Olympics Committee Recognizes Frisbee

This doesn't necessarily mean that frisbee will become an Olympic sport. The list of other officially recognized sporting organizations includes those for chess, bridge, bowling, billiards, and orienteering. (Yeah, I had to look that one up.)

Petition Calls For IOC To Revoke Olympic Gold Medals From Caitlyn Jenner

From the petition:

Dear International Olympic Committee, It has recently come to light that gold medalist Bruce Jenner is in fact transgender, and therefore, identifies as a woman. We congratulate Ms. Jenner on these new developments and wish her the best. However, this creates somewhat of a problem as Ms. Jenner (as talented as she is) claims that she has always believed herself to be truly female, and therefore, was in violation of committee rules regarding women competing in men's sports and vice versa. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that we must ask whether or not it is proper that Ms. Jenner should retain her Olympic records in light of this, as we must now either claim that Bruce Jenner and Caitlyn Jenner are two entirely different people (which we know is not true), or that Bruce Jenner was, in fact, a woman participating in a men's event. It is only fair to all involved that women receive their credit as champions of the Decathalon and that the men racing Ms. Jenner are not expected to compete with a superior, streamlined being such as herself.

The petition has about 9500 signatures at this writing. (Tipped by JMG reader Mark)

Did The IOC Just Ban Anti-Gay Nations From Hosting Future Olympic Games?

Via the Associated Press:

Thomas Bach never thought it would be this easy. In rapid fashion and without a single vote against or even an abstention, the International Olympic Committee on Monday overwhelmingly approved its president's 40-point reform package — the biggest shake-up of the organization in decades. Among other measures approved was the rewording of the IOC's non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation — a move that followed the controversy over Russia's law against gay "propaganda" ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The new Principle 6 clause says the Olympics should be free of discrimination "of any kind, such as race, color, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status." Former Olympic diving gold medalist Greg Louganis said the new wording removes all doubt about the interpretation of the clause. "Today's move will make it clear about open hearts and open minds in the spirit of the Olympic Games," he said.

More from Gay Star News:

Principle 6 originally read: "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement." With sexual orientation included, it implies that countries with laws that actively discriminate against gay people will not be able to apply to host. It must be noted the IOC remains unclear whether this decision will affect any future bids. It comes after several people were arrested during the Sochi Olympics earlier this year, held in the shadow of Russia's "gay propaganda" laws. "Today is a great step forward for the Olympics, and particularly for the athletes, spectators, and residents of host countries who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual," said Human Rights First’s Shawn Gaylord. "Our hope is that potential host countries, like Kazakhstan and China, will understand that protecting the rights of sexual minorities is no longer something they can dodge. We call on the IOC to continue its efforts to support equality by including gender identity in Principle 6 as well."

I'll update this post if further analysis becomes available.

IOC: All Future Olympics Host Cities Must Agree To LGBT Discrimination Protections

The International Olympic Committee today announced that future Olympics host cities must sign a contract with an added clause vowing to protect LGBT participants and attendees from discrimination. Via press release from All Out:

“This is a significant step in ensuring the protection of both citizens and athletes around the world and sends a clear message to future host cities that human rights violations, including those against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, will not be tolerated,” said Andre Banks, co-founder and executive director of All Out, the global movement for love and equality. “This is a particularly important moment for the world’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens who face discrimination and persecution not only in Russia but in countries all over the world. We will continue working to make sure this change is powerfully enforced - these new rules must prevent a replay of Sochi.”

According to IOC Sports Director, Christopher Dubi, the new clause will include “the prohibition of any form of discrimination, using the wording of Fundamental Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter." This clause will ensure that future host cities must abide by international human rights standards in order to host the games, including the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens and athletes. “By adopting a non-discrimination clause into its host city contracts, the IOC is showcasing its own realization that we must protect the rights of every athlete to live free and openly,” said Hudson Taylor, Executive Director of Athlete Ally. “The Principle 6 campaign sought to shed light on the responsibility of host countries to uphold the olympic values, and this action validates all of the hard work by organizations and individuals across the world who’ve engaged in the fight for LGBT equality.”

RELATED: The 2016 Summer Games will be held in Rio De Janeiro, where robust LGBT protections already exist. The 2018 Winter Games will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where homosexuality is legal, but anti-discrimination laws do not exist.

Oscar Pistorious Found Not Guilty

Via Newsweek:

South African Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius has been found “not guilty” of murdering long-time girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of 14 February 2013. The court will resume shortly when Judge Thokozile Masipa will deliver her verdict on the charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, and other firearms offences. Masipa accepted the defence’s timeline of events, ruling that the shooting took place at 3.12 in the morning, crucially making the screams of distress heard by neighbours around 3.17am those of a shocked Pistorius and not Steenkamp, meaning her killing was sudden and was unlikely to have been premeditated.

More from the Los Angeles Times:

Judge Thokozile Masipa halted the proceedings before delivering a ruling on a lesser charge of culpable homicide and said she would resume the proceedings on Friday. "It's clear that his conduct was negligent," Masipa said. But the judge said she did not find sufficient evidence to prove the prosecution’s contention that Pistorius intended to kill Reeva Steenkamp after the couple had an argument, though she did conclude that the athlete was negligent in firing his weapon four times through the door of the bathroom in his residence, in which Steenkamp had locked herself. Pistorius admitted to firing four expanding bullets into the toilet cubicle off his bathroom. But he had insisted that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, fired unintentionally and not meaning to kill anyone.

Todd Starnes Has The Gay Athlete Sadz

"I owe all of you a massive apology. I thought the Olympics was about athletic competition - not advancing a cultural agenda. I was wrong. I thought the NFL was about football - not advancing a cultural agenda. I was wrong. I should've learned my lesson after the Rose Bowl Parade and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It's all about advancing a cultural agenda -- no matter the cost. We are no longer allowed to have fun and enjoy sports or entertainment programs. How sad." - Fox News reporter and unrepentant liar Todd Starnes, writing on his Facebook page.

Headline Of The Day

A report filed by TMZ has again fired up speculation that reality star and Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner is beginning gender reassignment. Jenner says, "I just never liked my trachea."

Tom Daley On Coming Out

Via HuffPo UK:

Tom Daley opened about about his boyfriend as he appeared on 'The Jonathan Ross Show' on Saturday night. The 19-year-old Olympic diver revealed he is in a relationship with a man earlier this week in a candid YouTube video. He then sat down with Wossy to discuss his decision to talk about his sexuality, and revealed it was "love at first sight" when he met his beau - believed to be gay activist Dustin Lance Black.

Quote Of The Day - Tom Daley

"It felt like a dirty little secret, it felt like I had chains wrapped around me, I couldn't be who I was, I felt alone and trapped. Just telling one person made me feel so much better, just that one person took a weight off my shoulder. I told Sophie my best friend first as I knew she'd be really accepting of it. She's been so supportive and there for me. Now that everyone knows, I have nothing to hide, those chains that I felt wrapped around me are gone and I can carry on with my life as normal and be happy. I felt like there was something wrong with me, I didn't know other people out there felt that way, I felt so alone, so locked away and couldn't say anything. Tell one person. Tell your story, how you feel. Everything is all pretty new so I don't see any point in putting a label on it - gay, bi, straight, any of those kind of labels. All that I feel happy about at the moment is that I'm dating a guy and couldn't be happier, it shouldn't matter who I'm dating and I hope people can be happy for me." - British Olympic diver Tom Daley, in an interview to be televised on Saturday.

Tabs: Tom Daley Is Dating Dustin Black

British Olympic diver Tom Daley came out as bisexual this week and tabloids are now claiming that he's dating Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black.

A friend of the sportsman allegedly told The Sun: “He's besotted with Dustin. They love each other and aren't concerned what anyone says about age difference.” “Dustin is very proud of Tom for making such a powerful statement about his sexuality. “They are officially in a long term relationship and are talking about having a future together.” According to tabloid reports, the pair were introduced at the Soho hotel in London this summer. Daley has apparently been flying between London and Los Angeles ever since. Black won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Milk, the 2008 biopic on California’s first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk.

Principle 6 Merchandise Is Now On Sale

A couple of months ago I reported that Athlete Ally and All Out were joining to offer gear that promotes Principle Six of the International Olympic Committee, which declares opposition to discrimination based on "race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise." Sales commenced today, reports the New York Times:

Andre Banks, executive director of All Out, said the merchandise “allows us to deliver the Principle 6 message on a scale that would make the campaign incredibly powerful.” American Apparel is to sell the merchandise online, beginning early Monday morning, and in stores around the world, beginning on Jan. 1. The line will include T-shirts, hoodies, hats, bags and underwear. The proceeds from the sales of the merchandise, minus the costs, “will go to benefit Russian L.G.B.T. groups in St. Petersburg and Moscow,” Mr. Banks said. Brian Ellner, a member of the Athlete Ally board, called the merchandise “a safe way for both fans and athletes to be visible and take a stand.” “That’s enormously important,” he added, “but our greatest challenge remains keeping the world focused on the real violence and intimidation the Russian L.G.B.T. community experiences.”

Over four dozen current and former Olympians, gay and straight, will promote the Principle Six gear.

British Olympian Tom Daley Comes Out

After a year of widespread speculation, British Olympic diver Tom Daley has come out. Via the Guardian:

The Olympic diving star Tom Daley has said he is in a relationship with a man. He made the announcement in a video on YouTube to "put an end to all the rumours and speculation". Daley, 19, said he "couldn't be happier" in the five-minute video in which he speaks about his new partner for the first time. He added: "I've been dating girls and I've never really had a serious relationship to talk about and now I feel ready to talk about my relationships. Come spring this year my life changed massively when I met someone and it made me feel so happy, so safe, and everything just feels great. And, well, that someone is a guy." Daley, who won a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics, said he wanted to reveal the news in a video because he didn't want his words to be "twisted".

In the clip Daley says, "Of course I still fancy girls."

Feminists Hate Wrestling

"Wresting has been an Olympic sport ever since the Olympic Games were started in ancient Greece. The opposition to wrestling was probably coming from the feminists who do not excel in the sport of wrestling, and who dislike anything that is truly masculine, as wrestling certainly is. I'm happy to report that our campaign was successful and wrestling will remain as one of the sports in the Olympic Games. If any sport could be targeted for elimination, I suggest ping-pong. I don't think that is really a sport worthy of inclusion. Even I can play ping-pong, and I'm no athlete. The attempt to cancel wrestling was really a political decision rather than anything to do with athletics. Let's hope the public wakes up to the feminist war against manly sports and begins defending sports and exposing the nonsense of the feminists." - Phyllis Schlafly, claiming to have personally convinced the International Olympic Committee to reinstate wrestling for the 2020 Games.

Olympian Johnny Weir Retires, Hired To Be Figure Skating Commentator At Sochi

NBC reports:

Two-time Olympic figure skater and three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir is hanging up the skates and picking up the mic. Weir is retiring from competition and joining NBC Olympics as a figure skating analyst for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, he announced on TODAY Wednesday. The skating star, who is openly gay and married to a Russian man, also gave his take on Russia's controversial Russian anti-gay laws. Weir has been opposed to calls for a boycott of the Sochi Olympics because he feels it would negate the efforts of athletes who have worked hard to reach the Games.

Here's this morning's Today Show appearance.

Greg Louganis Got Married

People Magazine has the story:

Louganis, 53, married paralegal Johnny Chaillot, 52, Saturday evening at Geoffrey's in Malibu. "It was amazing because I have so many people from all facets of my life here tonight and they are all here and celebrating it is all wonderful," Louganis told PEOPLE immediately following the sunset ceremony. "I already feel different. The ceremony was so reflective and representative of who we are." The recent Splash coach and Chaillot began dating in 2012 after finding each other on the online dating site Match.com and became engaged almost exactly a year later on April 8.

In lieu of gifts, the couple asked for donations to charities.

World Order - Welcome To Toyko

I first posted about World Order, a band headed by a retired martial arts champion, a couple of years ago.  This is their "welcome" to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  Nice track, cool dancing, lyrics in Japanese.

(Tipped by JMG reader Greg)

Wrestling Reinstated For 2020 Olympics

The International Olympic Committee has reversed itself and reinstated wrestling for the 2020 Summer Games, which will be held in Tokyo.

Wrestling, which was surprisingly dropped from the list of core sports in February, received 49 votes to win in the first round of secret balloting by the International Olympic Committee. Baseball-softball got 24 votes and squash 22. The decision capped a frantic six-month campaign by the wrestling body FILA to revamp the organization and reshape the sport to save its Olympic status. “With this vote, you have shown that the steps we have taken to improve our sport have made a difference,” FILA President Nenad Lalovic said. “I assure each of you that our modernization will not stop now. We will continue to strive to be the best partner to the Olympic movement that we can be.”

(Tipped by JMG reader Dwight)

Tokyo To Host 2020 Olympics

Beating out fellow finalists Madrid and Istanbul, the IOC today announced that Tokyo will host the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Tokyo's bid came in at $5 billion to $6 billion, compared to $19 billion pledged by Istanbul, said Ed Hula, editor and founder of aroundtherings.com, which covers the business and politics of the Olympic movement. But Tokyo's government has already amassed a $4.9 billion Olympic fund to pay to prepare for the Games, Hula said. And a $1 billion national stadium that will be used for the athletic events and the Opening Ceremonies will already have been built for the rugby World Cup in 2017 and is not considered an Olympic expense. Turkey would have been the first Muslim country to host the Games, and with a median age of less than 30 years, one of the youngest. However, it missed out for the fifth time.

Putin Bans Protests During Olympics

Pink News has the story:

A decree banning demonstrations and rallies has been signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and will take place over the duration of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. The decree, signed today will block all demonstrations and rallies from taking place, will take effect for two and a half months covering the games, reports the Associated Press. Published in the government newspaper, the decree states that all “gatherings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets” which are not part of the Winter Olympics or Paralympics will be barred in the city between 7 Jan and 21 March 2014.

John Aravosis weighs in at AmericaBlog:

This fits a larger pattern of Russian threats against Olympics in the past few weeks, when both the Russian Sports Minister, Vitaly Mutko, and the Russian Interior Ministry, responsible for overseeing domestic order (i.e., clamping down on dissidents and any public criticism of the Kremlin), threatened to jail gay and gay-friendly Olympians, guests and media during the Sochi games. This isn’t the first time that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) got egg on its face by claiming, falsely, that the Russians would not restrict human rights during the Sochi Games. But it is perhaps the most embarrassing for the IOC, as only 24 hours ago, Olympic President Count Rogge, claimed the situation was settled.

Petition Of The Day

Athlete Ally has launched a petition campaign which demands that the International Olympic Committee chose Madrid as the host city of the 2020 Summer Games. Via press release:

On September 7 the IOC will choose the host city for the 2020 Olympic Games. Of the three finalists, Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul, one city shines above as LGBT friendly. And only one of the respective countries - Japan, Spain, and Turkey - has equality under the law. “The IOC has an opportunity in September, when the choice for the next Olympic site is chosen. Madrid is the one candidate who is very open and accepting,” Athlete Ally Advisory Board member and Olympic legend Greg Louganis told MSNBC. “Take the Olympics to a place where its ideals and the Olympic movement can thrive.” "The Olympic movement will be strengthened if the IOC takes this opportunity to make a powerful statement for equality with the selection of Madrid in 2020,” said Athlete Ally Founder and Executive Director Hudson Taylor. “It's important for the IOC to recognize how much support exists for this human rights issue.