North American Outgames
Encyclopedia
The North American Outgames are a multi-sport event held every three years by the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association
for LGBT athletes in North America. They are a regional derivation of the World Outgames
, which is also held by GLISA, and they are held on different years than the World Outgames.
Concurrently with the Outgames, other events were held, including OutRights (that event's name for the human rights conference which typically accompanies all games held under the Outgames brand) and OutFest, a cultural festival. Among the highlights of OutFest was a 90-minute performance by Lily Tomlin
, her first comedic performance in Calgary.
Research of attendees was conducted by ZINC Research, which also sponsored the event
This is the second international LGBT multi-sport event to be held in Vancouver, preceded by the 1990 Gay Games
, which faced much stiffer public opposition at the time and did not receive funding by the provincial government, then run by the Social Credit Party under Bill Vander Zalm
. In comparison, the Liberal government gave some $75,000 towards the sports events and $81,000 for the human rights conference, while the rest of the CAN$1.25 million budget has been funded through private sales and donations.
The bid committee for the event was joined in 2009 by John Boychuk, former president of the Vancouver Pride society; Boychuk currently heads the organizing committee for the event.
The theme song of the event is "Come Out and Play", penned and sung by local band Sugarbeach. Medals for the event were designed by Corrine Hunt, a Vancouver-based lesbian designer who had also designed the medals for the 2010 Winter Olympics
.
Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association
The Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association is an international gay and lesbian sport association. The focus of GLISA is developing gay and lesbian sport worldwide...
for LGBT athletes in North America. They are a regional derivation of the World Outgames
World Outgames
The World Outgames are a sporting and cultural event hosted by the gay community. With over 12,000 participants, the 1st World Outgames, held in 2006, was the largest international event to be held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada since the 1976 Summer Olympiad. These first Outgames were not as...
, which is also held by GLISA, and they are held on different years than the World Outgames.
2007
The first North American Outgames were held in Calgary, Alberta from April 1 to 8, 2007, and also served as the 25th iteration of the local Western Cup Tournament held by Apollo Friends in Sports. They were opened by Judy Shepherd, mother of Matthew Shepherd and president of the Matthew Shepherd Foundation.Concurrently with the Outgames, other events were held, including OutRights (that event's name for the human rights conference which typically accompanies all games held under the Outgames brand) and OutFest, a cultural festival. Among the highlights of OutFest was a 90-minute performance by Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
, her first comedic performance in Calgary.
Research of attendees was conducted by ZINC Research, which also sponsored the event
2011
The second North American Outgames are currently being held in Vancouver from July 25 to 31, 2011. More than 800 athletes and volunteers are in attendance for the event, which also covers the cities of Whistler and Burnaby.This is the second international LGBT multi-sport event to be held in Vancouver, preceded by the 1990 Gay Games
Gay Games
The Gay Games is the world's largest sporting and cultural event organized by and specifically for LGBT athletes, artists, musicians, and others. It welcomes participants of every sexual orientation and every skill level...
, which faced much stiffer public opposition at the time and did not receive funding by the provincial government, then run by the Social Credit Party under Bill Vander Zalm
Bill Vander Zalm
Wilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie "Bill" Vander Zalm is a politician and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. He was the 28th Premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991.-Early life:...
. In comparison, the Liberal government gave some $75,000 towards the sports events and $81,000 for the human rights conference, while the rest of the CAN$1.25 million budget has been funded through private sales and donations.
The bid committee for the event was joined in 2009 by John Boychuk, former president of the Vancouver Pride society; Boychuk currently heads the organizing committee for the event.
The theme song of the event is "Come Out and Play", penned and sung by local band Sugarbeach. Medals for the event were designed by Corrine Hunt, a Vancouver-based lesbian designer who had also designed the medals for the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
.
2014
The host city of the 2014 North American Outgames has yet to be determined, and no official bids for the event have been made public as of yet.See also
- EuroGamesEurogames (LGBT sporting event)The EuroGames are a gay and lesbian sporting event in Europe, hosted by license of the European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation and organised by one or more of the federation's member clubs....
- separately organized European-continental LGBT multi-sport event held on different years than both the World Outgames and the Gay Games. - AsiaPacific OutgamesAsiaPacific OutgamesThe AsiaPacific Outgames are a regional multisport event held every three years for LGBt athletes and participants in the Asia-Pacific region. They are a regional derivation of the World Outgames, as both are organized by the GLISA.-2008:...
- held in the Asia-PacificAsia-PacificAsia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
region
External links
- Official website of 2011 Games
- Official website of the 2007 Calgary Outgames - courtesy of the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...