The 1st Outgames Has Reached 5,000 Registered!

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From 16 to 27 June 2005, European residents will get 10% off the Regular Registration Fee for sport, culture and the International Conference programme of the 1st World Outgames. There's never been a better time to plan your best trip for 2006!

Complete information here >>

A New Montréal Figure Skating Team Is Born!

It’s official: Figure Skating will take its place as part of the Équipe Montréal family of sports teams. The new Figure Skating team, Les Axels D’Or (Golden Axels), will offer members year-round training sessions and will help athletes prepare for the 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006.

All disciplines will be offered; ice dancing, pairs and freestyle. Athletes will have the opportunity to prepare original choreographies that just might win them a medal in the Figure Skating competitions of the 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006.

The Latest teams To Register
In Volleyball: Adelaïde Spikers (Australia), AMBI (Germany)

In Softball: London Raiders (United Kingdom), 2 women’s teams, 1 men’s team and 2 mixed teams, BK Paris (France)

In Basketball : Paris Gars 1 (France)

In Dancesport: Danse Sport Dignity (USA), Step by step (Netherlands)

In Bowling: Chasers (Germany), FVV Bowlers (Germany)

Iin Swimming: Glamoured Sharks (Australia)

NAGVA in Dallas
Daniel Vaudrin, President of Équipe Montréal and Éric Pineault, sport coordinator for the Outgames, were in Dallas, Texas, for the North American Gay Volleyball Association (NAGVA) Championships, which were held from 26 to 29 May 2005. The two Montréal ambassadors were absolutely thrilled by the warm and friendly welcome they received from our American neighbours. More than thirty teams announced their intention to participate in the Outgames next summer. The 1st World Outgames have been added to the NAGVA site and Équipe Montréal‘s Big Jump tournament will even be added to the NAGVA calendar! It was a great event that showed the fantastic collaboration existing between NAGVA and Montréal! Thanks to everyone in Dallas for a great weekend and making us feel at home.

Équipes Montréal
During its annual gala on 3 June 2005, Équipe Montréal presented this year’s Claude Mailhot Award (courtesy of Labatt Breweries) to the person, organisation or event that has made an outstanding contribution to the development of sport within the LGBT community. For 2004-2005, this honour was presented to Jacques Taillefer.

Throughout his more than 20 years of active involvement in the sports community, more than 8 years on the board of Équipe Montréal, on which he served as president, as well as years of working on many different committees (including the committee that prepared Montréal’s bid for 2006 games), Jacques has offered his expertise, shared his vision, made many important contacts and met numerous challenges.

What's new in San Francisco
Équipe SF2006 is an all-volunteer group of Bay Area athletes and artists who are joining together for the purpose of camaraderie and team-spirit at the Montreal 2006 World Outgames. Their membership is open to anyone interested in joining their group and supporting their efforts to prepare for the Outgames, gay rights conference and festivities in Canada next summer. They plan on going to Montreal to join fellow LGBT athletes and artists from around the world in a global celebration of unity, joy and fellowship.

Opening Ceremonies
Montréal 2006 and SOGESTALT Television, one of the largest entertainment producers in Canada, have signed an agreement to produce the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Outgames. The internationally renowned CIRQUE DU SOLEIL and legendary Québec diva Diane Dufresne have already agreed to perform during the Opening ceremonies, which will be televised by Radio-Canada, Canada’s national public broadcaster.

And the Parties!!!
The BBCM Foundation, one of the biggest event promoters in Montréal and organizers of the world renowned Black & Blue Festival, and the Organizing Committee of the 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006, are pleased to announce their partnership for the organization of major official parties during the week of activities taking place from 26 July to 5 August 2006, in several Montréal venues. These parties will also benefit Montréal 2006 and the LGBT athletes taking part in the Games.

Country Western Dance and Square Dance
From 30 June to 4 July 2005, representatives of the 1st World Outgames along with members of Club BOLO, the well-known Montréal country-western dance club, will be attending the 12th Annual IAGLCWDC (International Association of Gay-Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs) Convention in Dallas, Texas. The event will be organized by the Texas Twisters dance club and it will be a fantastic opportunity Montréal 2006 to promote the country western dance competitions to the more than 700 participants expected to attend from more than 40 clubs.

Montréal 2006 will also attend the Star Thru Silicon Galaxy 22nd Annual IAGSDC (International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs) Convention. The event will be organised in collaboration with the El Camino Reelers dance club and will be held in Santa Clara, California, from 1 to 4 July 2005. Montréal 2006 will seek an official sanction from the IAGSDC and will also take the opportunity to generate some buzz for the Outgames square dance events among the 1,000 American and Canadian dancers registered for the convention.

Keynote Speakers and Chairs
The International Conference on LGBT rights has already established an impressive line-up of keynote speakers and session chairperson. They include:

• Ms. Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Judge Deborah A. Batts, Federal District Court, Manhattan, New York
• Judge Edwin Cameron, Supreme Court of Appeal, South Africa
• Judge Eugenio Raùl Zaffaroni, Supreme Court of Justice, Argentina
• Ms. Epsy Campbell, deputy to the Costa Rica National Assembly
• Ms. Georgina BEYER, first transsexual elected to Parliament, New Zealand
• Judge Wilhelmina Thomassen, Supreme Court of the Netherlands
• Mr. Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities for the European Union
• Mr. Alvaro Gil-Robles, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe
• Judge Claire L’Heureux-Dubé, retired, Supreme Court of Canada

Chambers of Commerce
Pascal Lépine, President of the Québec Gay Chamber of Commerce (Chambre de commerce gaie du Québec or CCGQ), and Jonathan Sauvé, member of the Scientific Committee for the International and Vice-President of the CCGQ, participated in the NGLCC 2005 International Business & Leadership Conference that was held in San Francisco from 12 to 15 May. Their experience at the San Francisco conference was a fruitful one; the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) from the United States and the Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce have now agreed to contribute to the organisation of Montréal 2006’s International Conference on LGBT rights.

GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline, a world leading research-based pharmaceutical company and already a partner in the International Conference, has just confirmed that it will be contributing additional financing specifically for the bursary programme.

Montréal 2006 Joins 2.5 Milions at São Paulo Pride!
It is hard to imagine what 2.5 million people on the street celebrating GLBT rights might look like, until one sees the pictures from Sao Paulo Pride 2005. In partnership with the local Pride organization, Mark Tewksbury, Co-President of Montreal 2006, spent 12 days in Brazil outreaching to athletes and promoting the 1st World Outgames and LGBT sport in South America. "Highlights of my trip included watching the Outgames volleyball team, which is made up of former National team players who found themselves ostracized by the traditional sport community, demolish the mainstream competition in a local volleyball match,” said Mark. “I also attended a women's indoor soccer tournament where I was swept away by the enthusiasm of the many teams competing."

Supporters of the 1st World Outgames in Brazil include Federal Judge Maria Berenice Dias, who hosted a cocktail reception in Montreal 2006's honor, bringing together over 50 LGBT community leaders from across Brazil on the eve of the Parade. "From the Mayor to Tourism to important community leaders, the appetite for supporting the growth of LGBT sport is huge."

Tewksbury received the International Award for his community work with the Outgames from the Pride organization.

Join Our Team of Volunteers!
The 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006 would like to invite you to become part of our team of volunteers. You can register as a volunteer in a wide range of fun and interesting activities. For example, you might want to volunteer to assist us with:

• Sport Programme: 35 sanctioned sports
• Cultural Programme
• “The Right to Be Different” International Conference on LGBT rights.
• Communications
• Finance
• Opening or Closing Ceremonies
• Logistical Services (security, transportation, accreditation, reception area, commercial activities, or Local Host programme)

Whether you want to volunteer for the challenge of trying new things, to make new friends, to put your professional experience to work for a good cause, to work for the advancement of gay and lesbian rights, or to have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, we would be pleased to welcome you to our team.

You may register as a volunteer online here >>

Jonview Canada
Jonview Canada Inc., Canada’s largest receptive tour operator, has created a dedicated team in its Montreal office to focus on gay and lesbian travel, in recognition of the growing importance of the market. An exclusive line of newly developed products is being promoted and marketed by Outbyview, which has been designated as the exclusive official receptive partner of the 1st Outgames 2006. Outbyview’s new web site, www.outbyview.com, is totally dedicated to meeting the travel needs of the Outgames, where 16, 000 participants and 250, 000 visitors are expected in the summer of 2006.

Rendez-Vous d'Or
The Organising Committee for the 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006 will be presenting its third fundraising event, the Rendez-Vous, Gold Edition, to benefit the development of LGBT sports. Activties will be held over the Labour Day weekend from 1 to 4 Septembre 2005. Rendez-Vous Gold Edition activities will be organized in collaboration with Fondation Émergence, the Chambre de commerce gaie du Québec (Québec Gay Chamber of Commerce), Équipe Montréal (Montréals’s gay and lesbian sports teams association), la Société de développement commercial du Village (Village Commercial Development Association) and the Borough of Ville-Marie.

This year’s Gold Edition activities will kick off with la Nuit d’Or, a gourmet cocktail dînatoire on Thursday, 1 September, followed by a celebration of lesbian women during the Femmes en tête evening on Friday, 2 September. Then, the Village comes alive for the “Rendez-Vous in the Village” on Saturday and Sunday, 3 and 4 September, when Sainte-Catherine Street will be closed to automobile traffic to make way for sport and cultural demonstrations and activities in the streets in a festive preview of the Outgames next summer. Village bars and restaurants will be creating special outdoor terraces just for the occasion.

Montréal 2005: The Largest Aquatic Sports Competition This Year !
Montréal 2005 is the largest gathering of Montréal's sporting youth since the 1976 Summer Olympics. The event brings together more that 2,000 athletes from 160 countries in the disciplines of swimming, along with 1,000 team officilas, 300 competition officials and more than 1,200 media representatives. The XI World Championships of the Fédération internationale de natation (FINA) will be presented on five competition site of Montréal's Sainte-Hélène and Notre-Dame islands from 16 to 31 July 2005.

More information here >>

Launch of Website in Portuguese!
On the occasion of São Paulo Pride, the 1st World Outgames Montréal 2006 is pleased to unveil a Portuguese information section of our website. Portuguese-speaking visitors should bear in mind, however, that responses to email inquiries and online registration for the Outgames are available only in the two official languages of Canada: French and English.

Discover the portuguese website here >>