Less Than 10 days Before the End of Early Registration
As the Early Registration period closes on 31 December 2004, the1st World Outgames Montréal 2006 will have some 2,300 registrations on the books. Montréal 2006 has exceeded its own objectives in our forecasts for 2004. “At this rate,” said Ms. Louise Roy, CEO of Montréal 2006, “we can realistically believe that we will obtain our target of 16,000 participants, and perhaps even surpass it.”

Don't wait! Register here now >>

Cathy Sellers Becomes a New Board Member
GLISA has also just announced that Ms. Cathy Sellers, of the U.S. Olympic Committee has agreed to become a member of the organisation’s board. Ms. Sellers is well-known and respected in the sports community.

Since its inception on 26 March of this year, GLISA (Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association) has, in just nine months, surpassed the expectations of the LGBT sport community worldwide: 40 organisations have become members of GLISA, a global calendar has been established and Ms. Rachel Corbett will be working full-time now as GLISA’s Director.

The complete GLISA press release here >>

FIRST SOUTH AMERICAN MEMBER
GRUPO UMAS & OUTRAS, a Brazilian organisation based in Sao Paulo, has just become a member of GLISA, which brings the number of members to 35. GLISA’s membership now composed of more LGBT sports organisations and groups than any other international association.

GRUPO UMAS & OUTRAS brings together some 300 lesbian women in a diverse range of activities including soccer, dance, theatre, and human rights.

Games Berlin
In a press release issued 10 December 2004, Games Berlin has announced that its intention to bid on the 2nd World Outgames in 2009 has received a positive response from a large majority of representatives of the LGBT sport community in Berlin.

Odyssée 2005: the Montréal Multi-Sport Tournament
Montréal sport clubs, in collaboration with Équipe-Montréal, invite you to take part in their Odyssée 2005 Multi-Sport Tournament, which will be held over the long Easter weekend on March 25, 26, 27 and 28, 2005. It will be an action-packed and fun-filled weekend and a unique opportunity to experience the warmth and joie de vivre for which Montrealers are world-renowned.

The sport programme will offer the following sports:
Badminton | Basketball | Hockey
Olympic Wrestling | Bowling | Volleyball

A variety of social activities will also be on the menu for the 700 expected participants: An opening cocktail and athlete accreditation reception, the Saturday night get-together, dinner in the restaurant of your choice, the Sunday night gala with its dazzling live show, and the closing brunch on Monday morning.

A social programme will also be offered to partners and friends of athletes who will not be participating in the sport tournaments. A housing service will be available for participants and their partners.

To register or to obtain further information, visit the tournament website as of 10 January 2005 at www.tournoiodyssee.com or call Éric at (514) 252 5858 ext. 6120.

Montréal 2006 will be holding an on-site registration session for the Outgames and the Conference, which will be open to all Odyssée 2005 participants.

Supporters of the Outgames Programme
The 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006 invites you to become actively involved in promoting the international LGBT sport and cultural movement by becoming a Supporter of the Outgames.

You can assist us in building upon our rapidly-growing international network of sport teams and associations, cultural groups and organisations that are working for the advancement of LGBT rights around the world. Help us spread the word and stimulate participation in the sport, culture and International Conference programmes! As a Supporter of the Outgames, you will be playing an integral role in a new chapter in the global LGBT movement.

Get all the details here >>

CITEGAY.COM
This French website has been serving the LGBT community since 1997 and is the most popular site in its geographic market. CiteGay.com receives 500,000 unique visits per month and nearly 2 million visits to the various sites it operates. The agreement with CiteGay.com is valued at $250,000 CAD.

“CitéGay,” said Mr. Jean-Laurent Julieno, Director of Marketing for the company, “is pleased to collaborate with the organisers of the 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006 to help this event to be an unparalleled success. CitéGay will also serve as an ambassador for Montréal 2006.”

GAYRADIOBEC.COM
Québec’s first gay radio station, Gayradiobec.com, has also become a Montréal 2006 media partner. This online radio station was launched last summer. The agreement is valued at $100,000 CAD.

GLAXOSMITHKLINE Becomes Conference Sponsor

GlaxoSmithKline, a world leader in the pharmaceutical industry has become a Gold Level sponsor of the International Conference.

Montréal 2006 would like to thank Mr. Paul Lirette and Mr. Francis Vaillant of GSK, as well as Dr. Pierre Côté, Montréal 2006 Board member, for their hard work and support.

A New Member for the International Scientific Committee
There are a few changes in the composition of the International Scientific Committee for the international Conference on the advancement of LGBT rights.

Ms. Aïlsa Spindler, will remain an ambassador to the Conference, but cedes her place on the Scientific Committee to Ms. Rosanna Flawer-Caldera from Sri Lanka, Co-Secretary General of ILGA-Europe. Mr. Bill Schiller also remains an ambassador and has proposed that Mr. Robert Biedron, activist and president of the Campaign Against Homophobia in Poland, take his place on the Committee. And finally, following the partnership agreement with GLAF (Gay & Lesbian Athletics Foundation) Mr. Rob Jagnow, Director of Content, has now become a member of the Scientific Committee.

Agreement Signed With GLAF

Montréal 2006 and the Gay & Lesbian Athletics Foundation (GLAF) have signed a partnership agreement to collaborate on the founding of “The Right to Be Different” International Conference. GLAF will be in charge of preparing the programme on subjects related to discrimination in sport and will have a representative on the International Scientific Committee.

Complete press release here >>

Best Wishes from Montréal 2006,

Over the last five years, we have been hard at work with our partners in the LGBT communities in Montréal and Canada to create a world-class event in our city in 2006. We look back on 2004 as a year that allowed Montréal 2006 to define its new mission and image as the 1st World Outgames. It was an extraordinary year, one that surpassed our objectives, and saw GLISA (Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association) grow, in just a few short months, to have more members from around the world than any other LGBT sport association. We also successfully launched Outgames registrations, and finished the year with over 2,000 registrations, which exceeded our initial forecasts for the period. What’s more, the geographic origin of those already registered is a clear indication that our event will be a truly international one, unlike any previous LGBT event.

In 2005, the adventure continues and new goals beckon. As the New Year begins, we are looking forward to meeting with new sponsors, developing agreements with cultural events, and to working with the many sports teams around the world who will be registering for the Outgames.

We would like to offer our best wishes for health and happiness in 2005, and we would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to all of you for your incredible support and encouragement: we couldn’t do it without you. We look forward to welcoming you to Montréal as our honoured guests and friends, and to entertaining you in true Montréal style!

The Montréal 2006 Team