Featured events


7-9 September 2012
Brussels Games
Brussels

Brussels Gay Sports will offer a weekend of fun and fairplay in the capital of Europe, with volleyball, swimming, badminton, and tennis, as well as fitness and hiking.

Learn more HERE.
26-28 October 2012
QueergamesBern
Bern, Switzerland

The success of the first edition of the QueergamesBern proved the need for an LGBT multisport event in Switzerland. This year will be even bigger, with badminton, bowling, running, walking, floorball.

Learn more HERE.
17-20 January 2013
Sin City Shootout
Las Vegas
The 7th Sin City Shootout will feature softball, ice hockey, tennis, wrestling, basketball, dodgeball, bodybuilding and basketball.

Learn more HERE.

13-16 June 2013
IGLFA Euro Cup
Dublin
After this year's edition in Budapest at the EuroGames, the IGLFA Euro Cup heads to Dublin for 2013, hosted by the Dublin Devils and the Dublin Phoenix Tigers.

Learn more HERE.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Study day: "Sport and HIV" at the French Olympic Committee

A long-term survey and research program on the access to sport for people living with HIV/AIDS concluded with a study day presenting the results of the study to actors in the fields of health, sport, and public policy.

The lead organizations were the "Health, education and handicap laboratory" of the University of Montpellier and Actif Santé, an association for persons living with HIV/AIDS. The study day was supported by the Ile de France region and the regional coordinating committee for HIV, along with the Sidaction foundation.

Attendees were welcomed to the headquarters of the French Olympic Committee by Alain Calmat. Mr. Calmat is an Olympic medal-winning figure skater, a former sports minister, president of the French Olympic Committee's medical commission, and as mayor of Livry Gargan, president of the association of local autorities against AIDS.

Representing the president of the regional council was Jean Luc Roméro, who recalled that the issue of sport and HIV goes to the highest levels, with the important issue of the awarding of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to the homophobic regime of Qatar that specifically discriminates against people living with HIV/AIDS.

LGBT sport was represented by one of the organizers, FGG Honorary Life Member Manuel Picaud, present on behalf of the central Paris regional coordinating committee for HIV, a former president of FSGL and former treasurer of the FGG, Bruno Aussenac, former president of the FSGL, and his successor, Christelle Foucault. The FSGL's official medical officer Olivier de Poyferré was present, as was Armelle, EGLSF co-president. The FGG was represented by VP for External Affairs Marc Naimark. Other FSGL members included Quentin Dezetter of judo club Makato, and Pierre Deransart of weight club Le Coq Musclé.

The plenary sessions took place in the auditorium of the French Olympic Committe.

Alain Calmat, president of the French Olympic Committee's medical commission, welcomed attendees and spoke of the committee's goal of creating "sport and health" committees in every French national sports federation.

Member of the Ile de France regional council Jean Luc Roméro.

Alain Sobel of the regional coordinating committee for HIV.


Front and center at the event were (left to right) current and former presidents of the FSGL Christelle Foucault, Bruno Aussenac, and Manuel Picaud, along with (far right) Olivier de Poyferré, medical officer of the FSGL.

Following Gilles Thoni's review of existing literature relativie to sport, physical activity and HIV/AIDS, which shows the significant positive impact of physical activity for people with HIV/AIDS, Marie Eichelbrenner, director of " D'un Monde à l’Autre" in Montpellier, spoke of the challenges and impact of her association's work to encourage people living with HIV/AIDS to practice sport in a supportive and welcoming environment. Missing from this discussion was the role of LGBT sports clubs: is this because LGBT clubs are not actively seeking to engage with these efforts, or because of the gulf between the world of health and medicine on one hand and sport on the other?

Sylvain Ferez of the university of Montpellier and lead scientist for the study, presented the challenges of the study and the difficulties for researchers to carry out the project in the face of the weight of assumptions regarding the benefits of physical activity for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Stéphane Héas presented the main results of the study, focusing on the management of the visibility of ones HIV status.


Sébastien Ruffie spoke on the study's results with regard to the issue of maintaining ones physical and mental abilities.

Eric Perera spoke on the study's results with regard to the notion of AIDS as a chronic disease.

During a morning breakout session, Christelle Foucault speaks to the role of LGBT sport in welcoming athletes living with HIV/AIDS.


FGG VP for External Affairs Marc Naimark was invited to speak on the subject of the Federation's Charter on Sport and HIV.

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Representatives of trans association ACCEPTESS-T spoke of the mulitple obstacles to integration in sport faced by HIV-positive trans persons.

French Olympic Committee HQ is full of an awful lot of Union Jacks...

Armelle, co-president of the EGLSF and Olivier de Poyferré, FSGL delegate to the EGLSF and the FSGL medical officer.

The role of Tom Waddell and the Gay Games as the foundation of LGBT sport and HIV-inclusive sport was highlighted at the study day.

Philippe Liotard spoke on the study's results concerning gay men.

Julie Thomas spoke on the women in the study group.

Aggée Célestin Lomo Myazhiom spoke on migrants in the study.

Pierre Deransart, president of Le Coq Musclé and of the Ile de France regional committee for the nationaal bodybuilding federation FFHMFAC, alongside Act Up's Huges Fischer at an afternoon breakout session on gay men.

Bruno Aussenac, Olivier de Poyferré, and Philippe Liotard at the session moderated by Manuel Picaud.

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