InterPride Announces Historical Participation in PRIDE House at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

GayWhistler Welcomes the InterPride Organization as its latest sponsor of the historical PRIDE Pavilion that spans the Olympics, WinterPRIDE and the Paralympic Winter Games

Whistler, BC – GayWhistler, the producers of the annual WinterPRIDE festival and of PRIDE House, are excited to announce InterPride, Inc (The International Association of Pride Organizers) as one of their latest sponsors of the LGBT Pride Pavilion due to open February 8th, 2010. The goal of Pride House is to help commemorate and enhance the Olympic experience by including all people and celebrating diversity while creating a dialogue on homophobia and transphobia within sports. Pride House will represent the global LBGT* community while InterPride will represent Pride organizations worldwide. It will offer athletes and visitors attending the Olympics and Paralympics a new perspective on the Games.

Mark F. Chapman, Co-President of InterPride said “this is a ground-breaking initiative and will enlighten the world with the human right inequalities existing for millions of LGBT* people around the world”.

“Having InterPride’s official support of Pride House is quite significant for us as it gives us the political voice and complements other partnerships such as the Gay Lesbian International Sports Association (GLISA), the Canadian Association for Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) and Q community – which will help ensure that both the Whistler and Vancouver Pride House reflect the voices of the international, national and local communities,” explains Dean Nelson, Executive Producer of the Vancouver/Whistler Pride House 2010. “Having this international organization associated with PRIDE House only enhances the overall experience by ensuring we have information on all the various pride events around the world and also help liaise with the future Pride Pavilion at London 2012 where World Pride will happen in conjunction with the summer Olympics,” continued Nelson. “It is our hope that the London Organizing Committee along with the IOC will continue to recognize the need for a welcoming space for LGBT athletes, participants and opportunities for Pride House to be a legacy we pass onto future Olympics.”

PRIDE House will be open from February 8th through to March 21st and will take in three incredible events: The Olympics (Feb. 12-28), WinterPRIDE in Whistler (Mar. 1-8), and the Paralympics (Mar. 12-21). http://www.pridehouse.ca

* LGBT refers to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Two Spirited (gay First Nations people), Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and their friends, family and allies.

Travel + Leisure Blogs Gay Ski Weeks 2010

Travel + Leisure Blog "Carry On" reports on three ski weeks to consider this coming season including GayWhistler's WinterPRIDE, March 1-8, 2010. To read more about what T+L editors had to say... Click here.

Gay Whistler's WinterPRIDE packages and Event Tickets now on sale. For packages call 1.866.787.1966 or click to book online at GayWhistler.com

For GayWhistler's Event Tickets click here. Book by Nov. 15th to Save Big!

Search for LGBT Athletes for 2010 Olympic Fearless Project

Dear LGBT’er or ally,

We wanted to let you know about an exciting artistic project involving LGBT athletes now coming to Canada as part of the 2010 Pride House as we are hoping you (or someone you know) will want to participate.

For the last 5 years, Jeff Sheng has been photographing athletes on high school, college and university varsity sports teams who also openly identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans. The project is called "Fearless" and so far it has been mostly based in the United States, where Jeff has photographed almost 90 athletes, and has been exhibited at over 40 venues, including ESPN headquarters in the US and the LGBT International Human Rights conference in Copenhagen in 2009. You can see the project at www.FearlessCampusTour.org

Thanks to a grant by the St. Paul's Hospital Foundation in Vancouver and efforts by the GayWhistler’s PRIDE House in partnership with Qmunity in Vancouver, we are very excited to be expanding "Fearless" into Canada. Jeff Sheng will be in Vancouver and Whistler photographing for the project in a few weeks (November 19-22). We are currently looking for any volunteers who would like to participate, specifically out LGBT athletes who play sports on their high school, college or university varsity team, or those who may be training full-time as high performance athletes. We are hoping to have a range of LBGT athletes from different winter and summer sports, both able-bodied athletes and athletes with a disability.

If you are (or know of) an LGBT athlete who is not out, an aspect of the project that we are introducing for the Canadian project is also collecting anonymous stories/testimonials as to why athletes are not able to be out in their sport.

The Canadian version of Fearless will be exhibited at the first ever Pride House during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Whistler and Vancouver.

So, if you would like to participate, please let us know. Or, if you know of someone who might like to participate, please do pass this email on.

If you have any questions about the project, you can contact Jeff Sheng, the artist directly at jeffsheng@jeffsheng.com. If you would like to get in touch about participating in the project, please send an e-mail to Jennifer at jb-j@caaws.ca who will be working with Jeff to co-ordinate the schedule for the week of filming up in Vancouver and Whistler. All responses will be treated in confidence.

Thanks very much. We hope to hear from you.

Dean Nelson
Co-Lead, Canadian Fearless Project
Executive Producer, PRIDE House 2010
dean@gaywhistler.com

Jennifer Birch-Jones
Co-Lead, Canadian Fearless Project
CAAWS Program Lead, Addressing Homophobia in Sport Initiative
jb-j@caaws.ca

GLISA inks deal to welcome the Rainbow during the Olympic Winter Games

GayWhistler announces newest corporate sponsor of the first ever PRIDE House during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Whistler, BC - October 19, 2009 - GayWhistler, the producers of the annual WinterPRIDE festival, has just secured GLISA, Gay Lesbian International Sports Association, as their newest sponsor in hosting the first ever PRIDE House during the months of February and March which span the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, WinterPRIDE in Whistler and the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. "We are incredibly honored to be able to work with GLISA, the international governing body that produces the 'World Out Games' every four years. Together we will be the catalysis of change within the sporting world with hopes that in the not too distant future being an out gay or lesbian in one's sport is no longer an issue," says Dean Nelson, CEO & Executive Producer of GayWhistler & PRIDE House.

PRIDE House will be a celebratory pavilion where Olympic and Paralympic athletes, coaches, family, fans and allies to come out and be their authentic selves regardless of sexual identity or preference. PRIDE House will be a hip lounge where guests can chill and watch the games, trade pins or just hang out and meet other "kewl" open minded individuals. Greg Larocque, President of GLISA North America said, "We are proud to have an active role in creating this historical PRIDE House in Whistler over three huge international events. It gives GLISA an opportunity to share with the world what we are doing on a global stage and the difference we are making in sports, culture and human rights."

PRIDE House is located in the centre of Whistler Village at the award winning boutique hotel of Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre. PRIDE House will be a hip lounge with a cocktail bar with TV monitors to watch the Olympics, hang out, trade pins, a media area to do interviews, and a venue to just have fun. PRIDE House will be open from February 8th through to March 21st. The hours of operation are scheduled from 10AM to 10PM daily. (Subject to Change) For more information please refer to www.pridehouse.ca

WinterPRIDE 2010 runs from March 1-8, 2010, and continues to revolutionize the traditional gay ski week format with its unique blend of four winter festival elements: Sports, Culinary, Health and Wellness, and Entertainment.

In addition to the world-class skiing and snowboarding being offered in Whistler, many of WinterPRIDE's 2009 highlights will return for 2010, such as an array of dance parties, culinary events, zip trekking and dog sledding. WinterPRIDE 2010 also offers an expanded program of on-and-off mountain events, including special events for lesbians and bears.

About Alpenglow Productions/GayWhistler
GayWhistler (www.gaywhistler.com) is a year-round promoter of Whistler to the gay and lesbian community, and promotes and produces the annual Gay Ski Week. GayWhistler is a subsidiary of Alpenglow Production Corporation.

About GLISA
GLISA - Gay Lesbian International Sports Association (www.glisa.org) is a democratically governed, international association of LGBT sport organizations from around the world. Modeled after existing multi-sport organizations, GLISA's members are international sporting federations, continental associations representing sport teams and clubs from the major regions of the world, host cities of GLISA's World OutGames, and other organizations that support the mandate of GLISA. GLISA presently has 75 member organizations from five continents.

WinterPRIDE 2010 Event Tickets Now on Sale

WinterPRIDE 2010 Newsletter, Issue 103
Greetings from Whistler!

Whistler/Blackcomb have done it again, B.C.'s Olympic co-host venue has been rated No. 1 by Skiing Magazine for the 13th year in a row and with the snow starting to fall in Whistler, it has never been a better time to visit us! We are very excited to announce that the 2010 WinterPRIDE Event Tickets are now on sale! Book early and save!

WinterPRIDE 2010 is poised to make Olympic history as the first festival to happen immediately proceeding the games - can you image seeing rainbow flags replacing the Olympic flags?! It is going to be unreal!

Remember to call 1.866.787.1966 our official central reservations to book early and save. Our official host hotel: The Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa has some incredible savings if you book early.

Upcoming Events:
Oct. 9-12: WhistlerBlackcomb's annual Turkey Sale - get all your gear for the season at ridiculous savings!
Oct. 24: VPS Annual AGM
Nov. 12-15: Whistler Cornucopia
Nov. 26: Official Opening Day of Whistler Mountain!!
Dec. 3-6: Whistler Film Festival
Dec. 5: skiOUT! & WHOOSSH Party

WinterPRIDE 2010 Entertainment:
Grammy Award Winning DJ Hex Hector
WinterPRIDE is working hard to bring in some of the best DJ's possible for this year's parties. A couple of the headliners we are proud to announce are DJ/Producer Paul Goodyear and Grammy Award Winning DJ Hex Hector.

DJ Paul Goodyear will be spinning at our signature Friday night party Furrocious! Paul has a resume that reads like the who's who of parties. Playing at Folsom Street Fair's Magnitude, Sydney Australia's Sleaze Ball and a list that includes London, Amsterdam, Rio, New York, San Francisco, Barcelona, Singapore, Bali, Mexico, Miami, Auckland, Fire Island, Los Angeles, Madrid....and that's just recently.

No one trick pony, it would seem ridiculous to put Paul Goodyear into a box. Hearing him while on the dance floor you will hear a mix of hypnotic tribal, dynamic disco, electro with a funky vibe and loads of top-notch house. He credits his lasting success as a DJ producer and remixer to his ability to constantly evolve and move with the times.

DJ Hex Hector will be rocking the top of Whistler Mountain as we move the Saturday night Snowball to the MountainTOP this year! The Grammy-winning New Yorker honed his skills in places like Miami as the dance music industry radically changed and quality production/remix opportunities in shorter supply than ever, Hex spent much of his career fine tuning what built his name in the first place: DJing. Traveling the world and freshening up its dance floors, Hex has been putting on a house music clinic, playing the hottest new jams and a monumental classic or two at just the right moment to thousands of insatiable club-goers.

Scan Hex's discography, and the credits are staggering: Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Donna Summer, Mary J. Blige, Britney Spears, *NSYNC, Anastacia, Enrique Iglesias, Jessica Simpson, and Aretha Franklin are just a fraction of the artists who have received Hex's golden touch.

Watch this space over the coming months as we continue to unveil some of our talent and line up for a festival of Olympic proportions!

Remember to order your event passes early and save!
Men's Full Week Pass is just $260 and Women's Full Week is $160

For a complete listing of Event Tickets visit GayWhistler.com

Book On Line Now

Book Early and Save all Season Long
Lowest Rates Of The Season. Guaranteed
As the Official Alpine Skiing Venue for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Whistler Blackcomb is set to host the world. And for a limited time, you can be part of it all with our best early booking offer ever.

Lowest Rates Of The Season. Guaranteed.
We want you to feel confident that you're getting the best deal of the ski season. So we've decided to guarantee when you purchase your Book Early & Save Package before November 15, you'll receive the best deal of the season. Lock in at these low rates and if the price drops for the equivalent package during the winter season, we'll match it. Guaranteed. Terms and Conditions

Book Early & Save
The sooner you plan your Whistler Blackcomb vacation, the better deal you'll get. It's simple- book before November 15, 2009 and SAVE UP TO 39% on dates throughout the season. Click here to read more!

- Booking early also means you can pick the dates and room type you want.
- Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with our "Book Early & Save Price Guarantee."
- We're setting the record straight when it comes to THE TRUTH ABOUT 2010. The truth is, there will never be a better time to visit Whistler Blackcomb than in 2009.10. Find out why

OFFICIAL CENTRAL RESERVATIONS CALL TOLL FREE 1.866.787.1966

Host Hotel: Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa

Preferred Hotels:
Residence Inn by Marriott (Dec. 1 Coast Blackcomb Suites)
Delta Whistler Village Suites
Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre

Associate Hotels:
Holiday Inn Sunspree
Whistler Select Luxury Homes

Reminder to mark your calenders for March 1-8, 2010 right after the Olympics is the new time slot for WinterPRIDE! Remember to book early and save and with Price Guarantee you can reserve what you want, when you want with the comfort of knowing you will always have the best price! Call 1866.787.1966 or book on line today. Make sure you remind the reservation agent you are with WinterPRIDE all season long! Visit often as this is going to be one incredible season. ** Great Fall Specials in Whistler stay 2 nights and get the 3rd night free! ** mark in comments that you are with "WinterPRIDE" throughout the season!

Cheers,

Dean + Ken
Alpenglow Productions/GayWhistler