12,000 athletes gather in Montreal for Outgames
12,000 athletes gather in Montreal for Outgames
By Gary Barlow
Copyright by The Chicago Free Press
More than 40,000 people filled Montreal’s Olympic Stadium July 29 as singer k.d. lang, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, former Olympic champion Mark Tewksbury and others celebrated the opening of the first World Outgames.
“As an Olympian, I often felt alone,” Tewksbury said. “But I don’t feel alone anymore. We’ve dreamed it for five years and now the moment has arrived. Welcome to the first World Outgames.”
More than 12,000 athletes from 111 countries marched into Olympic Stadium to wild applause, with the loudest cheers going to a special procession of participants from 20 countries where homosexuality is still illegal.
“Your presence encourages us to continue working toward a world that is more equitable and peaceful,” Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay said.
Attendees cheered Tremblay and other speakers, but reserved their greatest applause for performances by lang, disco queen Martha Walsh, Cirque du Soleil and others.
“This one’s for the girls, especially the shot-putters—that’s what I used to be,” lang said, introducing her rendition of “Big-Boned Gal.”
At a press conference the day before, lang blasted conservative Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for declining an invitation to speak at the opening ceremony.
“It’s a sad statement that the national leader of a country that’s one of the most progressive countries in the world chooses to support intolerance,” lang said. A spokesman for Harper said the prime minister “can’t be everywhere.” He instead sent Canadian Public Works Minister Michael Fortier to represent him at the ceremony.
Fortier spoke to the crowd, but was heartily booed.
“Shame, shame, shame,” the audience chanted as Fortier spoke.
Navratilova read the Declaration of Montreal, the product of a three-day international conference on GLBT human rights held in conjunction with the Outgames. More than 2,000 people attended the conference, hammering out the Declaration, which is to be presented to the United Nations.
“The declaration will serve as a tool and source of inspiration for LGBT activists and their supporters around the world,” the conference’s co-presidents, Joke Zweibel and Robert Wintemute, said in a statement. “It is a breakthrough for the international LGBT community and indeed for the whole of humanity.”
Closing the conference, former Canadian Minister of Justice Martin Cauchon made a stirring plea for full equality for GLBTs, including equal marriage rights, asserting, “Separate but equal has no place in our society.”
“If we deny equality to gays and lesbians today, who’s next?” Cauchon said. “I strongly believe that we should not play politics with fundamental rights.”
Chicago activist Andy Thayer, who attended the conference, was moved by Cauchon’s speech.
“When have we heard local, let alone national, politicians in the U.S. say anything remotely as bold?” Thayer said.
Thayer praised Outgames organizers and local, provincial and national government officials in Montreal for making it financially possible for hundreds of delegates from less developed countries to attend the conference.
“The subsidies meant that many from poorer, farther nations could attend,” Thayer said.
A highlight of the conference was a speech by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, who said her appearance “will send a signal to the entire world community that we have to be very present to those who historically and currently today are stillÉvery much the victims of exclusion and marginalization.”
The Outgames grew out of a split between international gay sports groups after the Federation of Gay Games first awarded Gay Games VII to the Montreal 2006 committee, then backtracked, pulled the Gay Games from Montreal and awarded the 2006 event to Chicago. Montreal 2006 went ahead with its event, renaming it the World Outgames under the auspices of a new international GLBT sports group, the Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association. Gay Games VII concluded July 22 in Chicago.
The Outgames runs through Aug. 5.
By Gary Barlow
Copyright by The Chicago Free Press
More than 40,000 people filled Montreal’s Olympic Stadium July 29 as singer k.d. lang, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, former Olympic champion Mark Tewksbury and others celebrated the opening of the first World Outgames.
“As an Olympian, I often felt alone,” Tewksbury said. “But I don’t feel alone anymore. We’ve dreamed it for five years and now the moment has arrived. Welcome to the first World Outgames.”
More than 12,000 athletes from 111 countries marched into Olympic Stadium to wild applause, with the loudest cheers going to a special procession of participants from 20 countries where homosexuality is still illegal.
“Your presence encourages us to continue working toward a world that is more equitable and peaceful,” Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay said.
Attendees cheered Tremblay and other speakers, but reserved their greatest applause for performances by lang, disco queen Martha Walsh, Cirque du Soleil and others.
“This one’s for the girls, especially the shot-putters—that’s what I used to be,” lang said, introducing her rendition of “Big-Boned Gal.”
At a press conference the day before, lang blasted conservative Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for declining an invitation to speak at the opening ceremony.
“It’s a sad statement that the national leader of a country that’s one of the most progressive countries in the world chooses to support intolerance,” lang said. A spokesman for Harper said the prime minister “can’t be everywhere.” He instead sent Canadian Public Works Minister Michael Fortier to represent him at the ceremony.
Fortier spoke to the crowd, but was heartily booed.
“Shame, shame, shame,” the audience chanted as Fortier spoke.
Navratilova read the Declaration of Montreal, the product of a three-day international conference on GLBT human rights held in conjunction with the Outgames. More than 2,000 people attended the conference, hammering out the Declaration, which is to be presented to the United Nations.
“The declaration will serve as a tool and source of inspiration for LGBT activists and their supporters around the world,” the conference’s co-presidents, Joke Zweibel and Robert Wintemute, said in a statement. “It is a breakthrough for the international LGBT community and indeed for the whole of humanity.”
Closing the conference, former Canadian Minister of Justice Martin Cauchon made a stirring plea for full equality for GLBTs, including equal marriage rights, asserting, “Separate but equal has no place in our society.”
“If we deny equality to gays and lesbians today, who’s next?” Cauchon said. “I strongly believe that we should not play politics with fundamental rights.”
Chicago activist Andy Thayer, who attended the conference, was moved by Cauchon’s speech.
“When have we heard local, let alone national, politicians in the U.S. say anything remotely as bold?” Thayer said.
Thayer praised Outgames organizers and local, provincial and national government officials in Montreal for making it financially possible for hundreds of delegates from less developed countries to attend the conference.
“The subsidies meant that many from poorer, farther nations could attend,” Thayer said.
A highlight of the conference was a speech by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, who said her appearance “will send a signal to the entire world community that we have to be very present to those who historically and currently today are stillÉvery much the victims of exclusion and marginalization.”
The Outgames grew out of a split between international gay sports groups after the Federation of Gay Games first awarded Gay Games VII to the Montreal 2006 committee, then backtracked, pulled the Gay Games from Montreal and awarded the 2006 event to Chicago. Montreal 2006 went ahead with its event, renaming it the World Outgames under the auspices of a new international GLBT sports group, the Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association. Gay Games VII concluded July 22 in Chicago.
The Outgames runs through Aug. 5.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 3:10 PM
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