Yes to the Olympic Charter, no to the IOC

Atlanta Plus Committee

The Federation of Gay Games supports the appeal [download HERE] of the Atlanta Plus Committee to the International Olympic Commiitte. The appeal includes three demands against classical gender discrimination:

  • Parity within Olympic disciplines and events
  • Increased presence of women in sport decision-making bodies (at least 20% women)
  • Homage and visibility for women’s sport: the IOC President should present the gold medal both to the male and the female marathon winners (currently only the male winner receives his medal from the IOC President)

And three demands against sexual segregation:

  • The end to men-only national delegations
  • An end to delegations wearing politico-religious symbols
  • An end to IOC support and recognition for gender-segregated International Games that isolate women

And a more global demand to “build a better world”

  • Fight against stereotypes (sexism, homophobia, transphobia), seek better integration of the Olympics and Paralympics, combat prostitution around the Olympics and protect its victims

Learn more…

The FGG at Pride House 2012
Gay Games Olympian ambassadors
The Gay Games and the Olympic movement
“From Games to Games”: an invitation to Olympians
A call for equality at the Olympics: Atlanta Plus, synchronized swimming, and more
Pride House 2012 website

For gender equality in synchronized swimming

While real progress has been made for equality between the sexes in terms of the sports open to them at the Olympics (women’s ski jumping added as of the 2014 Winter Olympics  and women’s boxing added to this year’s Summer Games), there will be one sport in London tarnished by sexual discrimination: synchronized swimming. The victims here are not the usual suspects (women), but men. This makes this discrimination no less troubling.

With IGLA member clubs London Angels (Out to Swim) and Paris Aquatique, the FGG has written to FINA and the IOC to call on them to end this discrimination. We still hold out hope that some form of presence of men’s synchronized swimming will be possible during the London Olympics.