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Special Guests:
Former NFL Pro Esera Tuaolo and South African Olympian Leigh-Ann Naidoo
Welcome to Sports Equality Day, a series of educational workshops and keynote presentations designed to bring attention to LGBT issues in sports.
Date: Friday, July 14th, 2006
Time: 10:30am – 5:00pm
Location: Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago
Cost: FREE (RSVP required for Lunch service)
Registration: See Below
 
What: a series of seminars and/or workshops with keynote speeches by select authorities and sports legends
Purpose: In support of both FGG’s and GLAF’s mission of engendering respect and understanding among the greater community. Panel 1 would support outreach into the high schools and colleges, a potential category of participants. Panel 2 would be a great cultural learning experience for both participants and panelists. All are great networking sessions.
Audience: Regional/local/national/international student-athletes, coaches, administrators at the collegiate, professional, and recreational levels.
Schedule
10:30 Registration
10:45 - Noon
Youth sports: Not what your parents were thinking of, or is it?
Panelists:
Bridget White, Head Volleyball Coach, Kean University
Dave Lohse, Associate Athletic Communications Director, University of North Carolina
This workshop will explore today's meaning of "Sport" and "LGBT Sport." Ever since the founding of the Gay Games, there are now several generations of participants at the games. There exist many leagues that have traditionally been defined as gay but also have a growing number of non-gay players. These are friends of the LGBT people, friends of friends, athletes that like to compete in a non-discriminating environment free of any bias, and just people looking for good old-fashioned competition. At the high school and collegiate levels, the needs of our youth are different, though there are still many challenges. Are the needs of the today's young athletes the same as those for that have been involved with the initial movement? This panel will discuss the new reality as it exists for all of us in sport. We'll explore several generations including high school, Collegiate, Olympic, professional, and recreational sport genres.
We'll also touch upon questions such as: Does sport build character? As a young athlete that's LGBT, how do I compete? How can a youth sport coach become a true mentor? How can my son and daughter get the most out of their sport experience? Can sport be created in a manner that promotes positive youth development? What about human resources for professional sports leagues -- do they handle it at all? Come network and share ideas with the leading sport psychology and youth development experts in the world. Whether you're a parent, student, sport psychologist, educator, coach, researcher, community leader, or youth development specialist, you will find plenty of valuable information, while enjoying interactive presentations.
12:00 to 1:30 pm
Lunch & Keynotes
12 Noon
(RSVP required for Lunch service)
12:30pm-1PM
Keynote/Q&A with Esera Tuaolo
Born of Samoan descent in Hawaii, Tuaolo was quick, 280-pound (127-kilo) defensive tackle, playing for nine years in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons. He played in the Super Bowl in 1998. He retired from the NFL in 1999 and came out in late 2002, bcoming a prominent spokesperson for numerous LGBT causes. In 2003 he spoke to nearly 200 NFL employees in New York on the topic of being a gay man in sports. Esera was the first player to perform the national anthem at a nationally televised football game, and he released a CD, First Christmas, in 2004. He is a Gay Games ambassador and he will sing at the Opening Ceremony at Soldier Field.
1pm-1:30pm
Keynote/Q&A with Leigh-Ann Nadoo
Naidoo is the first member of the Gay Games Ambassador program from Africa. She lives in Cape Town, South Africa, after a short time living in Chicago with her partner. In 2004 she was a member of the first African team to compete in beach volleyball at the Olympic Games. Her father, Derrick, was president of South Africa's first non-racial volleyball organization. Before beach volleyball, she competed in athletics (javelin, shot put and discus), tennis, soccer and softball.
1:45- 3:00pm
Where in the World is Sport?
Panelists: Philippe Liotard
In many places around the world, the LGBT movement (perceived or otherwise) is light years ahead of other countries. There's pro-LGBT in many western European countries and in the United States, yet often times there's still a backlash in very specific communities in these countries. Is the United States as progressive as many think? What about other parts of the world like Africa or South America, and elsewhere? Is the LGBT sports movement in outreach countries just "some years behind"? Can LGBT sport movement in these countries just look at the example of North American and European groups? Or is it the context so different that adjustments in the strategy of development of LGBT sports are necessary? How can we best foster the development of LGBT sport in this countries? Money or knowledge and expertise? And if money, is the allocation of scholarships to individuals to help them participate in a Gay Games (or other event) the best way to help? Or should this money be rather donated to local groups to realize local projects?
3:15-4:30pm
It Takes A Team! Educational Campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Sport
Lindsey Cardin, Women in Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports Foundation is committed to creating an athletic climate that is respectful and safe for all people and eliminating barriers to all girls being active and healthy. It Takes A Team! is an education project focused on eliminating homophobia as a barrier to all women and men participating in sport. Lindsey Cardin is the Project Coordinator at the Women's Sports Foundation. She will go through a training session discussing topics such as teammates dating, negative recruiting, LGBT athletes and coaches in the locker room, and sexual harassment.
Read testimonials from past GLAF events
“We want to give athletes an opportunity to
share their experiences. Our goals are twofold: One, create a
community of gay athletes who can communicate with each other
regularly. Two, help cultivate an environment in sports in which
athletes are accepted and respected without regard to their sexual
orientation. In the process, we help to create positive role models
for the society at large.” - O. Mac Chinsomboon, GLAF Executive
Director
About GLAF
The Gay & Lesbian Athletics Foundation promotes
acceptance and visibility of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
and Transgendered (GLBT) athletics community by the
following means:
- Provide education, mentoring, and training on issues
of sexual orientation and sport
- Foster support networks for athletes and athletic
organizations
- Promote positive role models and healthy lifestyles
through athletics
- Advocate inclusion, recognition, understanding, and
respect among all members of the athletics community
http://www.GLAF.org
(RSVP required for Lunch service)
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