Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association » Uncategorized

Miami Beach / Miami wins 2017 worldOutgames

GLISA — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 09:35:43 +0000

Antwerp, Belgium 28 February 2013 – Miami Beach, Florida, will host the 2017 World Outgames, an international sporting event that is organized to help advance gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender human rights around the world. The decision was taken by a committee in the presence of mayors from both finalist cities, including Mrs. Matti Bower, Mayor of the City of Miami Beach and Mr. Jon Gnarr, Mayor of Reykjavik. “The selection process required a lot of effort, the visit in Antwerp has been very exhilarating, and we are ready to put on an amazing event in 2017” said Mayor Bower.

“Our members had to choose between two fabulous cities this evening. Miami Beach and Reykjavik are very different from each other but each is equally exciting in its own way,” said Paul Brummitt of the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association (GLISA). GLISA organizes the World OutGames and Paul is chair of its Site Selection Committee. GLISA co-president Daniel Vaudrin added “By winning the 2017 World Outgames, Miami has beaten fierce and worthy competition from major cities around the world. It is wonderful that such influential cities support our endeavour of raising human rights issues through sports.
“It was a very inclusive and democratic decision-making process, with members connecting by videoconference from as far afield as Australasia, Mexico, and Tonga,” Vaudrin explained. “We are thrilled that Miami Beach and the voters are offering us the opportunity to organize the World Outgames in the United States. Miami is a particularly important place for us to be raising gay, lesbian and bisexual human rights issues because of its strong links to Latin America and the on-going political discourse within the US itself.”
The first World Outgames was held in 2006 in Montreal and attracted more than 12,000 participants. The event was based on three components: Sport, Culture and Human Rights. The second World Outgames was held in Copenhagen in 2009. It was an attractive, open and inclusive event that welcomed the local and international LGBT community as well s the wider population of Copenhagen and Denmark. “We’re thrilled that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender athletes will have the opportunity to build on the human rights legacy of Copenhagen and Montreal. It is wonderful that Miami Beach will be carrying the flame of our international community in 2017,” Vaudrin said. In the meantime, the next edition of World Outgames will be hosted this year in Antwerp, Belgium, from 31 July to 11 August.About the Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association
Established in 2004, the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association is a democratically governed, international association of sport, culture and human rights organizations that work for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. GLISA’s mandate is to support and grow an international LGBT movement by organizing continental associations, continental Outgames, and global World Outgames every four years.

Media Contacts
Daniel Vaudrin, Co-President GLISA International
daniel@vaudrin.ca Tel. +1 514 998 4282

For Mr. Jon Gnarr, Mayor of Reykjavik
Hulda Gunnarsdottir
Press officer for Reykjavik City
Hulda.gunnarsdottir@reykjavik.is
Tel. +354 6939384

For Miami Beach / Miami LGBT Sports and Cultural League Inc.
Richard Murray
+1 305 321-0275

Links
· Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association
· 2013 World Outgames, Antwerp, Belgium

Registration for members eligible to vote ends 15 February – see the bids here

GLISA — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 02:11:51 +0000

GLISA is proud to publish the bids to host the 4th worldOutgames by both Miami Beach and Reykjavík.

Download them here! ==> Miami and Miami Beach and Reykjavik

All GLISA members from around the world are invited to register to vote to choose whether Miami Beach or Reykjavík will be the host of the 4^th worldOutgames in 2017.

The meeting will be held physically in Antwerp, Belgium, host of this year’s worldOutgames. Instead of having members fly to a destination for the vote, we have setup a virtual meeting online so if you are unable to be in Antwerp on that day, you can join in by video conference or teleconference – and still cast your vote. It’s easier for you and ensures greater participation from all GLISA members.

The site selection starts on the 28th of February at 1800 local time (1700 UTC/GMT, 1200 EST, 0900 PST, 0500 Eastern Australia following day). Click here for times in your location.

Every GLISA member organization has one vote. International Federations such as the European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation and International Front Runners have two votes each, and the GLISA Continental Associations also get to vote.

You need to register in advance to attend the meeting – both for voting and attending so that we can organize the logistics. Click here to register no later than 15 February!

Download bid books here! ==> Miami and Miami Beach and Reykjavik

Miami Beach and Reykjavik compete to host the 2017 worldOutgames

GLISA — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:08:31 +0000

The Gay & Lesbian International Sport Association
announces shortlist of bidders for fourth edition of worldOutgames

The Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association (GLISA) said today that Miami Beach, Florida, and Reykjavík, Iceland have been shortlisted to host the fourth edition of the worldOutgames in 2017. GLISA co-president Daniel Vaudrin made the announcement during a press conference for the 2013 Antwerp worldOutgames hosted jointly by the Prime Minister of Belgium, Elio Di Rupo and Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament and former Prime Minister of Belgium. GLISA is the governing body of the worldOutgames. “We have two amazing cities for our members to choose between at our selection meeting in Antwerp in February 2013. Both cities are very different from each other and each is equally exciting in its own way,” he said. “We also want to thank Denver, Rio de Janeiro and Rome for their interest in hosting our event.”

A site inspection team will now visit both cities and prepare a report that will be presented to the members of GLISA. The final step will take place in Antwerp, Belgium, in February 2013: each city will be invited to present its bid to the members at a selection meeting. In order to be as inclusive as possible, members will be able to take part and vote by video and teleconference. The winning city will be announced at the conclusion of the meeting.

worldOutgames III in Antwerp in 2013
Elio Di Rupo and Guy Verhofstadt are also lending their ongoing support as patrons of worldOutgames III, which will be held next year from 31 July to 11 August. The event coincides with the tenth anniversary of the introduction of Belgium’s same-sex marriage law under Verhofstadt’s premiership back in 2003. “With today’s announcement of our bidders for 2017, we are proud to symbolically link all four worldOutgames. By presenting Jeroen Van Bergen, CEO and Bart Abeel, chairman of worldOutgames III with medals from Montreal 2006 and Copenhagen 2009, we are also showing our appreciation for dedication to the Outgames” said Paul Brummitt, chair of GLISA’s site selection committee.

About World Outgames
The first worldOutgames was held in 2006 in Montreal and attracted more than 12,000 participants. The event was based on three components: Sport, Culture and Human Rights. The second worldOutgames was held in Copenhagen in 2009. It was an attractive, open and inclusive event that welcomed the local and international LGBT community as well as the wider population of Copenhagen and Denmark.
Successful events have also been hosted by GLISA’s Continental Associations in North America and Asia-Pacific: the 2007 North America Outgames in Calgary, the 2008 Asia-Pacific Outgames in Melbourne, the 2011 Asia-Pacific Outgames in Wellington, and most recently the 2011 North America Outgames that took place in Vancouver in July of that year. In 2014, Darwin, Australia will host the 3^rd Asia-Pacific Outgames and in 2015, Denver, Colorado will host the 3rd North America Outgames.

About the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association

Established in 2004, the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association (GLISA) is a democratically governed, international association of sport, culture and human rights organizations that works for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. GLISA’s mandate is to support and grow an international LGBT movement by organizing continental associations, continental Outgames, and global worldOutgames every four years.

For additional information on the GLISA family and our events, please visit our websites:
www.GLISA.org
www.World.Outgames.org

Contacts:Europe: Paul Brummitt, Chair of 2017 Selection Committee paul.brummitt@glisa.org +45 50 43 26 19 (Denmark)

North America: Daniel Vaudrin, Co-President daniel.vaudrin@glisa.org +1 514 998 4282 (Montreal)

Our very own Mark Tewksbury, Interviewed as Chef de Mission

GLISA — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 12:17:54 +0000

Mark Tewksbury was interviewed by Heather Hiscox, from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, talking about his role as Chef de Mission for the Canadian Olympic Team .

GLISA Releases Request for Proposal for worldOutgames 2017

GLISA — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:06:22 +0000

Toronto, July 17, 2012,
UPDATED: August 13, 2012

Following requests and comments from a number of organisations, the Gay & Lesbian International Sport Association is adjusting the timetable for submission of Letters of Intent for the 2017 worldOutgames.

August is a period of the year in many parts of the world means that key people are unavailable until September, and so in order to give ample opportunity to every bidding organizationwe are therefore allowing extra time for their letters of support.

The revised timetable is therefore:
September 17, 2012: submission of organization’s Letter of Intent to Bid
October 1, 2012: submission of all other documents and payment of the initial fee of CAD 750.
October 3, 2012: issuance of Handbook for Bidders.
Click here to open Request for Proposal

GLISA International is delighted to announce that the bidding Process for the 4th worldOutgames in 2017 has started

To kick off the bidding process for the 4th worldOutgames in 2017, GLISA International is today issuing its Request for Proposal (RFP), inviting all interested cities to submit a “Letter of Intent” and ultimately a full bid.

The full RFP document and the timeline can be downloaded from the GLISA International website: www.glisa.org.

Paul Brummitt, chair of the Host Selection Committee said, “World Outgames is an international LGBTQ event consisting of equal parts multi-sport tournament, human rights conference and culture. The Host City we ultimately select will have the responsibility, and capability, to deliver a financially successful event”.

GLISA, in partnership with the organizing team in Antwerp, is currently involved in the preparations for World Outgames III to be held from July 31 to August 11.

The timeline set by the GLISA International Board envisages the announcement of the host for the 4th worldOutgames in Antwerp at the end of February 2013.

World and Continental Outgames

The 1^st worldOutgames was held in 2006 in Montreal and attracted more than 12,000 participants. The event was based on three components: Sport, Culture and Human Rights.

Since then, successful events have been hosted by GLISA’s Continental Associations in North America and Asia Pacific in 2007 (1^st North America Outgames in Calgary) and 2008 (1^st Asia Pacific Outgames in Melbourne).

The successful 2^nd worldOutgames was held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009. An attractive open all inclusive event for the (local and international) LGBT community, but also for the people from Copenhagen and Denmark.

In 2011 GLISA’s Continental Associations in Asia Pacific and North America hosted events in Wellington, New Zealand (March) and Vancouver, Canada (July).

worldOutgames III will be held in 2013 in Antwerp, Belgium. In 2014, Darwin, Australia will host the 3^rd Asia Pacific Outgames and in 2015, Denver, Colorado will host the 3^rd North America Outgames.

For additional information on the GLISA family and our events, please visit our websites:

Click here to open Request for Proposal

Contact:

Host Selection Committee Chair

Paul Brummitt –

bid2017@glisa.org

worldOutgames Antwerp 2013 participates in DVV Antwerp 10 miles

GLISA — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:59:33 +0000

On April 22 2012, worldOutgames Antwerp 2013 participated in the “DVV Antwerp 10 miles”, a popular local sports event attracting more than 25,000 runners and over 50,000 spectators. worldOutgames took part with more than 50 African LGBTQI asylum seekers who together created a lot of enthusiasm and a great atmosphere, while running the 5 km as a group. The reactions from the asylum seekers, the public, organisers and press were very positive, resulting in press coverage in various national radio, TV and print media.

Being part of this event meant that worldOutgames combined 2 of its 3 pillars: sports and human rights. It was the very first time that this target group participated in a mainstream public event. For more information, please visit www.world.outgames.org

Former Asia-Pacific Outgames Co-Chair helps promote World Outgames III

GLISA — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:53:14 +0000

Loraine Little, former co-chair of the Melbourne Asia Pacific Outgames is Ambassador for Antwerp in her region. Loraine works hard to promote worldOutgames III where ever she can. Recently she held a presentation at the Glamourhead Sharks Annual Awards night – Melbourne’s LGBT swim club (and probably the largest in Australia). Loraine’s next major promo will be in Brisbane in June.

LOTL, the major lesbian magazine plans to do a feature on Antwerp Outgames for their next edition. In the article, the Flying Bats football club (Sydney based), will be featured as they are reputedly the world’s largest lesbian football club and are definitely sending a team to Antwerp.

GLISA and Antwerp at EGLSF AGA in Split, Croatia

GLISA — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:18:32 +0000

Last weekend, the European Gay and Lesbian Sport Association (EGLSF) held its annual general assembly (AGA) in Split (Croatia). The well attended event started off on Friday with an interesting conference themed: “Conference for more Inclusive, Diverse and Sustainable Sport”. Keynote speakers, panels and workshops were well attended. The outcomes of the conference will soon be available via the qSport website [http://split-2012.qsport.info/press-media/split-declaration]. Many members strongly insisted that the formal obstacles preventing progress towards 1QE in 2018 should be removed as soon as possible by FGG members holding a special assembly.

The slides of the 1QE 2018 status update presentation are available here [link].

The worldOutgames III team from Antwerp (July 31 – August 11 2013) were of course present in Split to promote the event. The picture shows Jerko (Marketing) and Dennis (Sports). Their presentation was very warmly received by the EGLSF members. During the meeting, the delegates voted to hold the 2013 AGA in Antwerp, which will give the worldOutgames team an excellent opportunity for promotion just a couple of months prior to the close of registrations.

GLISA congratulates new Asia Pacific Board

GLISA — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:48:29 +0000

The board of GLISA International would like to congratulate the new GLISA Asia Pacific Board. The incoming Board is a mixture of new and old members; Frank Brady (Adelaide, Australia), Karen Moses (Wellington, New Zealand, based in Fiji), Kevin Haunui (Wellington New Zealand), and new members Ken Moala (Brisbane, Australia), Helen Stevens (Melbourne, Australia), Barry Taylor (back now in Sydney from Wellington).

We would also like to give a special thanks to Peter Sagar, who was also a founding member of the GLISA International Board, and president of GLISA-AP. Peter has helped make the GLISA family a movement for change in creating safe spaces for all to play sport in his home, his region and the world.