The organizers of the next two gay and lesbian world aquatics championships – taking place in Atlanta in 2005 and in Chicago in 2006 – have joined forces to support each other’s events.

The Atlanta Rainbow Trout, host of the 15th International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA) Championships, have announced Gay Games Chicago as the first Gold Sponsor of their event, scheduled for July 2005. IGLA 2005 will feature swimming, water polo, diving and synchronized swimming for athletes of all competitive levels, from first timers to Olympians, ages 18 to 80 and up.

With more than 1,000 participants expected from throughout the world, events will take place at the Georgia Tech Aquatics Complex, site of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic swimming and diving competitions, and the Washington Park Natatorium. Atlanta was also the site of the highly successful 11th IGLA Championships in 1999. Online registration for IGLA 2005 opened on March 31.

Chicago will host Gay Games VII Sports and Cultural Festival July 15-22, 2006. Every four years, IGLA suspends its regular championships in favor of the Gay Games aquatics program. Gay Games wins recorded by IGLA team members, including numerous world records set at past Gay Games, are recognized as IGLA records. As many as 1,500 people are expected to participate in aquatics at the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago.

“We are thrilled to be affiliated once again with the IGLA Championships and are excited to be working with the Atlanta team in advance of IGLA 2005,” said Suzi Arnold, Chicago’s board co-chair and co-chair of the sports committee. “IGLA and the Gay Games share a special bond that stretches back to the founding of IGLA after Gay Games II in San Francisco in 1986. IGLA last came to Chicago for its championships in 1993 and we are excited to welcome the world LGBT aquatics championships back in 2006.”

IGLA is the world’s foremost international organization solely devoted to developing and promoting aquatic sports among members and friends of the GLBT community. IGLA represents more than 10,000 athletes in 36 countries worldwide, and is a Gay Games VII partner.