Newsletter October 2007
Content
World Outgames 2009 introduces Board of Directors
Out Cities project champions diversity and tolerance
Nordic Open rocks Copenhagen
Led by Chairman Merethe Stagetorn, one of Denmark’s most prominent attorneys, the World Outgames 2009 Board of Directors is officially in place.
In addition to Merethe Stagetorn, the board includes attorney Merete Lundbye Møller, Wonderful Copenhagen’s event director Martin Bender, musician, writer and documentary producer Minna Groos, programme strategist for Danmarks Radio Ane Skak, recruitment consultant and GLISA board member Ole Udsholt, scholar Elisabeth Møller Jensen and retired vice-president from Carlsberg A/S, Finn Terkelsen.
“We are so pleased to have been able to attract and assemble such a diverse, talented and well respected board,” said World Outgames CEO, Uffe Elbæk. “Not only do they lend enormous credibility to the project on the basis of their individual reputations, they also bring an enormous reservoir of energy and expertise.”
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Spotlights LGBT impact on urban culture
Eleven cities from around the world have been invited by the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen to participate in an exhibition promoting urban diversity and tolerance during the World Outgames in 2009.
The World Outgames is an international sporting, cultural and human rights event organized to celebrate and recognize the roles of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in society. Several hundred thousand participants, guests and visitors are expected to attend the games in Copenhagen from July 25 to August 2, 2009.
The Out Cities project is the brainchild of the World Outgames organizers in Copenhagen. The cities invited include Berlin, Istanbul, Madrid, Melbourne, New York, Riga, Rio de Janeiro, Stockholm, Tokyo and Århus in Denmark.
“We have invited cities with concerned LGBT populations to create a forum in which to discuss and present the impact of diversity and tolerance on urban economic growth and social well-being,” said Michael Steensgard, director of the cultural program for World Outgames 2009.
In addition to being offered a central venue in which to showcase their unique cultural manifestations of diversity through the arts and entertainment, the mayors of each city have been invited to attend a summit hosted by the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen. The purpose of the summit is to share and acquire experience about how public policy in cities addresses cultural diversity, and the impact of public policy on integration, tolerance and anti-discrimination.
Initial funding for the program is covered by a grant of USD one million from the Copenhagen city council and the Tuborg Foundation. Each invited city is expected to finance the cost of their exhibitions, although costs for planning meetings in Copenhagen, as well as technical support and locations will be provided by the World Outgames.
“The World Outgames Out Cities program is a unique opportunity for us to show how diversity and tolerance benefits city life and to signal our support for the basic human rights of all citizens,” said Ritt Bjerregaard, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen and host for the planned mayoral summit.
The World Outgames 2009 will feature tournaments in more 30 sports disciplines, an extensive program of cultural and social activities and a conference on LGBT human rights. The last World Outgames was held in Montreal in 2006. The Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association, GLISA, owns the rights to the World Outgames.
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The biggest international same sex dance competition in Scandinavia paves the way for Latin and ballroom dancing at World Outgames 2009
For the third year in a row, Copenhagen will be hosting the Nordic Open, making the city December’s hottest gay spot once again. What began as an exciting novelty in 2005 is turning into a unique New Years’ tradition in the gay community, attracting hundreds of same sex dancers from all over Europe – and cheering dance-crazed fans filling the spectators’ seats.
Dancers from countries such as Germany, Sweden, the UK and the Netherlands will get together on the 30th December to compete for medals in Latin and ballroom dancing. Naturally with glittering spangles, flowing robes and glamourous hairdos. Amongst the competing couples this year will be champions of the Eurogames 2007 in Antwerp.
The Copenhagen same sex dance association, PanDans, organisers of the event, have been working harder than ever to attract even more dancers, spectators and internationally acclaimed judges to Copenhagen in December. This year’s event promises to be the most exciting and competitive yet.
Check out http://www.pandans.dk/NordicOpen.htm
Nordic Open 2007 to be held December 30. & 31. in DGI-byen, Copenhagen.
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