OutGames: Princess Mary Invited

Australia's very own homegrown Princess Mary from Tasmania has just been invited by an Australian gay sports group to attend next month's OutGames, in honor of diversity. Learn how a gay and lesbian sports team from Sydney would value the support of a Princess in Copenhagen.


Ian Johnson, Out Now
June 9, 2009

TOPICS: Princess Mary. Copenhagen. OutGames. Lesbian and gay sports. Mark Burrows. Wett Ones. Gay and lesbian surf lifesavers. Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. Diversity and equality. Denmark. Sydney's Wett Ones gay and lesbian swimming sports team have invited Princess Mary of Copenhagen to next month's OutGames sports festival.

Crown Princess Mary, of Denmark is a woman that Australians have taken to their hearts.

After meeting the dashing Crown Prince Frederik, in Sydney during the 2000 Olympic Games, then falling in love and becoming Crown Princess - Mary, nee Mary Donaldson of Hobart, has become something of a living fairy tale.

Now, Princess Mary gets the chance to show her support for her home country during the forthcoming invasion of Denmark in next month's World OutGames.

Dear Mary...

One of hundreds of teams from around the world in all kinds of sports competing in next month's OutGames is Sydney's impressive Wett Ones swimming squad.

The Wett Ones are a great outfit - they are a gay and lesbian swimming group, fromed back in 1991, who invite anyone to join them - gay or straight - to foster the goals of community understanding, mutual support and fitness.

This group is sending almost one in every four of their 82 members all the way from Sydney to Copenhagen to compete in the Copenhagen World OutGames.

One of the team, Mark Burrows - who also organized the now iconic gay and lesbian Surf Lifesavers in Sydney's annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras - has just sent the Crown Princess Mary a letter inviting her to cheer the team on during the OutGames in Copenhagen.

The Mary Foundation

Her Royal Highness is Patron of The Mary Foundation - an organization that has as its stated objective the fact that 'Everyone has the right to belong'.

"I strongly believe that every individual has the right to belong to a community and to know that there are people who understand them and are concerned for their wellbeing. And this belief is the basis for The Mary Foundation," says Crown Princess Mary.

I will be there next month in Copenhagen to give a presentation on gay marketing at the invitation of the International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

You never know - if the Wett Ones swimmers get lucky, maybe I get to meet Crown Princess Mary.

Let's hope Her Royal Highness might be inclined to stop by. It would mean a great deal as a message of support to many, many lesbians and gay men - from all around the world.

Letter to Crown Princess Mary of Denmark

Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Denmark
The Mary Foundation
Amaliegade 8 B
DK-1256 Copenhagen K

Tuesday 9th June 2009

Dear Your Royal Highness,

I write to you on behalf of Wett Ones Swimming Club in Sydney, Australia. We are a gay and lesbian swimming club; welcoming anyone, gay or straight to join us. We will be visiting your home city of Copenhagen to compete in the 2nd World OutGames from the 24th of July until the 1st of August 2009.

Wett Ones was founded in 1991 and currently has 82 active members, 18 of which will compete in Copenhagen. We have been training hard over the last nine months and all hope to break personal records and hopefully take home a couple of medals.

The OutGames will be a melting pot of people from the world over, coming together in the name of sport. As you would no doubt be aware, events such as this are not just about the sport – people meet life partners and lives change in ways previously un-imaginable. How could anyone forget Sydney 2000 and Princess Mary?

I am writing to you via your ‘Mary Foundation’ which I understand supports issues such as diversity and assisting people with belonging to their community. This is something people in the gay and lesbian community are acutely aware of and we applaud you for recognising such an important issue. It is only when we feel like we have this sense of belonging that we can contribute back to our community.

Although this is short notice and an even shorter long shot; if you are in Copenhagen during our stay we would appreciate any support or involvement you would be able to give. For instance, to see you at the brand new Bellahøj Swimming Arena would be great.

We realise you are a very busy Princess with many obligations and many people to see but if you are feeling a tiny bit homesick then why not come and meet some fellow Australians. Support 'the old country' and reminisce about how your life changed in such unimaginable ways back in 2000.

Sincerely,

Mark Burrows
Wett Ones Swimming Club

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