Lily Tomlin to Headline at the NA OutGames
The North American Outgames is very pleased to announce that Lily Tomlin will be the featured artist in the OutFest cultural festival part to the games. Lily Tomlin is a comedy icon, but in addition she is an award winning actress, writer, and producer. She will perform her show ‘Classic Lily Tomlin’ at the Jack Singer Concert Hall in the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts in downtown Calgary.
Preparations for the 1st North America Outgames, to be held in Calgary on April 1st to the 8th, 2007 are well underway. OutFest as part of the games, will be a week long celebration of North American gay and lesbian artists. It is produced by the Fairytales Presentation Society.
In addition to Lily Tomlin, there will be cultural performances that include Drama, Film, Music, Visual Arts, Spoken Word, and a Photography Competition. The Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts will be the location for most events.
Tickets for Lily Tomlin and the other cultural performances will be on sale shortly.
To keep up to date on the events as they are announced, visit the North American OutGames website at:
http://www.calgary2007.com
The first North America Outgames, will be the largest GLBT event that Alberta has have ever hosted. This event will bring together gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and heterosexual friends to celebrate culture, sports, and to engage in human rights discussions and workshops. The vision of Calgary’s OutGames is to showcase this city as a modern cosmopolitan place, that embraces diversity, and accepts all people – regardless of their sexual orientation.
In addition to OutFest, the Outrights human rights conference (produced by Aids Calgary) and the OutGames sports competitions in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Apollo Western Cup, will occur. The entire event is expected to attract people from all across North America, along with several thousand participants from the Calgary area.

Calgary Welcomes North America to the 1st Annual North America OutGames
In the First Week of April 2007 (April 1-8, 2007) Calgary will host the 1st North America OutGames, the largest LGBT event that has ever been hosted in Calgary and Alberta. This event will bring together Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and Heterosexual individuals to celebrate culture, sports, and human rights. In partnership with GLISA North America, the continental Association for GLISA International, Calgary has been chosen in part due to the history of Western Cup, the longest running annual multi-sport event in North America for the LGBT community. Western Cup will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Easter weekend 2007, and will be the sporting component of the 1st North America Outgames.
“We are very excited to be hosting this event in Calgary and to be partnering with GLISA North America” said Brad Bostock, Executive Director of the Calgary OutGames Legacy, the organization that has been charged with the responsibility of hosting the event in Calgary. “While the events in Montreal in the summer of 2006 were extremely well planned and executed, we are looking forward to hosting an event that is distinctly Calgary”. The Calgary OutGames has developed a model different than the one that was used to host the Montreal games. COL (Calgary OutGames Legacy) has contracted with three community partners to bring to life the three different streams of the Event. AIDS Calgary Awareness Association will be hosting OutRights, the Human Rights Conference part of the event, with Fairy Tales Presentation Society hosting OutFest, the cultural component of the event, and Apollo, Friends in Sports delivering the 25th Anniversary of Western Cup as the sporting component of the event.
Different from the Montreal model, Calgary will be building upon Apollo’s success with Western Cup, and Fairy Tales success with its International Film Festival. “It’s important for us to invite our community partners into this event, and with this approach, of having each stream responsible for its own area of expertise, limits the liability that potentially could be incurred by one organization hosting all aspects of the event” added Phil Ivers, President of the Calgary OutGames Legacy. “Though we are gratefully thankful for the positive and powerful experience in Montreal this summer, we plan to deliver an event that builds upon Montreal, with greater emphasis on our cultural component and human rights conference, as well as celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Western Cup.” Montreal and Calgary are both Olympic cities, and similarly both are now OutGames cities. With respect to the OutGames, the size of the Calgary event is smaller, and the organizational model for the two cities is completely different, but the spirit and ideals of the OutGames are strong. GLISA International and GLISA North America have created a great vision, and Calgary, as its own entity is excited to be part of that vision, as well as celebrating the visions and community here in Calgary.
According to Susan Cress, Chair of the OutRights Conference “The vision of the Calgary OutGames Legacy is to showcase Calgary as a city that embraces diversity, and accepts all persons – regardless of their sexual orientation.”
For more information on the event, and to register visit www.calgary2007.com
For further information contact:
Brad Bostock
Executive Director
brad@calgary2007.com


GLISA’s VISION BURNS BRIGHT
Vancouver, BC December 12, 2006 “We are proud to know that Montreal 2006 is doing everything possible to resolve the situation as best they can,” comments Catherine Meade, GLISA Co-President regarding the news that the organization filed for protection under Canada’s Companies’ Creditors Arrangements Act. This will enable Montreal 2006 to seek rearrangement of its debts with its creditors with the goal compensating them to the greatest extent possible.
“While Montreal 2006 is a separate legal entity from GLISA, we understand how fiscally painful this situation is for Montreal 2006’s vendors and suppliers. GLISA, while not fiscally responsible for Montreal’s decisions or debts, is consulting with Montreal’s organizing committee to develop a positive resolution”, confirms Thomas Kevin Dolan, GLISA Co-President.
GLISA continues to receive praise for its part in staging the 2006 Outgames and for its vision of innovation for the Outgames model.
“The partnership of tourism, government and local LGBT community support is still the key to building our dream”, states Julia Applegate, GLISA Board Member and Media Liaison from Ohio.
According to Wessel Van Kampen, GLISA’s Secretary from Rotterdam, The Netherlands, “The City of Copenhagen, its tourism partner, Wonderful Copenhagen, and their strong LGBT community have joined forces to ensure success on all levels for the 2009 Outgames.”
“We are troubled by the breakdown in the relationship between Montreal 2006 and its funding partner, the Quebec provincial government; however we know in our hearts this in no way will impact the vision we hold”, states Rachel Corbett, GLISA’s Executive Director.
GLISA has conveyed to its member organizations that the commitment to its powerful brand, the Outgames, will continue. In fact, Calgary Outgames Legacy and GLISA North America are full steam ahead in preparations for the 1st North America Outgames taking place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in April 2007 (www.calgary2007.com).

Julia Applegate
Communications Liaison
+1 (614) 262-6558
Julia.applegate@glisa.org
www.glisa.org

Thomas Kevin Dolan
Media Liaison
+1 (604) 602-0458
media@glisa.org
www.glisa.org


Copenhagen prepares for the World Outgames 2009
The World Outgames 2009 is taking shape in Copenhagen. The Danish capital was chosen to host the games long ago, but now the major international culture and sports event for gays and lesbians has the money to realise its plans. Copenhagen Council has committed DKK20m to the project, and Wonderful Copenhagen and UNIK HR have commenced the search for partners to spearhead the preparations.
In 2009 Copenhagen will host the second World Outgames, the largest sports and cultural event Denmark will have ever hosted, with a greater number of participants than the Olympics. The event is comparable to the Olympics, but for gays and lesbians. Copenhagen was selected as the host city in 2005 but it is first now that the event has found the financial backing it needs. Copenhagen Council has pledged DKK20m to the project, which Wonderful Copenhagen has been instrumental in winning for the capital.
Copenhagen highlighted as an experience-rich metropolis
- The World Outgames will be important in helping promote Copenhagen as an experience-rich metropolis and sporting capital. Now that we have the financial backing in place, we can begin the preparations to ensure a successful event, which will attract both the world’s press and international culture and sports societies. As well as this, the event will bring an increase in revenue and employment to the city and will give Copenhageners the sense of living in a city where things happen, says CEO Lars Bernhard Jørgensen, Wonderful Copenhagen.
Director and project leader sought for the board
The second World Outgames will take place in the summer of 2009 but, before that lies a great deal of work, not least the recruitment of the right people for the job. Wonderful Copenhagen has undertaken the initial research but after the New Year the project will be run as an Aps company with its own board. With this in mind, Wonderful Copenhagen together with UNIK HR is seeking the project team, which, together with other partners, will plan and run the World Outgames over the next three years.
The first priority is to find a director who will have overall responsibility for the board. The candidate will have a profile with broad experience and good contacts within the public and business worlds both nationally and internationally. The next task is to select project leaders to manage the events and many activities.
The World Outgames has 35 different sports and cultural activities and in the run up to the event Copenhagen will also host a large people’s rights conference.
Project Manager Tommy Kristoffersen, tel.: +45 3355 7457, mail: tkr@woco.dk
For more information on www.copenhagen2009.org


Gerald Ford: A Rainbow President
Gerald Ford will be remembered in state eulogies as a great healer, who helped restore respect for the Presidency in the aftermath of Spiro Agnew and Richard Nixon. President Ford reminded Americans of Harry Truman in their shared understated and humble demeanor.
President Ford was respected for neither taking the easy nor politically expedient route. While some disagreed with his pardon of President Nixon, his adversaries respected that he was guided by conscience and the national interest.
Gerald Ford, the former House minority leader became the unlikely and unelected President of the United States. His legacy includes lessons for today’s Republican party and the nation.
In an interview one month after 9/11 with Deb Price, reporter for the Detroit News, former President Ford stated, “I have always believed in an inclusive policy, in welcoming gays and others into the party.”
When Price inquired about same-sex marriage, Mr. Ford supported same economic benefits including social security and tax deductions. “I think that is a proper goal…I think they should be treated equally.” He supported equality including workplace discrimination protection for gays and lesbians.
In 2001, former President Ford joined the Republican Unity Coalition, an organization that advocates for gay and lesbian civil rights. He became the first and remains the only former President to join a gay civil rights organization.
In March 2003, former President Ford supported the plaintiffs in Lawrence v. Texas, the case in which in 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned laws criminalizing same-sex intimacy.
While we mourn Gerald Ford’s death, his life was saved over 31 years ago by a gay man who thwarted an assassination attempt on then President Ford. Oliver Sipple was an ex-marine who had been seriously wounded in Vietnam. He was in a San Francisco crowd awaiting President Ford.
Sipple was within close range of the President when he noticed a woman pull a .38 caliber pistol and attempt to shoot the President. He grabbed the gun from Sara Jane Moore and wrestled her to the ground. While she got off a shot, Sipple’s courageous action deflected a shot that would have likely killed the President. President Ford issued a public acknowledgement of gratitude to Sipple.
While we pause to remember a great American, we are reminded that in 2006 there is no federal workplace discrimination protection based on sexual orientation. It would be a wonderful tribute for his fellow Republicans joined by the Democratic majority to introduce, pass and send to President Bush the Gerald Ford Workplace Nondiscrimination Protection Act insuring workplace equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans. I have no doubt that former President Ford would be very proud.
Malcolm Lazin
Executive Director
Equality Forum
www.equalityforum.com
(215) 850-8751


WGAY-TV GOES ONLINE & ANNOUNCES PROGRAMMING SLATE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The start of this New Year marks the beginning of a digital revolution in Gay entertainment.
The insurgency of online entertainment has created something for everyone, except the GLBT audience, until now… http://WGAY.TV, features FREE online content, for the GLBT audience, available 24 hours a day and accessible from anywhere in the world…
Major broadcast outlets started the trend, by taking their original content and giving it a “new” life available on the internet. ABC, CBS, NBC and the cable networks have all had success in utilizing original content online and helping to generate and serve an audience they might not have otherwise found on the airwaves…
WGAY-TV will be an online entertainment network, for the GLBT audience to call their very own….
Programming to be featured on the online network will include:
Poker’s Wild!: Just an innocent game of poker, the only difference is that these guys are pulling clothes off when they lose the hand.
G-Force Unite: An original gay cartoon that is so outrageous, it can only be seen on http://wgay.tv. G-Force unite is a group of gay super heros fighting straight evil.
Real Proud!: The reality show based on a retail store in Palm Springs, California.
PETERS: Two boys have a dream of opening a restaurant. Does their dream turn into a nightmare? This reality show reminds you to be careful what you wish for because it might just come true.
The Kenji & Bella Show: What do you get when you combine an international chef from Chile with an outrageous drag queen? You get full-blown craziness in the kitchen. Not only are you going to get some great recipes from Kenji but you’re going to truly enjoy this show. Bella basically causes chaos while Kenji tries to finish the recipe.
Boys Club: Another reality series that takes you behind the scenes of a Gay Men’s Resort. See what it takes to run a gay resort. It’s an exclusive look at the day to day operations of a popular gay resort in the Palm Springs, California desert.
The Darren Austin Show: Straight talk for a gay audience. A fresh, bold talk show coming right out of Charlotte North Carolina. Darren tackles topics and brings in special guests directly to small town USA.
WGAY-TV will also be airing specials: Viva Las Vegas, Internex, Gaystock, The White Party, The Adult Expo, Gay Days ‘06, & on the Gay Rodeo.nation.
About WGAY TV
WGAY-TV, America’s First Free Gay Station was established in 2006 by Burt Sherwood and Jason Sherwood, General Manager of WGAY-TV. Currently available online at http://wgay.tv, offering a wide variety of original and acquired programming, dedicated to the world’s largest gay and lesbian audience and lovers of the southern most point, Key West.