Advocating for Worldwide Equality in Sports With the GLISA

The visibility and acknowledgement of LGBT athletes in mainstream organized sports is still lacking in this country and others worldwide – as evidenced by the many closeted competitors taking part in the Olympics and the still prominent sexual orientation discrimination that takes place in the locker rooms of high schools, colleges, and professional sports teams everywhere. However, many organizations and associations are working to promote and enhance gay individuals in sports and ensure that all athletes are given the opportunity to prove their abilities and be treated with respect and equality. The Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association (GLISA) is a leader in this field and, as a democratically governed, international association of LGBT sport organizations from around the world, is making huge differences in the lives and careers of deserving athletes everywhere. Modeled after existing multi-sport organizations, GLISA’s members are international sporting federations, continental associations representing sport teams, clubs from the major regions of the world, host cities of GLISA’s World Outgames, and other organizations that support the mandate of GLISA. GLISA presently has 75 member organizations from five continents.

Who they are
The main functions of the GLISA are to grow LGBT sport by facilitating partnerships for the successful delivery of World and Continental Outgames, share expertise and best-practices with and among member organizations around the world to nurture growth and sustainability, and partner with a broad variety of organizations, both LGBT and mainstream, to build bridges that help them further their activities and visibility while celebrating LGBT culture through sport. They are about delivering PRIDE:

- Participation and Celebration
- Respect and Fairness
- Innovation
- Diversity
- Empowerment

What they do
The distinctive work of the GLISA can be described in terms their “four pillars,” which are:
1. GLISA’s mandate to nurture and grow LGBT sport world-wide, year in and year out, through outreach, member services and the sharing of knowledge and best practices among member organizations.
2. Partnership with mainstream sport, human rights, and cultural organizations that share their mission to make all places safe for LGBT athletes to play sport.
3. The delivery of games. These include world Outgames every four years and continental Outgames in intervening years.
4. The professionalization of the LGBT sport movement. GLISA is committed to legacy in the form of transfer of knowledge, innovation in the delivery of services, and professionalism in the implementation of marketing and sponsorship strategies.

Future Goals
GLISA’s vision is a vibrant future LGBT sport movement that offers a compelling competition calendar, competitive events featuring the highest standards of organization and facilities, growing capacity at every level of the sport system, events fully recognized by mainstream and LGBT sport governing bodies, and a viable business model for hosting games.

The current priorities of the GLISA include supporting the city of Copenhagen to deliver the 2nd World Outgames in 2009, expanding their membership of teams, clubs and international federations, nurturing the creation of continental associations in North America and Asia/Pacific, and strengthening partnerships with mainstream organizations to combat homophobia in sport.

Becoming a part of the GLISA
Membership in the GLISA enables an organization to: promote itself through their web site and their events through the online calendar; to network with dozens of other organizations like theirs around the world; to share in and benefit from the GLISA best practices database; to be a part of expanding GLISA’s continental associations - which will be partnering with hosts to deliver Continental Outgames; to have a say in the governance of GLISA, including making decisions about future World Outgames locations and programs of sports and events; and to have the opportunity to serve in a leadership position within GLISA.

GLISA has four types of members: International Federations, Sport Clubs and Teams, Host Cities, and Associates. An International Federation is an organization focused on a single sporting activity or group of sport disciplines, having membership representation from at least three countries. Sport Clubs and Teams are local organizations representing participants in gay and lesbian sporting activities, either in single or multiple sport disciplines. Five or more sport clubs and teams within a continental region will be recognized as a Continental Association. Host Cities are cities designated by GLISA as host of a World Outgames. Associates are organizations and businesses that support the mandate of GLISA and that do not fall into any other category of membership. International federations, sport clubs and teams through their continental associations, and host cities have voting rights in GLISA as specified in the Bylaws. Associates do not have voting rights.

For more information about the GLISA visit http://www.glisa.org.

Outgames photo by Dustin P. Smith.