FEDERATION OF GAY GAMES ANNOUNCES CONFERENCE ON FUTURE OF THE LGBT SPORTS MOVEMENT AND AMBITIOUS SCHOLARSHIP PLANS

2004 Annual Meeting showcases Chicago's 2006 Gay Games plans; Executive Committee expands and becomes most internationally diverse ever

(Cologne - 13 November 2004) — The Federation of Gay Games (FGG) announced yesterday it would organise an open-invitation conference discussing ways to unify the ever-growing LGBT sports movement during the first six months of 2005. 

The FGG board voted 30-1-1 to organise and publicise a conference that is open to all interested parties, held in a city as centrally located as possible, and conducted by an independent facilitator. The conference is being organised in response to letters received by the FGG during the last several weeks calling for discussion about unifying the worldwide LGBT sports movement in the wake of two competing large-scale events in 2006.

"We did the right thing to wait until the entire board of directors had the opportunity to meet in person and discuss these matters at our annual meeting," said Roberto Mantaci, Co-President. "We had careful and considered discussions over several sessions, including an open forum that allowed the FGG board to listen to members of our community, and we came forward with a proposal that gathered widest consensus from the board."

News of the conference was just one highlight among many from the FGG's annual meeting, held this year from 7-12 November in Cologne, Germany. The meeting host was Sport Club Janus e.V., a Director Organisation of the FGG and the umbrella group for LGBT sports clubs in Cologne.

The FGG also announced a comprehensive scholarship programme to assist participants from countries proportionally underrepresented at previous Gay Games. US $15,000 was raised at the annual meeting alone in a campaign that will extend for the next year to complement the outreach scholarship programme being conducted by Chicago Games, Inc. (CGI), the host of Gay Games VII in 2006.

The 10-person CGI delegation gave an outstanding presentation, showcasing their sports and cultural plans, sponsorships of about US$2 million cash and $1.4 million in-kind, outreach plans, accommodation and transit pass information, and their new Partner Program for LGBT community groups and supporters. Registration is ongoing with paid participants from more than 15 countries on all continents.

"Chicago continues to be substantially ahead of schedule," said Kathleen Webster, FGG Co-President. "Just as important is that we have exactly the kind of positive partnership with a Gay Games host that our director organisations and affiliated groups have been looking for. That is inspiring tremendous confidence for the Gay Games' future."

Representatives from bidding organisations in Johannesburg, Paris and the local group in Cologne attended orientation sessions for the site selection for Gay Games VIII in 2010. The deadline for letters of intent to bid is 15 January 2005.

With an ever-increasing workload, the FGG board approved expanding the seven-person Executive Committee with four at-large positions. Elections produced the most diverse Executive Committee in Gay Games history, including citizens or residents of Australia, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, the U.K. and the U.S. 

Mantaci, an Italian native who lives in Paris, was re-elected Co-President. Richard Hogan, a dual citizen of Australia and the U.S. who lives in Sydney, was re-elected Male Vice President. FGG officer terms are for two years. Officers with a year remaining in their term are Co-President Webster of Philadelphia and Eurika Otto, a South African native residing in San Diego, who serves as Recorder.

New officers include: Charles King, elected Secretary, the FGG's first African-American officer; Manuel Picaud of Fédération Sportive Gaie et Lesbienne (FSGL), elected Treasurer, the first French native on the executive body; and Martyn Pickup of Vorspiel, a U.K. citizen who resides in Berlin, elected to one of the at-large positions.

Emy Ritt of FSGL, an American citizen living in Paris, was elected Female Vice President. Brent Minor of Team D.C.; Doug Litwin of the Lesbian & Gay Band Association, who lives in San Francisco, and Roger Brigham of Wrestlers WithOut Borders, from Oakland, Calif., were elected to the remaining at-large positions.

Three organisations joined the board this year, including the return of two major international sports groups: the International Gay Figure Skating Union; the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance; and an umbrella sports organisation, Out for Sport (London). Out for Sport is the first organisation from the U.K. serving on the FGG board in four years.

Susan Kennedy, long-time Individual Director and former six-year Co-President of the FGG, retired from the board and was elected to Honourary Life Member status. Stephanie Johnstone of Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, who served as interim Female Vice President during the last year, returns to her position as a delegate from the International Gay Bowling Organization. Outgoing Treasurer Jerry Lovell and outgoing Secretary Charlie Carson remain on the FGG board as Individual Directors. 

The 2004 Annual Meeting capped a year of achievement on advancing the Gay Games mission of ensuring a community-based, sports-focused and financially healthy quadrennial event. Among other things, board members have been looking closely at the FGG organisational structure analysing ways to improve how the governing body operates. Numerous prominent people have become Gay Games Ambassadors, committing their support of the Gay Games' principles of Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best™, including recently joined Ambassadors Melissa Etheridge, Esera Tuaolo and Rudy Galindo.

"I think this year's board meeting showed how unified and committed we all are to the Gay Games legacy and its inspiration for future generations," Mantaci said. "It warms my heart to see people travel from all corners of the world every year for our in-person meetings because they believe so strongly in the Gay Games movement."

For information about how to sponsor or participate in Gay Games VII in Chicago, visit GayGamesChicago.org, e-mail info@gaygameschicago.org, or phone (773) 907-2006. For information about the Federation of Gay Games, go to www.gaygames.com.