OUTSPORT TORONTO is wrapping up its first full year of operations, and what a year it has been!
- We welcomed 6 new member organizations.
- With our members’ support, we all put together the first ever “SportZone” at Pride 2011, and put forth a unified sport presence during the parade.
- Our 2nd annual “Scrum” conference this past November gave our members access to a number of valuable seminars, and our keynote speaker Patrick Burke capped it off with an amazing speech – and generated some invaluable national media exposure.
- We’ve consulted with Seneca College on an educational program, assisted the University of Waterloo with a study on homosexuality and sport, and are currently working on an anti-homophobia workshop for a Toronto District School Board conference.
- We’ve consulted with PanAm / ParaPanAm 2015 on preliminary diversity plans for the 2015 PanAm and ParaPanAm Games.
The opportunities for OUTSPORT TORONTO and our member organizations are numerous!
- We would like to create more opportunities for our members to connect, to learn, to improve.
- Our work with Patrick Burke, various educational institutions, and with PanAm / ParaPanAm 2015 only scratches the surface of opportunities to advocate for inclusiveness in sport.
- There are numerous LGBT individuals in the community – especially youth – who could benefit from participation in one of our organizations if only they knew what was available.
The list could go on, but unfortunately, the limited bandwidth of OUTSPORT TORONTO will not allow us to pursue every opportunity. As a result, it is more important than ever that we have a clear definition of our mandate so as to best focus on a few key initiatives that will deliver value for you, our members.
The mandate must come from you, our members!!
It is with all of this in mind that we decided to call a town hall meeting to discuss these challenges, collectively setting the course for 2012.
The town hall meeting will be held from 3pm to 6pm on January 28th, at the 519 Community Centre. We will make a reservation at a local restaurant / bar to enjoy some much deserved social time after the meeting.
All nominees and member-organisation board members are welcome. If you could please RSVP to james.scott@OutSportToronto.org , it will help us in our planning of the meeting.
Please do take the time to attend, and help set OUTSPORT TORONTO on its way for an incredible 2012, working for you!
