MONTRÉAL, Aug. 1, 2006  –  Acclaimed lesbian author, Patricia Nell Warren, will be at the 1st World Outgames today and Thursday, August 2 and 3.  Ms. Warren broke literary ground when The Front Runner, the first novel about gays and sports was published in 1974.

Primarily the story of love that develops between a closeted ex-Marine track coach and an “out” gay college distance runner who has set his sights on participation in the Olympic Games, The Front Runner documents the characters’ struggles and victories in the parallel challenges encountered while training for and participating in Olympic competition and building and maintaining a gay partnership.

Ms. Warren will join the last lap of the men’s 5,000 meter race today, at approximately 9:40 a.m., at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex.  She will then present the race winners with their medals.

At 4 p.m., Warren will do an on-stage interview at Square Viger with Cyd Zeigler, editor and publisher of Outsports.com, the leading LGBT sports site.  Then, on Thursday, she will do a book signing at premiere Outgames boutique at the corner of St. Catherine Street and Wolfe.

Tewksbury to Face Former Rival

Three-time Olympic medal winning swimmer, Mark Tewksbury, who also serves as Co-President of the Outgames, will face Daniel Veatch (USA) tomorrow, a former rival from the 1988 Seoul Olympics between 10:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. in the men’s 100 meter backstroke.  They will be swimming at the Olympic Pool at the Olympic Stadium.

Politicians Play a Round of Golf

Yesterday, Club de Golf Métropolitain opened its fairways and greens for the Outgames golf competitions. Today, the Club will welcome numerous political figures such as Gilles Duceppe, leader of the Bloc Quebecois, Agnès Maltais, Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for the riding of Taschereau (Parti Quebecois) and Martin Lemay, MNA for Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques, who will compete in a friendly round of golf as part of the Outgames.