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Readers of Compete, the gay sports magazine, and the expert jury have selected the 2009 (Gay) Athlete of the Year. The finalists were submitted to a panel of celebrity judges consisting of Sarah Burke, Bridget Pettis, David Bromstad, Evan Darling and Jeff Kagan, who chose three finalists: John Ensor (Washington, DC), Eddie Chen (Los Angeles, CA) and John Deffee (Phoenix, AZ) - all from the USA. The jury decided that leading by example, John Deffee is the most positive role model that other gay athletes can look up to, thus honouring him with the title 2009 Athlete of the Year. [...]

Former Welsh Rugby International Gareth Thomas followed in the footsteps of Irish Hurling star Donal Óg Cusack this weekend by making the public announcement that he was gay. This makes him the only openly gay professional rugby player still in the game. Thomas, who is Wales’ most capped player, still plays at a club level for Cardiff Blues, having retired from International Rugby in 2007. The story was sympathetically revealed in the English newspaper the Daily Mail, a newspaper which had recently caused outrage amongst the UK and Irish LGBT community for publishing an article which speculated about the death [...]

French TV network Canal Plus will be broadcasting two special shows devoted to LGBT sport on January 4. The program will be made up of two documentaries commissioned for the evening. The first, Sport et homosexualités: c'est quoi le problème? (sport and homosexuality: what's the problem?) was directed by César-award winner Michel Royer, and was supported by the FGG. The film presents various aspects of sport and homosexuality, starting with the obstacles for elite athletes to come out. Among the athletes featured in this section is Matthew Mitcham, who opens and closes the film. Another section of the film deals [...]

The current base registration fee is 125 Euros, and will be increased by 25 Euros on 1 January 2010. So don’t wait – register now. Gay Games VIII will take place in Cologne, Germany from July 31 to August 7, 2010. Some 12,000 participants from more than 70 countries are expected to participate in over 35 sport and cultural events. Up to now, over 3,500 people have registered for the Games. Built upon the principles of Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best, since 1982, the Gay Games have empowered thousands of LGBT athletes and artists through sport, culture, and fellowship. The [...]

FARE was established a decade ago as a European network to campaign against all forms of discrimination in the sport. It has been very successful in raising awareness at all levels of the game and its work has expanded to extend across nearly 40 countries. FARE is currently reforming its governance arrangements so that they remain fit for purpose, becoming a formally constituted democratic entity in its own right. This includes establishing a small professional secretariat, headed by a co-ordinator with administrative/financial support. The secretariat will also be responsible for contracted functions of project and communications management. FARE now seeks [...]