LGBTQ athletes from all over the world, including Canada, have been left shocked, and in some cases, stranded, by the announcement that almost all of the 450 events in the World OutGames in Miami have been cancelled. The announcement came through the event’s Facebook page at noon Friday, only a day before opening ceremonies.The World OutGames is a 10-day event played every four years where LGBTQ athletes from all over the world compete in various sports. It was scheduled to take place in Miami starting Friday through June 4.The announcement read: “It is with deep regret that due to financial burdens, World OutGames must cancel opening and closing ceremonies and sports programming with the exception of aquatics, country western dance and soccer.”Others events such as the Human Rights Conference and cultural programs will continue as scheduled, according to the statement.The Miami Beach Police Department and the State Attorney’s Office have jointly opened a fraud investigation into the event due to alleged misappropriation of funds, according to a statement from the board of directors for the World OutGames.Toronto badminton player Jam McDonald was devastated after hearing the announcement that the games were cancelled. He was scheduled to fly to Miami Saturday.“At first, I thought it was just a prank, because how can an entire massive sporting event be cancelled,” McDonald said who found out about the news via text from his friend.“I’d been practicing three times a week for months with the same partner to prepare for this, and I’d been talking about competing in the OutGames for a year.”He said sporting events showcasing LGBTQ athletes are important as many sports still show evidence of intrinsic homophobia. It is a blow to the LGBTQ community worldwide for an event to be cancelled so suddenly.“It would have been a landmark for me to play in my first international tournament in a sport I ...
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