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'OutGames' Set for Montreal
Vancouver — At the Gay and Lesbian
Athletics Foundation annual conference in Boston in March, a
gathering of global sport leaders gave birth to the Gay & Lesbian
International Sport Association (“GLISA”). With its mission centered
on participants and services to athletes and teams, GLISA aims to
consolidate and further develop a coordinated international sports
calendar with a new gay & lesbian multi-sport games brand named
”OutGames”.
GLISA is a not-for-profit association with a vision to be an
inclusive, globally recognized and integrated, gay, lesbian,
bisexual and
transgender association that celebrates, supports and promotes gay
and lesbian culture through sport.
The Founding Board of Directors includes: Thomas Kevin Dolan –
Vancouver, Canada; Geoff Lyne – Sydney, Australia; Catherine Meade –
Toronto, Canada; Ole Udsholt – Copenhagen, Denmark; and Christian
West – New York, USA.
In the coming months GLISA will:
1. Develop its membership worldwide through invitations to all
existing GLBT sports teams and international federations;
2. Promote and market the OutGames;
3. Finalize an agreement with Rendez-Vous Montreal 2006 to deliver
the 1st World OutGames from 29 July to 5 August, 2006;
4. Finalize an RFP for World OutGames 2009;
5. Identify, in the coming months, the city that will host its
international headquarters.
“Without a doubt, the high quality of this work and our ability to
have completed it so quickly relates to our strong set of values,”
comments Catherine Meade. “Our values are the standard against which
all of our activities and actions will be measured.”
“I have joined GLISA because the rowing group I co-founded in London
was not able to sustain itself, in the face of homophobia and
logistical issues, without a dedicated, international association to
support it,” says Geoff Lyne. “GLISA will meet the needs I have as a
gay athlete by providing a host of benefits that I cannot find
elsewhere.”
“We will consolidate and make financially sound a new GLBT sports
movement,” said Ole Udsholt, reflecting on the aims of GLISA. “We
know that the GLBT sporting world is ready for something that will
better serve its needs.”
“Can you imagine the difference we are going to make in the world of
gay and lesbian sport?” added Thomas Kevin Dolan. “Our Founding
Board, in partnership with our powerful Advisory Council, has
accomplished in ten short weeks what had yet to be accomplished in
our current sporting world. We are so honoured to serve our
community in this way and we now invite the global lesbian and gay
sport community to become our members.”
The Founding Directors may be reached via email at the addresses
below:
New York, Christian West, cawest64@hotmail.com
Copenhagen, Denmark, Ole Udsholt, ole@gaysport.info
Sydney, Australia, Geoffrey Lyne, geoff_lyne@hotmail.com
Vancouver, Canada, Thomas Kevin Dolan, tkd@telus.net
Toronto, Canada, Catherine Meade, catherine.meade@rogers.com |
