Thu 4 Sep 2014 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Damian Strogen and Barry Taylor look on as Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse adds her signature Auckland City, international sports body GLISA and the bid team for the Asia Pacific Outgames 2016 have this evening formally kicked off the creation of what promises to be the biggest gay sporting event the country has ever seen. Around fifty representatives of Auckland glbti organisations attended the signing of the Outgames License which was held in the council chamber of the Auckland Town Hall. Barry Taylor of GLISA, of the Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association, said before the signing that the primary goals of the event are to encourage participation in sport, to celebrate glbti cultures and to promote human rights. "The experience of the coming together of glbti people from many counties is magical," he said. Taylor was also involved in the organisation of the 2011 Asia Pacific Outgames in Wellington. "It's clear Auckland has the facilities but this event is essentially about a community's hospitality," he said. On behalf of GLISA he offered congratulations to the Auckland bid committee, saying that GLISA is "thrilled and excited that Auckland has come on board." Speaking for the city, deputy mayor Penny Hulse said she too is excited about "this extraordinary sporting event by and for a community that is precious to us." She reminded those present that "it is not easy in some countries in our region to live the way we can live in New Zealand so this is a good chance to show people from other areas that life can be different." Hulse said Outgames 2016 is "an example of what Auckland needs to be... celebrating all its people. Whatever I can do to support the Outgames, I will do it," she said. The other signatory, on behalf of the bid group, was Damien Strogen who paid tribute to the success of the Auckland-based gay rugby team, the Falcons, at the recent Bingham Cup international rugby tournament held in Sydney. The Falcons won the Bingham Bowl and a Falcons team member was named player of the tournament.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 4th September 2014 - 7:57pm