Pride House Vancouver set to open at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup
April 27, 2015 – (Vancouver, BC) The founder of the original 2010 Olympic Winter Games Pride House is gearing up to open a Pride House in the heart of Vancouver’s Davie Village from June 26th to July 5th for the final ten days of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The World Cup is being hosted in various Canadian cities including Vancouver where the final match will be played on Sunday, July 5th.
Dean Nelson, along with business partner Sunil Sinha, will be working hard this spring and summer to engage various LGBT sports, arts and community groups to be part of the excitement of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. “During the 2010 Olympics, when we had created Pride House, it was incredible to see so many groups come together under the umbrella of Pride House to participate openly and authentically at the games. We are hopeful that we will be able to bring some of that energy to the heart of Vancouver’s Davie Village, this summer, as the city hosts the grand finale of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup,” explains Pride House founder, Dean Nelson. “We know and see that there is still so much work to be done, within sports, to make the locker room and playing fields safer for our athletes and fans. There have been some incredible strides in the past five years in the sports world, where more athletes feel safe in coming out, to be authentic to themselves and to their team mates and fans. Unfortunately at the same time we have seen what happened in Sochi at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, and recently the disappointing American legislation of the ‘Religious Restoration Freedom Act’ designed to harm the GSM (Gender + Sexual Minority) community.”
Lou Englefield, director of Pride Sports UK and producer of the London 2012 Olympic Summer Games Pride House, goes on to explain the importance and visibility of Pride House in Vancouver. “Women’s football is often forgotten in the campaign against LGBTQphobia and we assume women’s sport is a safe place for all. There is still work to be done around the world, however, to ensure that LGBTQ women are welcomed and celebrated in the women’s game. Pride House is a concept which contributes to this effort by ensuring that LGBTQ people have a place and can be visible at world class events. We are delighted that Vancouver will be hosting a Pride House at this year’s WWC; the first Pride House at a major women’s tournament.”
Pride House Vancouver will be located within the heart of Vancouver’s gay village. The organizers are working with Jenn Mickey, local business owner, in creating a fresh, new and exciting space within the Westend of Vancouver. Organizers anticipate having approximately 70 hours of programming, over the ten days, and are now accepting programming ideas and talent as well as sponsor/donor opportunities.
About Pride House:
Pride House is a pavilion in which to celebrate sport and to provide a seed bed for creating a dialogue on homophobia within sport as well as homophobia/transphobia in general. The pavilion is a safe and inclusive space for GSM (Gender + Sexual Minorities) to be able to come together and take in the match, experience various queer arts and culture, and to connect with other like-minded people. Pride House was instrumental in creating the opportunity for the International Olympic Committee to update Principle 6 to include sexual orientation under their non discrimination policy. We are proud that Pride House and the Pride House movement is a legacy from the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Past + Future Pride Houses:
2010 – Vancouver Olympic Winter Games
2012 – Poland + Ukraine Euro Cup
2012 – London Olympic Summer Games
2014 – Sochi Olympic Winter Games (Russian government denied pavilion;
global remote Pride Houses initiated in solidarity instead)
2014 – Sao Paulo FIFA Men’s World Cup
2014 – Glasgow Commonwealth Games
2015 – Vancouver FIFA Women’s World Cup
2015 – Toronto Pan American Games
2016 – Rio Olympic Summer Games
For more information:
Dean Nelson – Pride House Vancouver | Pride House International
+1.604.288.7218
[email protected] | Facebook: facebook.com/PrideHouse1 | Twitter: @pridehouse2010
Lou Englefield – Pride Sports UK | Pride House International
+44 7949 604610
[email protected] | Facebook: facebook.com/pridehouseinternational
Twitter: @PrideHouseIntl
About Alpenglow Productions
Alpenglow Productions Corporation (APC) is a certified LGBT social business enterprise through the Canadian Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Founded in 2006 in Vancouver, British Columbia and owns and manages various LGBT brands including: whistlerpride.com, Whistler Pride and Ski Festival, Mr. Gay Canada, and Pride House Vancouver/Whistler 2010, Pride House Vancouver 2015.
About Official website for the FIFA Women’s World Cup
The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be the seventh FIFA Women’s World Cup, the quadrennial international women’s football world championship tournament. In March 2011, Canada won the right to host the event. The tournament will be held from 6 June to 5 July.
For more information Official Website for the FIFA Womens World Cup
For FIFA Women’s World Cup Official FIFA Womens World Cup Match schedule
For FIFA Women’s Official Ticket Agent for the FIFA Womens World Cup – TicketMaster
* women’s soccer photos courtesy of FIFA Women’s World Cup / Getty Images