News Release – May 21, 2004
Contact: Kevin Boyer, (773) 907-2006, kgboyer@ix.netcom.com

CHICAGO, IL – Chicago organizers of Gay Games® VII announced today that their brand new website – GayGamesChicago.org – will launch May 28, with online early registration for the 2006 Gay Games going “live” the first week of June.

GayGamesChicago.org will feature detailed information about each of the 30 sports being offered at Gay Games VII including venue specifications, biographical sketches of sports managers, participation schedule, and information about competition levels, age divisions and more. Band and choral events will be featured equally in detailed descriptions. The website will also include information about the City of Chicago, its history, people, neighborhoods, landmarks and cultural institutions. Full details about travel, lodging, and transportation will help Gay Games VII participants plan their 2006 visit to the Windy City.

Register Early: Save Money, Reserve Space
Participants will be able to log on to GayGamesChicago.org, select the sport or cultural event in which they want to participate, complete the online forms necessary to place them in the appropriate competitive, age, or gender division, and pay their registration fees - all in one seamless operation. “Early registration will be important for those who are eager to save money and to reserve space in their sport,” said Suzanne Arnold, Chicago 2006 Sports Co-Chair. “Several Gay Games sports have historically reached their capacity limits soon after registration has launched.” By registering early, participants save up to 30% off the base registration fee.

Website visitors will also be able to purchase collectible logo-imprinted merchandise, volunteer to help with the Gay Games, learn how to sponsor the Gay Games or donate funds, sign up for a quarterly electronic newsletter and read inspirational stories about athletes who have participated in previous Gay Games. Additional features will be added throughout the summer of 2004 and into 2005, including ticketing for Opening Ceremonies at Soldier Field, Closing Ceremonies at Wrigley Field, special shows and finals of some sports. The website will be translated in Spanish, German, and French in the near future with more languages added in the coming months.

“ Chicago’s entire team – volunteers, vendors, and sports/culture experts – have accomplished something very extraordinary,” said Gene Dermody, former Co-President of the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) and head of the FGG’s Registration Advisory Board. “Less than three months after being awarded the Gay Games, they are prepared to launch a highly complicated website with the features and benefits athletes and cultural participants will need to register for Gay Games VII.”

“ Our joint commitment to a complete and accurate registration system has been the hallmark of our partnership with the FGG’s worldwide sports experts these past 2 months,” said Tracy Baim, co-chair of the Gay Games VII Technology Committee. “In addition to the FGG’s experts, our vendor partners and volunteers deserve a great deal of recognition for taking so much time out of their lives to establish an online registration system more quickly than any previous Gay Games.”

About The Gay Games
The Gay Games were conceived by Dr. Tom Waddell, an Olympic decathlete, and were first held in San Francisco in 1982 with 1,350 participants. Subsequent Gay Games were held in San Francisco (1986; 3,500 participants), Vancouver (1990; 7,300 participants), New York (1994; 12,500 participants), Amsterdam (1998; 13,000 participants), and Sydney (2002; 11,000 participants). Gay Games VII will include 30 sports ranging from softball to dancesport, swimming to tennis. Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 15 July at Soldier Field, home of the National Football League’s Chicago Bears, and Closing Ceremonies are scheduled for 22 July at Wrigley Field, home of baseball’s Chicago Cubs.

The Federation of Gay Games is the international governing body that perpetuates the quadrennial Gay Games and promotes the event's founding principles of inclusion, participation and personal best. For more information, visit GayGames.org.

Chicago Games, Inc. is the host of Gay Games VII and is led by experienced civic leaders from Chicago’s business, sports and non-profit sectors. For information about how to sponsor or participate in Gay Games VII in Chicago, visit www.GayGamesChicago.org, e-mail info@chicagogamesinc.org, or phone (773) 907-2006.
###

Over the past year, gay issues have gained unprecedented visibility in mainstream culture. From the Supreme Court’s sodomy decision to the surprising success of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy to the Massachusetts marriage ruling, gay news has been mainstream news with ever-increasing frequency. One aspect of gay culture, however, has not been quite so visible to mainstream American society: gay athletes and other people in the sports world. But even this is starting to change.

The second annual International Gay and Lesbian Athletics Conference, organized by the non-profit Gay and Lesbian Athletics Foundation, took place March 26-28 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. Building off the momentum from last year’s inaugural conference, this year’s IGLAC brought together athletes, coaches, trainers, scholars, and fans from across the continent and around the world.

Panels and keynote addresses over the three-day conference addressed a broad range of issues, including college athletics, race and sexual orientation, coming out, high school athletics, and academic research.

While the overriding theme of the first IGLAC was one of simply making contact with like-minded people and realizing that there actually are a large number of gay athletes, this year’s conference took a more proactive role, actively seeking out ways to make the sports world less homophobic and more inclusive.

For example, in a panel discussion organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the speakers and audience members worked together to find ways to make collegiate athletic departments aware that they need to be supportive of all athletes, regardless of sexual orientation. Since the problem is often caused by ignorance and the lack of visibility of gay athletes—rather than overt discrimination and homophobia—solutions can range from providing formal sensitivity training for coaches and athletics staff to bringing in high-profile gay athletes to speak about their own experiences.

“The great thing about the conference,” said NCAA panelist Ryan Quinn, a former junior national cross-country ski champion and All-American for the national-championship-winning University of Utah ski team, “is that it allows people to come together and share their ideas, allowing us to develop better solutions than any of us could on our own.”

While many attendees agreed that the sports world is not as homophobic as its reputation—especially at the high school, collegiate, and amateur levels—there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that a gay athlete can be open about his or her sexuality, regardless of the sport and level at which he or she plays.

“Ultimately, I think we’ll reach a point where an athlete’s sexual orientation is simply a non-issue,” remarked Nat Brown, a former coach of the United States Ski Team. “The fact that an athlete or coach is gay simply won’t matter because no one will care. In the mean time, though, it’s important that we’re visible, since we can’t reach the point where no one cares until people realize that we’re actually here.”

More and more, however, people are starting to realize that gay athletes are actually here. The conference attracted participants from all levels and all kinds of sport, from Olympic swimmers to high school football players. With the increased visibility that the IGLAC is helping to give gay athletes, it may not be long before mainstream culture is talking as much about gay athletes as it is about other gay issues. And after that, it hopefully won’t be long before people do not need to discuss an athlete’s sexuality at all.

###

Organizers Plan to Double Participation of Annual Fundraiser in 2004
New York, NY, September 15, 2004 -- The 6TH annual Matthew Shepard Memorial Tennis JAM will take place on October 2, 2004 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Crotona Park in the Bronx in New York City.

The JAM began in 1999 as a uniquely structured “tennis-a-thon” sponsored by the Metropolitan Tennis Group to support the fledgling Matthew Shepard Foundation. That year, this grass-roots response to the murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, saw 14 players raise $500.00. Since then, founder Jody O’Neil has nurtured the JAM through five successive years of growth, and in 2003 the JAM welcomed 50 tennis players and raised over $4,000.00.

But further growth has been hindered by the scarcity and considerable expense of tennis courts in the New York City area. So, this year organizers resolved to solve that problem and obtained a permit from the city to hold the JAM in Crotona Park in the Bronx. The move will allow the JAM to double in size to 100 players and will allow organizers to set an aggressive agenda for future growth.

New revenue opportunities are being sought to support the increased participation and include corporate sponsorships, gift donations, and matching grants. Community groups in the New York City area are being invited to participate by supporting publicity efforts and fielding members from their own organizations in the competition. Increased public awareness is being addressed through stepped-up efforts in publicity and advertising in the mainstream and alternative media. Ultimately, organizers hope to expand the Matthew Shepard Memorial JAM to satellite tournaments in other regions of the country and are focused on success in 2004 as a model for other organizations to copy. But first and foremost, the goal for 2004 is 100 players, 100% participation.

The competition itself is structured as a round-robin, mixed-doubles tournament and welcomes players of all levels and all backgrounds. Players are matched in a predetermined rotation and earn tournament points based on games won. Top point-getters earn a spot in the playoffs, and a chance to hoist the JAM trophy. And though players definitely compete to win, the pervading spirit is cooperation -- athletes pursuing of the ideals of equality, acceptance, and respect embodied by the mission of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. That’s the JAM: competitive excellence in an arena of sportsmanship operating at its very best. All are welcome. No one is ever turned away.

For additional information on the JAM, the Metropolitan Tennis Group, or the Matthew Shepard Foundation, please contact Tim McCall at 212-246-4829.

Note to the Press about the Matthew Shepard Foundation:

The Matthew Shepard Foundation is a national non-profit 501c3 organization, founded in December 1998 by Dennis and Judy Shepard. It was established in memory of their 21-year old son, Matthew, who was murdered in an anti-gay hate crime in Laramie, Wyoming.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation was created to honor Matthew in a manner that was appropriate to his dreams, beliefs and aspirations. Initial funds came from the many donations sent by people from all over the world in Matt’s memory to assist with his medical expenses. Matthew's family decided it was more important to use these donations in a foundation for the greater good of the community.

Our Vision: To educate and enlighten others on the importance of diversity, understanding, compassion, acceptance and respect. Everyone must participate in developing solutions to problems that are rooted in ignorance and hatred.

Our Mission Statement: To support diversity programs in education and to help youth organizations establish environments where young people can feel safe and be themselves.

Visit the Foundation Website at www.matthewshepard.org.

_________________________

Note to the Press About Metropolitan Tennis Group:

Metropolitan Tennis Group (MTG) is a not-for-profit organization formed to provide its membership with expanded opportunities to play recreational and competitive tennis. The organization also serves as an alternative social forum for lesbians and gay men. MTG relies on voluntary participation of its members for all of its activities and events. Now celebrating it’s 20th anniversary, MTG has received the support of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance (GLTA). In addition to sponsoring the Matthew Shepard Memorial Tennis JAM, MTG sponsors several other annual fundraisers, hosts the annual Liberty Open Tennis Tournament at the United States National Tennis Center and was the sponsoring organization for the tennis events at the 1994 Gay Games IV (over 8,000 athletes competing in tennis alone).

Visit the Metropolitan Tennis Group Website at www.metrotennisgroup.com.

The Matthew Shepard Memorial Tennis JAM was founded in 1999 to raise money for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an organization headed by Judy Shepard in Wyoming to fight intolerance against gay and lesbian people in America. This round-robin doubles fund-raiser features a mixed-level playing field in a radical format and is open to all MTG'ers and their friends, played on one day in early fall to mark the passing of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998.

In 2003, over $4,000 was raised on the public courts at Flushing Meadows Park, in the shadow of the U.S. Open at the National Tennis Center. This year, the JAM will be played at Crotona Park in Bronx, Sat., Oct. 2nd, 11am - 5pm. (Raindate, Oct. 3rd.) In addition is excellent tennis in a fun, competitive spirit, the JAM offers gift bags, t-shirts, lunch and terrific raffle prizes.

For more info, or to organize a JAM fund-raiser in your club or town, please contact founder and co-director, Jody O'Neil at 718.789.1187.

###