Hello All!

My name's Jeff and I am the Director of Content for the 2005 International Gay & Lesbian Athletics Conference to be held next March. We have a great weekend planned for Washington, D.C. as we've partnered with Team DC, a great group of movers and shakers in our nation's capital. They are the folks bringing the Gay Games to D.C. in 2010.

Some of you may have attended or at least heard of our conference. It's a gathering of athletes, administrators, activists and fans to talk about the gay sports movement. As the Director of Content, I am asking YOU - the gay sports community, what are the topics that interest you?

Think of this as a brainstorming session - list the topic you'd like to hear more about, tell us why they interest you and be prepared to be invited to go to D.C.

I am also interested in fielding some panels around the topics which are of the most interest to the group, so if you feel you can contribute as a subject matter expert, please let us know.

Thanks to all.

Yours in Sport,
Jeff Weekley

Jeff,
Being an athletic trainer I would like to see something on the whether if there is a difference or preceived difference in being an out athletic trainer or something along that line. Maybe some of the pitfalls of being an out athletic trainer or the joys. I would be happy to sit on a panel or whatever
TC White, ATC
Pratt Community College
Pratt, KS 67124

I attended the first conference in Cambridge two years ago and enjoyed most of it, but was sorely disappointed by the organizers' failure to secure speakers on all sides of the issues concerning Title IX and women's sports programs. Thus, when I attended that portion of the conference, I was treated to a series of lectures that could be summed up as "women's sports always good; men's sports always selfish." That's hardly enlightening or helpful in addressing and resolving the issues surrounding this matter.

There are many people conversant with ALL aspects of this debate - some members of OS - and I hope you rectify your omission next time by inviting some of them - and yes, even some opponents of Title IX as presently written - to speak so we ALL can be better informed on this subject and not be part of perpetuating its problems.

I second the motion on revisiting the Title IV issue, and in fact broadening the subject to issues regarding allocation of resources for men's and women's sports.

I was a huge proponent of Title IX when it was created, but have ben appalled at how it has been misapplied by school administrators and even worse how it was later corrupted by the courts. Far more than helping women's sports, which needed it, it has destroyed many, many men's sports with no thoughts of where the guys who don't fit the football/basketball requirements go.

Look at how the US Olympic wrestling effort has backslid so mightily, or lack at the paucity of schools offering men's gymnastics scholarships.

But if you are going to do it, get some of the people who are continuing the fight to get the law handled correctly, not as an ax to cut men's sports.

I have to agree that title IV has its good and bad points. What started out as a wonderful tool has been twisted into something unrecogizible. In talking with some of the coaches and staff here I have found that they don't totally understand the true meaning of title IV. If the people who work with it don't understand it then how are others to understand it.

I bet a seminar or panel on any of the following would be useful to many:

- successful fundraising strategies
- how & why to become tax exempt
- media relations strategies, how to write a press release
- internet: comparison of payment systems, comparison of website design tools, how to select a good webmaster, intranets, listserves

does anybody out there know why was the GLAF conference got canceled?

Hadn't heard anything about it. Turnout last year was poor, I heard. I didn't attend -- so there you go.