Gay world cup to be held in Argentina

South America has an impressive history when it comes to football, and this year it will be adding another great moment as gay teams meet for the 2007 Lesbian-Gay World Soccer Championship.

Supported by the Federation of International Football(FIFA), Buenos Aires, Argentina will host gay and lesbian teams from across the globe at the event later this month.

Gay and lesbian teams began to pop up almost three decades ago and the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association was formed to act as a governing body for the sport.

The goal of the organisation is to “engender respect and understanding from the non-gay world, through the medium of football (soccer).”

The event will be played in Buenos Aires’ Sarmiento Park and is supported by the Argentina Soccer Association (AFA) and Argentine Homosexuality Community (CHA) along with FIFA.

AFA has dedicated itself to finding volunteers and officials to help oversee the event and are determined to make it a success.

AFA vice president Julio Grondona said:

“The World Championship is a sports and political event with a clear message: every player has the right to calmly express his sexual orientation without any kind of prejudice.”

The opening ceremony for the championship will take place on Sunday, September 23rd at the Amerika Disco, and will kick off the week long event.

In 2008 the Gay World Cup will be held in London.

Dylan Vox © 2007 GaySports; All Rights Reserved.