Can you hear that stirring Olympic theme song music in the background?  Have you been following all the accomplishments of athletes from around the globe - the first gold medal for Canada during games hosted within their borders, a stunningly winning evening for Team USA, amazing performances on the ice last night, and so many other records and firsts?  

On the theme of "firsts," two new ones to add - one on the global stage, another right here on campus:

the first ever Olympic Pride House at the Olympic games in Vancouver, a place for athletes and their families, friends, and fans to get together in the spirit of LGBT and allied diversity and inclusion, and

House of Roy, the first Ithaca College living/learning community open to all students who are interested in issues of gender identity and sexual orientation.  Learn more about House of Roy, and apply to be a part of this new living/learning community.  Complete an online application via HomerConnect,  application accepted through Monday, February 22!

Olympic Pride House will provide community, camaraderie, and educational and cultural events throughout the Games.  It will also help Olympic visitors seek asylum if they are seeking refuge from persecution in their home countries due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

To learn more about the Olympic Pride House:

• Watch the New York Times video highlighting Pride House's historic opening, and detailing issues of homophobia and sport on our continent and beyond,
• Check out these photos and information about its services and programming throughout the Games,
• Listen to an audio tour of the facility, including information about Jeff Sheng's exhibit Fearless (in which several IC athletes are featured!),
• See visits by Stephen Colbert and Queen Latifah,
• Learn more about the five out athletes at this year's games.

Curious about these two new "houses," and the pros and cons of space specifically designated as safe and welcoming?  Read Pat Griffin's blog post about this historic event, and about some of the issues of community versus integration that it can raise.

Ithaca College hosted its very own international conference on the theme of LGBT people, sexuality, and sport in March 2009.  Much of the information regarding the conference is still available, and video of the conference keynote by basketball's John Amaechi is available from Ithaca College iTunesU (log-in required).