international avec le support de la Fédération Français d’Athlétisme. Plus d’information sur les épreuves (homologuées et non) dans le programme.

Étant donné que la FFA a signé la charte contre l’homophobie dans le sport en avril 2011, nous avons décidé d’organiser un meeting d’athlétisme avec pour slogan ‘Contre les discriminations, faisons du sport ensemble’ (slogan de la FSGL).

Le public visé est un public d’athlètes amateurs novices ou expérimentés à partir de 18 ans, sans limite d’âge, tout genre confondu. Nous visons tous les clubs, dont les clubs LGBT existants : Frontrunners Paris, Frontrunners Lyon, Frontrunners Nice, Athlétique Coeur de Fond (Paris), Chemin des Cimes (Montpellier).

Un mois avant le TIP de Paris et deux mois avant les Eurogames de Budapest, il sera un RDV incontournable pour les premières meilleures prestations de l’année!

Déjà plusieurs de meilleurs athlètes LGBT Européens ont annoncé leur participation, pour une journée de course, sauts et lancers excitante et FUN! GAYSPORTMED s’inscrit dans le cadre des perspectives pour l’EUROPRIDE 2013 (l’année quand Marseille sera aussi Capitale Européenne de la Culture!).

Organisé sur le stade René Ancelin de Luminy, le meeting dispose d’un cadre exceptionnel de verdure dans le futur 1er Parc National Périurbain en Europe.

Plus d'infos ICI.

If your beloved will accept a printout... you can still do your Valentine's Day shopping via the FGG!

2012-02-13T02:32:00.000-08:00

If you've forgotten to get a gift for your favorite guy or gal, you can always order now and slip a printout in your Valentine's Day card! It's not very romantic, but it's better than those same-old roses...

Just use the search boxes below to purchase anything on Amazon in the US, Canada, the UK, France or Germany, and you'll also support the Gay Games!

USA: Start your Amazon.com search using the search engine below,
or visit our Amazon.com shop HERE.

CANADA: Start your Amazon.ca search using the search engine below,
or visit our Amazon.ca shop HERE.

UK: Start your seach on Amazon.co.uk using the search engine below,
or visit our Amazon.co.uk shop HERE.

FRANCE: Lancer votre recherche sur Amazon.fr en utilisant le moteur de recherche ci-dessous,
ou rendre visite à notre boutique en ligne Amazon.fr ICI.

GERMANY: Starten Sie Ihre Suche mit Hilfe der Amazon.de Suchmaschinen unten,
oder besuchen Sie unsere Shop Amazon.de HIER.

Dr Tom Waddell AIDS memorial quilt panel

2012-02-13T00:30:00.002-08:00

Thanks to Ross Hayduk for this photo of the Tom Waddell panel.

From SeasonOfPride.com:

January 26, 2012 – San Francisco, CA – Courtesy of Under One Roof (www.underoneroof.org), the NAMES Project Foundation (www.aidsquilt.org), the AIDS Emergency Fund (www.aef-sf.org), and San Francisco businessman Petyr Kane, sections of the renowned AIDS Memorial Quilt will be shown at various locations in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood the week of February 12 – 20, 2012.

Keep reading HERE.

17 February 2012 / Gay Games 9 fundraising raffle for Madonna show

2012-02-12T16:30:00.001-08:00

FEBRUARY G2H2: DRINK, SUPPORT GAY GAMES 9 AND SEE MADONNA!

Brothers Lounge
11609 Detroit Ave.
Friday, February 17, 2012
5:30pm until 9:00pm

At this February's G2H2 and Gay Games 9 Benefit, we will be raffling off 2 tickets to see Madonna at her 11/10 Cleveland show - courtesy of our friends at Live Nation. Just in case you aren't the lucky winner, you will get a code for pre-sale tickets to the show with the purchase of your raffle tickets. All proceeds to benefit Gay Games 9. Stop by and show your support!

First photos from Sydney Mardi Gras Fair Day

2012-02-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

Fair Day was yesterday. Here's some photos of some of the sports booths.

Australian rugby referee comes out

2012-02-12T02:12:00.000-08:00

From Australia's Daily Telegraph (h/t Blake Skjellerup):

Grand final referee Matt Cecchin has revealed he is gay.

A closely held secret among parts of the rugby league community for the past six years, Cecchin has chosen to go public after his teenage son completed his HSC [school leaving certification] last year.

Engaged to be married 13 years ago, Cecchin told family and friends about his sexuality after reading a copy of retired NRL star Ian Roberts' book Finding Out.

Cecchin becomes the first NRL [national rugby league] official or player since Roberts in 1995 to declare he is gay.

"Like a lot of people, I thought to be gay you had to be feminine, you had to go to nightclubs and you had to be in the scene and I was never into that," said Cecchin, who has refereed 116 NRL games and four Test matches.

"I played sport, I loved rugby league, I liked going to the pub with my mates.

"It wasn't until I read Ian's book that I started to tick a few boxes. In the early days when people found out, I would tell my mates to ask me every question they wanted answered.

"And there were some good ones, especially after a couple of schooners.

"Sure, sometimes it was uncomfortable. My old man played reserve grade for Newtown and comes from far North Queensland.

"I thought he'd take it really, really badly, but he was fantastic."

Keep reading HERE.

En français / Les Gaillards parisiens dans Slate.fr

2012-02-11T12:30:00.001-08:00

D'un long reportage dans Slate.fr sur le rugby, l'homosexualité et l'homophobie :

Dans le sport amateur, que ce soit en ville ou dans les villages, faire état de son homosexualité dans un club sportif demeure également une gageure et c’est ainsi qu’ont fini par naître des clubs gay friendly un peu partout en France, la natation et le volley-ball ayant été des sports précurseurs en la matière. Gay friendly veut dire que ces clubs sont, bien sûr, ouverts avant tout aux homosexuels, mais qu’ils sont aussi accessibles aux hétérosexuels et bisexuels.

Comme pour d’autres, c’est le modèle choisi par Les Gaillards, club né en 2004 et qui s’est d’abord constitué par le biais d’un Yahoo! groupe à une époque où les réseaux sociaux étaient embryonnaires. «Nous étions quelques gays passionnés de rugby et nous avons été plusieurs à discuter de la sorte par le biais d’Internet jusqu’au grand jour où nous avons décidé de nous rencontrer sur un terrain sans s’être vus auparavant, raconte Cyril, l’un des plus anciens du club. La première fois, nous étions huit.»

Depuis, le club a grandi pour passer à une soixantaine de membres. Exclusivement gay à ses débuts, il ne l’est plus désormais que pour moitié avec, au fil du temps, la venue de copains de copains etc. Brassant tous les âges et tous les milieux professionnels, il s’est structuré en association avec son comité directeur et son président, Greg, son trésorier, Alban, son chargé de communication, Jérôme, son secrétaire, Fabrice…

Et il participe régulièrement à un championnat corporatif face à des équipes issues de comités d’entreprises ou d’anciennes écoles qui les traitent ni plus ni moins comme toutes les autres équipes. «Au début, il y a peut-être eu un ou deux froncements de sourcil, explique Jérôme. Mais nous avons été considérés très vite si ce n’est aussitôt comme une équipe comme les autres. En huit ans, nous n’avons subi aucune remarque homophobe.»

Lire l'intégralité de l'article ICI.

18 February 2012 / Brite Winter Festival in Cleveland

2012-02-11T00:30:00.000-08:00

Cleveland’s Third Annual Winter, Art, and Music Celebration:

The community-organized BRITE WINTER festival takes place at West 26th and Bridge Avenue, in Ohio City, on Saturday February 18th from 5-10pm. Entrance is free and open to the public.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (January 25th, 2012) For three years running, BRITE WINTER has gathered members of the Cleveland Arts community to create a glowing outdoor celebration of music, art, fire and light. The festival is free to the public, supported by in kind and cash donations from corporate sponsors, university student groups, and individuals who agree with the simple mission of celebrating winter. In 2012, the volunteer steering committee has chosen a new site in the Ohio City neighborhood, just west of downtown Cleveland. On Saturday, February 18th, a portion of Bridge Avenue, between West 26th and West 25th street, will be closed and occupied with an outdoor stage, bonfires, participatory art projects, light art installations, quirky games, and food vendors. With the move to Ohio City, neighborhood businesses have contributed their time, talent, space, and creativity for BRITE WINTER to extend to 5 venues for temporary art installations, an additional 8 venues for free music performances, and 10 venues with offers or special programming for festival goers.

Music: BRITE WINTER features an outdoor stage where bands (Bad Veins, Tom Evanchuck & the Old Money, Black Taxi, Lighthouse & the Whaler, Bethesda) will play a block party style concert to attendees huddled around bonfires in the heart of the city from 5-10pm. There will simultaneously be 8 other venues (Joy Machines Bike Shop, Bon Bon Pastry & Cafe, Garage Bar, Touch Supper Club, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Market Avenue Wine Bar, Dragonfly Lounge, and Franklin Circle Christian Church) where over 30 more music performances will be held during the festival. All of the music programming has been curated and organized by the Brite Winter Steering Committee with assistance from Bad Racket Recording Studio, The Grog Shop and The Beachland Ballroom.

Art and Games: These things exist in a category together because BRITE WINTER features participatory art and games as well as visual displays. Art and games are temporary installations of fun, like a box truck light and sound extravaganza, the smashdown game, giant skee-ball, giant snowflake, and bring-your-own lamp light sculpture. Kasumi, our featured artist, will display her video art, “Mid-winter’s Stereopticon”. More than a dozen artists, engineers, and creative groups are working together with support from General Electric Lighting, the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art Department of Community Arts, IngenuityFest, and Vertical Sound to create these art/activity installations for public enjoyment.

Brite Winter Mugs and Ohio City Vouchers: Brite Winter Festival Mugs come with two Ohio City Vouchers and provide additional access to festival programming in the neighborhood. 14 venues will offer a discount between 10-20% during the festival, for simply holding a mug, and each Ohio City Vouchers can be redeemed for Beer, Coffee, Hot Chocolate, or a variety of other items at listed venues during the festival. A Mug and 2 Ohio City Vouchers can be purchased for $12 on kickstarter.com or $15 on the day of the event.

BRITE WINTER festival is run by a 100% volunteer steering committee, currently operated without grant funding, and is supported by in-kind donations and sponsorships from Cleveland businesses, organizations, and university student groups. Donations of all kinds are accepted through the Ohio City Inc. Development Corporation, the festival’s non-profit fiscal agent.

Contact:
BRITE WINTER FESTIVAL
Thomas Fox
(440) 941-6560
BriteWinter@gmail.com

Info HERE.

Chris Morgan's tribute to Justin Fashanu for Football v Homophobia

2012-02-10T12:30:00.002-08:00

Gay Games Ambassador Chris Morgan has written a moving tribute to Justin Fashanu for this month's Football v Homophobia:

I remember seeing the newspapers during the week after Justin’s death and feeling sick to stomach. There were graphic accounts of his last movements and interviews with people who had met him, or spent time with him in his final hours.

The press hounded him throughout his career, drove him to suicide and then afterwards printed some of the cruellest, nastiest stories ever published in the UK newspapers. As an athlete myself I felt angry that Justin was never allowed to meet his true potential on the pitch.

At the time all this happened I was just coming to terms with my own sexuality and was taking my first steps towards a career in sport. I realised that I was faced with a choice of whether or not to be open about my sexuality in the brutal and testosterone driven sport of Powerlifting.

Keep reading HERE.

More Cleveland-area mayors join call for marriage equality

2012-02-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

Gary Norton, mayor of East Cleveland, and Mike Summers, mayor of Lakewood, have joined other area leaders among the "Mayors for the Freedom to Marry". From the Freedom to Marry website:

We're excited to announce the launch of Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, a bipartisan coalition of 75+ Mayors who pledge to support marriage for gay and lesbian couples! You may have first heard about this impressive coalition of Mayors a few days ago when the Wall Street Journal broke the story that Mayors of some of America's largest cities were joining together to support the freedom to marry.

The coalition will officially launch this morning at 10am, as Freedom to Marry and a handful of notable Mayors host a press conference at the 80th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington D.C. Participants at today's press conference include: Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles; Mayor Jerry Sanders of San Diegol Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston; Mayor Annise Parker of Houston; Mayor Marilyn Strickland of Tacoma; Marc Solomon, our National Campaign Director here at Freedom to Marry; and Tom Cochran, U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director.

Mayors for the Freedom to Marry includes mayors from cities and towns—large and small—with diverse geographic, ethnic and political backgrounds. The list includes the mayors of America’s four largest cities—Michael Bloomberg of New York, Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, and Annise Parker of Houston. It also includes mayors from cities including Juneau, Alaska; Des Moines, Iowa; Bloomington, Indiana; and Lewiston, Maine, where the freedom to marry may go to the ballot in 2012. You can click here to view the full list of Mayors.

Cleveland-area beers on the US top-100 list

2012-02-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

Great Cleveland has earned no fewer than three spots on the top-100 best beers list put out by Draft Magazine:

BUCKEYE BEER ENGINE | Lakewood, Ohio

This tried-and-true tavern gets better with age: The 200-plus beer list has grown in diversity (a zwickelbier on cask!), a sign this old haunt isn’t past its prime. A topnotch burger menu keeps things interesting with wacky specials like the Xmas Dinner: a patty piled high with ham and sweet potatoes. 15315 Madison Ave., buckeyebeerengine.com

LA CAVE DU VIN | Cleveland Heights, Ohio

This dark basement beer bar’s a stop on every brewer’s itinerary, so the taps are always spilling limited editions and rarities. Cellarmasters, take note: La Cave’s got an impressive vintage list that runs deep; visit often to make sure you’re there when the management decides to dip into the archives. 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., lacaveduvin.com

MCNULTY’S BIER MARKT | Cleveland, Ohio

Belgian and Belgian-inspired brews remain the focus of this sleek, bare-bulbed bar, but the 20 taps also serve to test-drive beers from owner Sam McNulty’s Market Garden Brewery across the street. The crowd’s young and cool, the bottle list is long, and the prices are on point: $24 for a 10-beer sampler? Yes, please. 1948 W. 25th St., bier-markt.com

PLUS... BEER-BAR CHAINS: Aside from huge beer lists at 14 locations throughout Ohio, Winking Lizard Tavern’s (winkinglizard.com) claim to fame is its World Tour of Beers; drink 100 brews from the chosen 250 and earn the coveted World Tour jacket.

Washington DC dancers prepare for Cleveland 2014

2012-02-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

Lambda DanceSport DC team is featured in the Washington Blade in an article by Kevin Majoros. The dancers perform and compete in Dancesport. The article can be read on the Washington Blade web site.

Click here to read the article titled "May I have this dance?".

Vote for logo for UK Charter against homophobia in sport

2012-02-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

Logo competition

On 23 November 2011, Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone launched a competition for sports clubs, fans and players across the country to design a logo for the Charter and mark their support for the campaign.

The first stage closed on 18 January 2012, and we were delighted to have received nearly 70 entries, most of them from young people.

Rugby union star and competition judge Ben Cohen has shortlisted the top six entries, and you can now pick the winning logo by voting online for your favourite design.

Vote now!

Simply go to our Facebook page (Opens in a new window) and 'like' your favourite logo. If you don't have a Facebook account, you can also vote on Ben Cohen's website (Opens in a new window) .

Voting closes on Monday 20 February at midday. Votes will then be counted, and the logo with the highest number of votes will go to a professional design team before a final unveiling in March.

More information is available in the competition leaflet and terms and conditions.

Roger Brigham on the Sin City Shootout

2012-02-09T00:40:00.000-08:00

Roger Brigham reports on last month's Sin City Shootout in Las Vegas in his Bay Area Reporter column:

Las Vegas is the most improbable of cities. Plopped down in the midst of a vast desert plain with horizons rimmed by forbidding mountains, it emerges into view on our descent as a Dali-esque fantasy – a kind of Pee-wee Herman's Big Acid Adventure meets Disneyland on Steroids.

I had the chance to fly to Vegas last weekend for the fifth annual Sin City Shootout, which in half a decade has expanded from a modest softball tournament to a thriving multi-sport sports festival. This year's edition, which drew almost 4,000 athletes, included softball, basketball, wrestling, and bodybuilding.

"Tennis had to back out at the last minute but is going to promote early for 2013," said Eric Ryan, Sin City tournament director. "All of the sports said with a full year to now promote for 2013 and build the hype with this year's athletes they expect a larger athlete pool next year. Softball had 163 teams, which is a record for any LGBT softball event in the world."

The real star throughout the weekend was Vegas itself. There are no opening and closing ceremonies at the Sin City Shootout: just lots of playing on and off the field.

"My favorite highlight was at the Sunday closing party at RPM at Tropicana," Ryan said. "I got there two hours early to make sure everything was in place, ready to go. An hour before the doors opened, people were lining up. Once the doors actually opened a little after 9 p.m., the line was halfway through the hotel casino for an hour straight."

Fired lesbian soccer coach Lisa Howe to head Nashiville LGBT Chamber of Commerce

2012-02-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

News of Lisa Howe, fired as soccer coach from Nashville's Belmont College after coming out(h/t Helen Carroll):

The woman who sparked a local and national debate on workplace discrimination and helped change a private school’s discrimination policy has been hired as the first ever executive director of the Nashville GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) Chamber of Commerce.

Lisa Howe, a former soccer coach at Belmont University, was vaulted into the national spotlight after she came out at Belmont to share with her team that her partner, Wendy Holleman, was due to have a baby. A week later she left her job. Initially the school announced Howe’s resignation. A day later, Belmont changed its tune, saying the two parties reached a mutual agreement to end Howe’s employment there.

Soon after, amid much controversy, Belmont President Bob Fisher announced the school had added sexual orientation to its discrimination policy. There was also a push for a Metro Nashville ordinance that would require any company or business that contracted with Metro government — including Belmont — to have in place an antidiscrimination policy that includes gays and lesbians. The bill ultimately passed, but the state legislature and Gov. Bill Haslam overturned it.

“Lisa Howe knows first-hand how it is to come out in the work place and suffer discrimination because of sexual orientation,” said Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce President Michael Fluck. “After a national search we are pleased to announce that she is the first ever full time executive director for the Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce. She has a passion for workplace equality that can’t be matched and is the perfect fit as our new executive director.”

Fluck said Howe not only had the management skills to run the chamber, but her qualities as a former coach would prove invaluable in moving the NGLBTCC forward.

“In her six years at Belmont, Howe turned a losing team into Atlantic Sun Conference champions and was named conference Coach of the Year in 2009,” Fluck said.

Howe said that she knew this was the right position when she saw it advertised. After her separation with Belmont, she said she knew she wanted to be an advocate for work place equality.

“The Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce executive director position was the perfect job to fulfill my goals and vision,” she said.

Howe started her new job on Feb. 1. Her responsibilities include oversight and management of day-to-day operations; membership recruitment and retention; corporate partnership development; calendar development; recruitment and oversight of volunteers and the development and execution of an annual fundraiser.

Since the Belmont incident Howe has spoken to dozens of media outlets about being a gay Christian, coming out, and equality.

A look back at San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band at the SF mayoral inauguration

2012-02-08T00:30:00.000-08:00

Heidi Beeler looks back in the Bay Tmes at her participation with the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, a member of FGG member organization LGBA, in the recent inauguration of the city's new mayor:

On Sunday, January 8, we musicians from the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band performed for the inauguration of Mayor Ed Lee, sworn in that day as the 43rd mayor of San Francisco by Diane Feinstein. The band was one of many local performers to provide entertainment, including the San Francisco Symphony, the Girls and Boys Choruses of San Francisco, Leung’s White Crane Dragon and Lion Dance Association, World Arts West, Beach Blanket Babylon and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. It was a symbolic nod to our city’s diversity, and a fitting gesture from Mayor Lee, whose inaugural speech emphasized the need to come together with civility.

There’s nothing quite like playing in the City Hall rotunda. You take your place at the top of the Grand Staircase, dwarfed by neoclassical carvings. And when you play, the music ricochets around the marble halls and columns, circling the inside of the enormous dome until you find you’re accompanying your own echo in a room almost as old as the City itself. The inauguration was attended by every living mayor of San Francisco – Diane Feinstein, Art Agnos, Frank Jordan, Willie Brown, Gavin Newsom, even George Moscone’s widow, Gina – and by national and state officials including Nancy Pelosi, Mark Leno, Kamala Harris, Tom Ammiano. In that setting before that audience, it felt like the music echoed back through history. The effect was haunting.

Kile Ozier has said "It Gets Better" to over 1000 viewers!

2012-02-07T15:05:00.001-08:00

Kile Ozier's It Gets Better video was the first one we posted over a year ago, near the start of the campaign.

This video has just reached 1000 views. Thanks to Kile for reaching out to so many people! How about you?

Visit our "It Gets Better" page HERE.

21 April 2012 / Elaios holds 7th Juegos del Cierzo

2012-02-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

A message from FGG member organization Elaios:

From LGTB sports club Elaios we invite you to take part in the new edition of Cierzo Games that will take place from 21 to 23 of April 2012 in Zaragoza, Spain.

The 7th Cierzo Games intend to reach a record participation, at both national and international levels, although we can assure the even will not lose its familiar character and its personal treatment that have become its pattern. It wants to become a more even event, with an increase of female athletes and a wider sports offer.

This year we will continue trying harder to make it an attractive event for everyone, with the ability to surprise and attract. As biggest innovations this year we will have:

- New GLTA tennis tournaments for doubles. After the success of its first edition last year, and overseen by the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance, in 2012 Zaragoza will become Spain’s third city along with Madrid and Barcelona to host such an event and the only one exclusively for doubles.

- Return of swimming to Cierzo Games. It was first included in 2010 with 70 swimmers. This time the swimming competition is restored, it will be authorized by Federacion Aragonesa de Natacion (Aragonese swimming federation) and there will be new categories of competitions (up to 400 mts.)

- Heavy bet for women’s sports. Elaios, as a club that is engaged to women’s visibility in sports, wants to continue promoting equal Cierzo Games. That is why this year there will be an exclusively sport for women (basket), female competition in volley and the possibility to take part in the rest of the competitions.

- More shared activities. We make a big bet for recreational and social activities where sportsmen and sportswomen from different disciplines can interact between each other. For this purpose a whole welcome program, parties, brunch and dinner in wide spaces have been scheduled so they can simultaneously accept participants from all sports (volley, basket, tennis and swimming).

Inscription time is open and will close the 5 of April 2012, being that date the last one to pay the fees.

As hosting club we are full of hope and mood and we will work hard to get the best results. We expect to count on your presence and see you coming to live the best edition of Cierzo games along with all the other competitors and Elaios!

INFO

Auf Deutsch / DFB würdigt Kampf gegen Homophobie

2012-02-07T02:44:00.000-08:00

From 11freunde.de, news of the presentation by the German Football Federation of its volunteer prize to Carsten Stock, the leader of the Hamburger LGBT sports club Startschuss:

Der Deutschen Fußball-Bund (DFB) hat den Hamburger Carsten Stock mit dem DFB-Ehrenamtspreis 2011 ausgezeichnet und würdigt damit den Kampf gegen Homophobie.
DFB - DFB würdigt Kampf gegen Homophobie

Frankfurt/Main - Der Deutschen Fußball-Bund (DFB) hat den Hamburger Carsten Stock mit dem DFB-Ehrenamtspreis 2011 ausgezeichnet und würdigt damit den Kampf gegen Homophobie. Der 42-jährige Stock engagiert sich bereits seit 2004 im schwul-lesbischen Sportverein Startschuss SLSV gegen die Diskriminierung Homosexueller. Wie der Hamburger Fußballverband HFV mitteilte, hat sich Stock "um die soziale und internationale Integration des Vereins verdient gemacht".

"Im Fußball hat sich viel bewegt. Eine solche Ehrung für ein Engagement in einem schwul-lesbischen Sportverein wäre noch vor ein paar Jahren undenkbar gewesen", sagte Stock. Es sei gelungen, in Hamburg Berührungsängste abzubauen: "Auch wenn die Diskriminierung nicht vollständig überwunden ist: Wir sind mittlerweile in dieser Stadt angekommen."

Team Hamburg at Gay Games VIII

Stock initiierte zahlreiche Werbeaktionen, die humorvoll die Klischees von Schwulen und Fußball überwunden hätten. Stock organisiert außerdem seit 2005 das "StartschussMasters", ein Hallenturnier für schwule Fußballer, das sich zu einem der größten seiner Art in Deutschland entwickelt hat und Jahr für Jahr auch zahlreiche Teams aus dem Ausland nach Hamburg lockt.

Grundsätzlich nahm Stock bei diesem sensiblen Thema auch die Klubs mit in die Pflicht. "Es gibt Spieler, die keine Probleme haben und offen schwul in ihrem Verein Fußball spielen können, andere haben aber immer noch Angst, sich in dem sehr Macho-geprägten Umfeld des Fußballs zu outen. Alleine der Mut, zu sich selbst zu stehen, reicht hier nicht aus. Auch die Vereine und Verbände sind gefragt, von sich aus offener mit dem Thema umzugehen und ein entsprechendes Klima zu schaffen", sagte Stock.

Anti-semitism and homophobia: partners in crime

2012-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hungary's far-right (to say things moderately) Jobbik party, the third largest party in the country's parliament, has made the news in recent days, with its leader claiming that the upcoming Eurogames were a sign of the Apocalypse, and its foreign affairs spokesman denying the Holocaust and claiming that Israeli businesses in Hungary represented a threat to the country.

The Federation of Gay Games remains fully committed to supporting the EuroGames and the forces for an open and democratic Hungary.

Here is the Jobbik statement on the Eurogames:

Statement of Jobbik (Movement for a Better Hungary) on EuroGames 2012
translated by Marcell Balogh

We must stop the Fag Olympics!

The Movement for a Better Hungary (Jobbik) faction of the General Assembly of Budapest was shocked to learn the fact that Budapest is being pressured from abroad as well to organize the anti-Christian hate orgy called “Gay Olympics.”* Mayor István Tarlós was right to reject the request of the (lady)governor-mayor of Berlin, in which (s)he** referred to a promise made by failed city leader Gábor Demszky and asked for Tarlós’s support of the so-called “Gay Olympics” to be held in Budapest.

The Jobbik faction of the General Assembly vigorously asks Mayor Tarlós to immediately close the back doors that this exhibitionist parade, which discriminates against heterosexuals, could take advantage of***; and to immediately start an investigation into whether the event’s organizers have signed any contracts to use state- or city-owned sports or other types of facilities. If so, Mayor Tarlós shall order immediate termination of those contracts. It is outrageous that during the 2012 London Olympics Budapest is stuck with the “Gay Olympics.” This event must be stopped because it is not about sport, but about flooding the city with several thousands of homosexuals.

The aggressive multicultural power demonstration called “Gay Olympics” is problematic for the Jobbik party for several reasons. Firstly, because the leader of the capital city of a country which has a close relationship with Hungary ignores the fact that the twenty-year-long social-liberal occupation of Budapest is over.**** Secondly, the Jobbik faction of the General Assembly finds it unacceptable that the streets of Budapest are to be flooded with visual deviance and aggressive promotion of diversity; since not only perverted amateur athletes would be pouring in from around the world, but also their fans.

Thirdly, Jobbik would not like Budapest to turn into a police- and barricade-city again, since securing the event would divert tremendous police forces from providing public safety.***** The normal majority of the society rightfully rejects the public display of homosexuality which can be qualified as deviance. Jobbik is also aware that the majority of the Hungarian society voices its opinion not against the existence of gays, but against their demonstrative and provocative exhibitionism; and it would be hard to hold back those who will perhaps express their revulsion against homosexuals in a more radical way.

The Jobbik faction of the General Assembly will use all legal means and opportunities to thwart the dream of the former mayor and stop Budapest from turning into Demszky’s homolulu this summer!

János Czeglédi, Budapest city representative of Jobbik

Released by the Movement for a Better Hungary (Jobbik).

*The real name of the event is EuroGames.
**The press release purposely refers to Klaus Wowereit as possibly woman.
***In reality EuroGames has an anti-discrimination policy; straight players are welcome to participate.
**** Demszky was Budapest’s mayor for twenty years, partly in a liberal-socialist coalition. He did not seek re-election and Tarlós succeeded him in October 2010.
***** Reference to previous Gay Pride Parades, when entire streets had to be fenced off and hundreds of police officers had to be mobilized to control violent counter protestors, some of whom were organized by Jobbik.

19 February 2012 / Football v Homophobia

2012-02-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

A message from the Justin Campaign:

On February 19th 2010, The Justin Campaign launched “Football v Homophobia” – An international day opposing homophobia in football. The intention of this initiative is to provide an opportunity for individuals, communities and teams the world over to communicate their disapproval of homophobia in the game and celebrate its diverse following under the banner of Football v Homophobia. Last year, supporters of the initiative in the UK united with fans in North America, Canada, Spain and other countries for the first event.

The initiative is now about to enjoy its third year! Its growth and success is testament to all those who have supported and contributed to its development. The Justin Campaign very much hope that you enjoyed the day and we thank you for your support for the day this year. Football v Homophobia has been a great success thanks to you and it significantly impacts upon how LGBT people are perceived and treated in football. And remember you don’t have to be a football fan or a sports group to back the campaign! Impacting on homophobia in football will communicate a zero tolerance attitude to homophobia, in any shape or form, across the world.

Info HERE.

19 February 2012 / En español / Dia international contra la homofobia en el futbol

2012-02-06T04:42:00.000-08:00

DÍA INTERNACIONAL CONTRA LA HOMOFOBIA EN EL FÚTBOL--
TORNEO FÚTBOL SALA FEMENINO CONTRA LA HOMOFOBIA EN EL FÚTBOL