The World Outgames
Various Locations; starts Saturday, ends 2 August; www.copenhagen2009.dk

Summing up the upcoming World Outgames is just plain unfair. It’s a comprehensive string of events encompassing culture, sports, politics and love, and the 200-page programme is a hint of the range of Copenhagen activities taking place in the name of non-traditional love from July 25 to August 2.
 The idea itself is pretty simple: the Outgames in an international event that celebrates the talents and contributions of homosexual, bi-sexual and transgender men and women from all over the world. The concept generally hasn’t rubbed a lot of skin off our Scandinavian noses (perhaps apart from the conundrum regarding the screening of gay flicks inside the metro) but if you throw in the fact that seven countries give death penalties to people who do not conform to the heterosexual way of life, the event is a little bit more than fancy dress marathons and flamboyant sporty attire.

A fairly young concept, The World Outgames started in Montreal in 2006, after breaking away from the Gay Games, an event that started in 1982.  That first try became a massive success, with people from more than 111 countries participating as delegates, athletes, volunteers and participants in the prolific cultural programme. The upcoming Copenhagen version is only the 2nd World Outgames ever, and from now on multi-faceted lovefest will be a quadrennial event with Antwerp up next in 2013.

‘Freedom to love’ is the Outgames overall message, and it is also the name of the official song that is written and performed by the Danish music icon Annisette of Savage Rose. She will be performing the song live at the Opening Ceremony on July 25, and that is just the beginning. During the week you could choose to forget that the Outgames is a sports event: there are hundreds of concerts and the organisers of the Copenhagen Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (October 16-25) are set to (www.cglff.dk/outgames2009) screen an array of proud and provocative international documentaries, shorts and feature films from all over the world.  The film organizers are even offering three evenings of open-air screenings and events in H.C. Ørstedsparken, the unofficial gay park of Copenhagen.

Throughout the week there are unconventional walks, wild parties that aim to make you dance like crazy, exhibitions, parades and a human rights conference addressing the issues and concerns of the LGBT community. There is nothing conventional about the Outgames and creativity seeps out of its every pore: Uffe Elbæk, founder of the untraditional creative leadership school The Kaospilots, is the director of the Outgames, and he’s coming at us, guns a-blazing, trying to get as many people on board the Outgames as possible.

The Homo-to-home campaign continues to encourage us to have an out-of towner crash on our couch. The ‘We seek rich relatives’ initiative is a peer-to-peer funding programme urging us to donate money to the international World Outgames Human Rights conference.

You can bid on artwork by famous Danish artists and raise money for the Outreach programme. This initiative enables people from lesser-developed countries to partake in Copenhagen through providing them with resources for making it here. There’s even a Pink Goes Green initiative intending to make the Outgames a fabulously green event. Activities include economising with the bath water by bathing together at Amager Beach Park in the morning.

But let’s not forget what it is all about: the visiting and resident athletes are taking over just about every green and sporty area in town. There are tournaments in 38 different sports disciplines, from aerobics to wrestling, and you don’t even have to be gay or an athlete to take part. Although there are no qualifying standards, competitions are arranged according to the skill levels of the competitors, so there’s little risk of being bored or run over: it is like the Olympics, only sexier, more fun and with better dressed participants.

Visit www.copenhagen2009.dk for a comprehensive picture of everything going on in Copenhagen during the Outgames week.

Top Picks:

Run for Love
Amager Strandpark, Sunday 11:00; registration at AS?from 08:30 or at www.wo2009reg.dk; prices 75kr for 5 or 10km, 175kr for the half marathon, 275kr for the marathon (all prices increase on the day of the race)

How far will you run for love? At Amager Strandpark you can choose between 5 K, 10 K, a half marathon or full marathon. Separate from the actual running compettiton, the purpose of the ‘Run for Love’ is just that: running for love. And fun.

Gay ice skating in the summer
Frihedens Idrætscenter, Hvidovrevej 446, 2650 Hvidovre

Not only are gold, silver and bronze medals in 38 different sporting events up for grabs, the Outgames even includes a winter sports programme featuring ice hockey, figure skating and curling. The figure skating tournament takes place in Hvidovre on July 31 and August 1, for both singles, mixed and same sex couples. A limited number of tickets are available at the venue before the competition. Have a look at the Outgames site for exact times and ticket procedures.

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