World Outgames
The World Outgames are a sporting and cultural event hosted by the gay and lesbian community. The first will be hosted by Montreal, Canada in 2006. With over 16,000 participants expected, the World Outgames are set to be the largest international event to be held in Montreal since the 1976 Summer Olympiad.
The Outgames are open to all who wish to participate, without regard to sexual orientation. There are no qualifying standards to compete in the games. The Outgames bring together athletes and artists from all over the world, many from countries where homosexuality remains illegal and hidden.
As of March 2006, the 1st World Outgames Montreal 2006 had over 12,000 subscribed participants. The organization, as well as officials from the City of Montreal, the Province of Quebec and the Government of Canada expect some 16,000 athletes to flock to Montreal from Saturday, 29 July to Saturday, 5 August to participate in the 1st World Outgames Montreal 2006.
The Outgames are not to be confused with the Gay Games. The seventh edition of the Gay Games was supposed to take place in Montreal in 2006, but the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) removed their sanction after it and Montréal 2006 were unable to agree on the size of the games. The official Gay Games for 2006 have been awarded to Chicago, with just over 11,000 participants. Montréal 2006 announced its intentions to continue organizing the games without the sanction of the FGG; this plan developed into the first edition of the World Outgames, sponsored by the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association, the city of Montreal, the Province of Quebec, the Government of Canada, GlaxoSmithKline, Air Canada, Labatt Brewing Company, Bell Canada, as well as dozens of other national and international business and media organisations.
The second World Outgames will take place in Copenhagen in 2009, after Berlin refused to stage them due to the continuing rivalry between the two gay sporting organisations.
List of World Outgames
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External links
- Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association
- World Outgames, Montréal 2006
- Gay Games, Chicago 2006