As professional sportspeople around the world tentatively begin to be open about their sexuality, there has been a lot of discussion in the media about how to create a safe environment for LGBT people in sport.

It seems that Australia may be leading the way. We spoke with Ian Wilby, president of LGBT sports organization Team Sydney, to find out more about their work and why they’re not focusing on homophobia in sport.

When was Team Sydney established?

I’m a big fan of cheerleading. I think I’ve seen all of the Bring It On movies (all five of them) and on a recent trip to New York City I gave a standing ovation to Bring It On – The Musical, totally loved it.

So I was excited to speak with Nguyen Pham and Ryan Allen from CHEER San Francisco, the city’s LGBT cheer squad.

When was CHEER San Francisco established?

We were founded in 1980 as the world's first LGBT-identified cheerleading team in history.

Australia is a nation that loves its sport and its sporting heroes.

We spoke with Dane McManus from Team Melbourne who are working hard to ensure that LGBT sportspeople can continue to play an active role in the sporting life of Australia.

When was Team Melbourne established?

The Federation of Gay Games (FGG) have decided to allow the public to probe the bidding cities who wish to host the event.

Amsterdam, Limerick, London, Orlando and Paris are all hoping to host the 2018 Gay Games, which will be the tenth four-yearly event.

Out of the 300 questions asked, they range from the sports that will take place to the inclusion of all orientations and backgrounds of participants.

We meet Klaus Heusslein – co-president of the European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) and find out that the EGLSF are doing a lot more than just deliving the LGBT EuroGames.

When was the EGLSF established?

As part of our continuing series profiling the world’s LGBT sports clubs and organizations, in this issue we catch up with Richard Cavaler, co-chair of the Body Building Guild.

When was the BBG established?

Prior to Gay Games Three in 1990, the bodybuilding judges for the Gay Games were a group that knew one another from the mainstream competitions. Then this became more formalized by my predecessor as the bodybuilding and physique sports co-ordinator at the Gay Games.  

With the announcement by the International Olympic Committee that the iconic sport of wrestling would no longer be included within their core list of sports, we spoke with Gene Dermody – founder of  Wrestlers WithOut Borders (WWB).

We tracked down Dermody in Sydney where local team Harbour City Wrestling Club were holding its first tournament.

When was WWB established?

A gay powerlifter has delivered his lifetime-best performance to clinch his eighth British Championship title.

Chris Morgan made a winning lift of 272.5 kilos (600 pounds) to take the title in the 82.5kg class. His final lift also secured the overall Best Male Deadlift trophy at the championships in Stafford.

After the competition, Morgan said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted to have won my eighth British Championship, along with the Best Lifter award.’

You might not have heard of Rehoboth Beach. It’s a small coastal community that’s part of the rapidly growing Delaware Beaches area – easily reached from Washington DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia – making it a popular resort town during the summer.

It’s also home to Team Rehoboth Beach, the LGBT multi-sports organization.

As part of our continuing series to document the LGBT sports clubs around the world, we spoke with Bill McManus from Team Rehoboth Beach to find out more.

Continuing our series of profiling the LGBT sports clubs around the world, in this issue we catch up with Donald Vaughan and Trevor Burchick MBE of Manchester’s aquatics club Northern Wave in north west England.

When was the Northern Wave club established?

Northern Wave was established in 1998. It started as an NHS [National Health Service] project to begin to tackle heart disease in Greater Manchester, the project was called Team Manchester.

President Barack Obama has endorsed Orlando's bid to host the 2018 Gay Games.

The US president sent a letter last week endorsing the Florida city as host for the world's largest LGBT sporting and cultural event.

'I am pleased to voice my support for the City of Orlando's bid to host the Gay Games 2018,' he said.

'As President of the United States, I am committed to advancing equality for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, both in America and around the world.'

A Russian coach is blaming a ‘gay conspiracy’ on plans to cut wrestling from the Olympic program.

On Tuesday (12 February), the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board voted to cut wrestling from the list of 25 confirmed sports for the 2020 Games.

It will now need to reapply as part of a group of eight sports, which includes karate and roller-skating.

Speaking to R-Sport, coach Vladimir Urimagov called the decision a ‘blow to masculine origins’.