Some of our member clubs have contacted EGLSF these last days asking for some guidance regarding the messages of FGG and GLISA that they won't continue negotiating about 1QE 2018. Also at the AGA in Split there has been a strong message that EGLSF membership wants to do something regarding 1QE 2018. Therefore the EGLSF-Board assumes the role of coordinator in strong desire to make 1QE 2018 happen, despite the recent message from FGG and GLISA.

Here's what we suggest to do:

1) Don't accept blame-shifting
2) Tell FGG and GLISA your opinion
3) Stop the bidding process for 2017/2018
4) Make FGG and GLISA respect your opinion
5) Be creative!

ad 1) There is a tendency now to attribute the fault of not having 1QE 2018 to either FGG or GLISA. We consider that this is misleading. Both organizations had a clear mission from their members to make 1QE happen with whatever concessions needed to be made. Each part had the opportunity to make 1QE 2018 happen. 99% of the hurdles had been overcome. If it didn't work, it means that other issues where considered to be priority (not the declared will of the members). So, please don't participate in speculations on whose fault it was!

ad 2) FGG and GLISA seem to think that the community simply accepts the fact that they failed on their most important mission and want to go on selecting hosts for Outgames 2017 and Gay Games 2018. If we want to stop this, we have to make clear that they can celebrate these Games without us. Here are the contacts to the board of FGG and GLISA. FGG: http://gaygames.com/index.php?id=420
GLISA: http://www.glisa.org/aboutglisa/our-team/board-of-directors-20112012/
Please write them your opinion about continuing with two separate worldwide Games in the future.

ad 3) We should make it clear to all potential bidders for #Games 2017/2018 that we would consider their bid as a breach of solidarity with the 1QE idea. The following cities have been mentioned to be interested in Gay Games 2018: London, Orlando, Paris and Sao Paulo. Here are the contacts we could find so far: co-presidents@paris-tournament.org; Facebook: Bring the Gay Games to Orlando;jonathan@london2018.info;info@cdgbrasil.org. Please write them your opinion about two separate Games in 2017 and 2018 and how likely it is that you and your team will take part in it. It should be clear to them that rather than being the center of LGBTIQ sports they will be the reason of a split of our community. In a next step we will research contact data to politicians in these cities to make sure they also understand that their city is about to bid for splitting our community. This might reduce the likelihood of public financing which is the most vulnerable part of the process. As soon as we hear about further candidates/contacts we will add them to the list.

ad 4) Those of us that are members of FGG and GLISA should consider participation in the respective AGAs in order to express our opinion about the outcome of the 1QE negotiations. Unfortunately, in the past the opinion of member clubs wasn't respected, otherwise the 1QE agreement would have been signed already years ago or at least now. Therefore it will probably be necessary to vote people in the boards that got the message: We want 1QE 2018 to happen, nothing else - Face it!

ad 5) These are only the first steps. We can do much more. Facebook is a great platform to mobilize for our aim to let the worldwide community celebrate sports without the split. We could also organize flash mobs, sit-ins, demonstrations. Please be inventive and share your ideas with us. EGLSF will help to coordinate any effort on making 1QE happen.

EGLSF will also contact the boards of FGG and GLISA and potential bidding cities to express our disagreement with the "solution" presented to us. There shall be no doubt that this cannot be the end of 1QE 2018. If FGG and GLISA want to keep a minimum of authority they have to continue the negotiation until they find a way to make 1QE happen. The worldwide LGBTIQ sports community wants ONE global event every 4 years! We have been patient long enough. This patience has obviously been misunderstood as indifference. Now we have to show them that we are not indifferent about OUR worldwide Games.

Please make yourself heard; the time to react is now!