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		Volume I \| Issue 2

Bidding underway for Gay Games 2010
The year 2010 may seem like a long way away, but preparations have already started for Gay Games VIII. To date, expressions of interest in hosting GGVIII, set for 2010, have been received from organisations located in Austin (Texas), Brussells, Cologne, Copenhagen, London, Paris, Philadelphia, Stockholm, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.

A GGVIII Bidders Orientation Session will be held at the FGG Annual Meeting in Cologne, Germany, on Sunday, 7 November, 2004. At the orientation session, the GGVIII 2010 Request For Proposal will be reviewed and bidders can clarify any questions they might have.

Letters of Intent to submit bids to host GGVIII 2010 will be accepted up to 15 January 2005. The final GGVIII 2010 bid documents are due as of 15 March 2005. For any questions concerning the GGVIII bid process, contact the Site Selection Co-Chairs at ssc-cochairs@gaygames.org The RFP is available at: www.gaygames.com/en/media/releases/2004/FGG040620PR.htm.

Gay Games powerlifter to compete in world championships
London powerlifter Chris Morgan, who won gold in the 2002 Sydney Gay Games and will compete this November in the World Drug Free Powerlifting Final in Atlanta, is currently profiled in Outsports.com www.outsports.com/difference/chrismorganpart1.htm and will be the subject of an upcoming story in the Advocate.

Elite powerlifter Chris Morgan of London Morgan's mettle was tested in 2003 following the Gay Games when he bombed out in his attempts to qualify for the British national, but you don't become a top caliber rugby player lying down. He took his competition failures as a challenge and reassessed his training methods. And he also reassessed his motivation: wanting to fight homophobia had taken him to the gold in Sydney, but having gained acceptance from his mainstream powerlifting peers, he now wanted to achieve more.

The result: after six months of hard work and re-dedicated effort, Chris in 2004 became the first gay man ever to lift in a British Powerlifting Final. He took second place in the British Drug-Free Powerlifting Final International, earned Elite Grading in the British Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation, and is on to Atlanta.

On being gay in the power lifting world, Morgan says, "I never had any fears of being open in Powerlifting. I decided from the start that I would wear my heart on my sleeve — there was no second option. I was a product of Gay Games and VERY proud of that.

"On returning from Amsterdam (where he took silver), I made sure that people in powerlifting knew my background. I don't run from anyone anymore.

"In the first four years I was the GAY POWERLIFTER and it sort of took over. I'd say I'm now the POWERLIFTER that happens to be gay ... I never hide my sexuality, but on the same score I don't walk into a room wearing badge!

"I'm very proud to be representing Team England in the World Drug-Free Powerlifting Final in Atlanta this November," said Morgan. "I'm also filled with pride at the thought of representing every gay man and women who's participated in Gay Games. I've learned to never quit, never walk away and always take one more look."

Chris' inspirational website is at www.chunkymuscle.com.

He's looking forward to hearing from you!

New Long Beach sports organisation forming

Mark Chambers, a key organizer of Team Long Beach, has started up an umbrella sports organization for the Greater Long Beach area. Mark has been in the past four Gay Games basketball finals and has run leagues and tournaments in Long Beach and Los Angeles for the past 15 years or so.

Mark's goals with the umbrella organization are to create a network similar to PrideSports Boston (founded and led by Marc Davino, another long-time friend of Chicago's LGBT sports community).

His support is grounded in knowing what grass-roots LGBT sports and the Gay Games movement is all about. It's about continuing a legacy that has served our community well for 25 years. It is about celebrating a shared passion and embracing of who we are. It is about staking claim to this legacy and ensuring it is there for those that follow us down this path to self acceptance and on to empowerment.

Please check out the website of Greater Long Beach Sports Association (GLBSA) at http://glbsa.net/

Strike up the Band!

Team Band, an international group of concert and marching musicians, is making detailed plans to assemble hundreds of musicians, cheerleaders, and auxiliary performers in Chicago at Gay Games VII. You can be a part of the action, too, performing at Opening Ceremonies, Closing Ceremonies, a big concert in Millennium Park and at various other sporting and cultural events. Look for more information in future issues of "Participate!" or visit www.gaybands.org

Sailing - from France to Chicago

Seven sailing teams from VCL in France (Voile et Croisière en Liberté - vcl.vcl.free.fr ) have registered with GGVII to participate in the Chicago 2006 regatta that will be held on Lake Michigan in July, 2006.

Each of the seven teams is comprised of 4 crew members. Of the 28 registered sailors from France (14 women and 14 men), 7 sailed in the previous Gay Games in Sydney in 2002.

During GGVII, 50 teams from all over the world will compete in J/22 one-design sloops. Sailing was the first sport to close registrations, as the demand was so high - both in 2002 in Sydney and for GGVII 2006 in Chicago.

For more information, see Chicago Gay Games website page.

Want to PARTICIPATE? Send us your stories and pictures!

Participants registering in 2004 can save 30 percent off the base registration fee.

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