World Outgames is an international event for the body, the mind, and the spirit. We celebrate the talents and contributions of homosexual, bi-sexual and transgender men and women from every corner of the globe.

World Outgames will be held from 25 July - 2 August 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

With over 12,000 participants, the 1st World Outgames, held in 2006, was the largest international event to be held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada since the 1976 Summer Olympiad.  At the time of writing, this years numbers show more than 25 % of those registered coming  from the USA and Canada , so American and Canadian athletes are therefore bound to be well represented in the medal tables. A total of 8000 people from around 100 countries are expected to take part in the 38 sports tournaments, countless cultural festivals and the international conference on LGBT Human Rights.

Gay rights in Denmark are generally extensive, and Danish society is very tolerant of homosexuality. Homosexuality was legalized in 1933 and since 1979, the age of consent is equal at 15, regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender. Homosexuals are not banned from military service. In addition, Danish law bans hate crimes, which includes crimes against people because of their sexuality.

Copenhagan has something for everyone! Charming cafés,  cutting edge designer shops and little esoteric second hand boutiques.


Museums boasting world-class collections compete for your attention with the many city parks – but weather permitting you might prefer a swim in the clear cool water of Havnebadet – a harbour pool just 2 minutes away from the city centre.


AT  NIGHT, Bars, clubs, concert venues and discos make the narrow alleys come alive and give you the opportunity to get really close to the Copenhageners and their way of life. The party continues well into the morning with temptations of every kind!

Always progressive, it was recently announced  that Rødovre, an independent municipality of Denmark, was looking for a new residential tower and MVRDV, with co-architect ADEPT, rose to the challenge.



Their "Sky Village" concept  won a design challenge to create the next Rødovre skyscraper.  The 116 meter (~381 foot) tower will feature apartments, retail, offices, an hotel, as well as a public park and plaza.  The architects' contemporary design is based on a flexible grid of boxes, or "pixels," which are ~646 square feet each and arranged around the building's central core.

Rødovre Skyscraper was designed with sustainable features in mind, such as a greywater circuit, use of 40% recycled concrete in the foundation, and energy producing devices in the facade.  It'll also follow Danish environmental standards and implement various green technologies to meet those standards.

 

 

 

The bottom of the tower is slim to make room for the plaza, retail, and restaurants.  As you move up the building, the residential units jut out to the north and create open spaces for sky gardens.  The top portion of the building is reserved for the hotel where guests enjoy views of the center of Copenhagen. 

Because the building is built in pixels, it can be modified to conform to market and economic realities (see model above).  Barring any of those type of changes, however, the initial plans call for 10,500 sf retail, 170,000 sf offices, 39,300 sf housing, 21,500 sf hotel, and a basement of 146,000 sf containing parking and storage.

 

July will be an amazing time in the city for the World Outgames! But if you can't attend then, view their online calendar of other gay events, when making your travel plans.

Not many regions can pride themselves on having a free tourist guide and map specifically for their gay visitors. But the Øresund region is one of them. Check the guide out onscreen or download it.