COMEDIAN MARGARET CHO CONFIRMED FOR CHICAGO GAY GAMES OPENING CEREMONY

SPECTACULAR SOLDIER FIELD EVENT ON 15 JULY 2006 OPENS INTERNATIONAL 8-DAY SPORTS & CULTURAL FESTIVAL

CHICAGO – Comedian Margaret Cho has been confirmed to join the slate of internationally known celebrities set to participate in the 15 July Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Chicago Gay Games. The ceremony will take place in the 60,000-seat Soldier Field, the historic home of U.S. professional football's Chicago Bears. Tickets are now on sale at Tickets.GayGamesChicago.org.

Gay Games VII is expected to host 12,000 participants from some 70 countries in Chicago 15-22 July 2006.

"How could I not participate in an event where 60,000 gay and lesbian-friendly people will fill an entire American football stadium? The irony alone is fantastic," said Cho. "Seriously, the Gay Games have become the pinnacle of athletic competition and international fellowship in the world's LGBT community, and I wouldn't miss being a part of the Opening Ceremony."

Cho joins a slate of more than 60 music, television, arts, culture and sports legends from around the world performing in the 2006 Gay Games Opening & Closing Ceremonies.

"More than any one element of the event, the opening ceremony carries the power and personal transformation that embodies the Gay Games as a life-changing experience," said Kile Ozier, ceremonies director. "Margaret Cho is an icon for so many people, and especially for the gay and lesbian community with whom she seems to have such a direct connection."

Gay Games VII takes place from 15-22 July 2006 with events throughout Chicago and its surrounding metro area including Oak Park, Evanston and Crystal Lake. The closing ceremony is Saturday, 22 July 2006, at Wrigley Field, home to baseball's legendary Chicago Cubs. Tickets to both ceremonies as well as the ticketed sports and cultural events are on sale now at tickets.gaygameschicago.org.

About Margaret Cho
"Bam Bam & Celeste," a movie written by and starring Margaret and Bruce Daniels, is currently screening at various film festivals around the globe. In 1999, Margaret's groundbreaking smash-hit one-woman show "I'm The One That I Want" played Off Broadway, toured the U.S., and became a best selling book and a feature film. Cho's second show, "Notorious C.H.O.," culminated with a concert at Carnegie Hall which was taped for a double-sided CD release in 2002 and a second feature film. In 2003, Margaret's "Revolution" tour grossed over 4 million in ticket sales, playing in over 60 cities. The CD version was nominated for a Grammy and the DVD sold 100,000 units within 2 months of release. In 2005, Margaret again toured the U.S. as well as to sold-out crowds in Australia & London with her "Assassin" tour. "Assassin" was then released in theatres and on DVD. She also released her second book, "I Have Chosen To Stay and Fight," published by Riverhead Books.

Great protectors of the First Amendment like Lenny Bruce and George Carlin have paved her way, but Margaret has a distinctive, individualistic, and ultimately empowering personal voice. She has remained a one-of-a-kind artist because she has always insisted on being herself and has resisted being made over by the mainstream media. Her audience is huge and underserved – gays and lesbians, Asians, women, people of color, college students, comedy fans, and basically anyone who has ever felt invisible.

Margaret was recently honored by the ACLU of Southern California with their First Amendment Award and received the National Organization for Women (NOW)'s 2003 Intrepid Award. She also has been recognized by GLAAD, Lambda Legal, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) for making a significant difference in promoting equal rights for all, regardless of race, sexual orientation or gender identity. For further information on Margaret Cho, visit www.margaretcho.com.

Following her opening ceremony appearance, Margaret Cho will appear in concert on Sunday, 16 July, at the Chicago Theatre. Ticket information is available at www.GayGamesChicago.org

About Gay Games VII
Gay Games VII Sports and Cultural Festival will take place 15-22 July 2006. Over 12,000 athletes from more than 70 countries will compete in 30 sports ranging from softball to dancesport, swimming to tennis. The weeklong event will include band, cheerleading and color guard performances, chorus, an ancillary arts festival, and a series of community-organized social events and parties. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 15 July at Soldier Field, the lakefront home stadium of American-style football's Chicago Bears. Closing ceremony will be 22 July at Wrigley Field, the home of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, located in the heart of Chicago's largest LGBT neighborhood.

Global sponsors of Gay Games VII include Lexiva; Logo; PlanetOut/Gay.com; Walgreen's; Q Television Network; Centaur Entertainment; Fleishman Hillard International Communications; Orbitz; McKnight Kurland Baccelli; The New York Times; Olivia Cruises & Resorts; Windy City Media Group; Absolut Vodka; American Airlines; Athletico; Chicago Free Press; Chicago Sun-Times; Genre; Girlfriends; Human Rights Campaign; Lambda Legal Defense; Sydney New Mardi Gras; Mate Magazine; Pink Magazine; and more than 210 business sponsors.

Registration for Gay Games VII is still open at www.GayGamesChicago.org (English), www.GayGamesChicago.org/es/ (Spanish), www.GayGamesChicago.org/fr/ (French), and www.GayGamesChicago.org/de/ (German).

About The Gay Games
The Gay Games was conceived by Dr. Tom Waddell, an Olympic decathlete, and was first held in San Francisco in 1982 with 1,350 participants. Subsequent Gay Games have been held in San Francisco (1986; 3,500 participants), Vancouver (1990; 7,300 participants), New York (1994; 12,500 participants), Amsterdam (1998; 13,000 participants), and Sydney (2002; 11,000 participants).

The Federation of Gay Games is the international governing body that perpetuates the quadrennial Gay Games and promotes the event's founding principles of Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best™. For more information, visit www.GayGames.org.

Chicago Games, Inc. is the host of Gay Games VII and is led by experienced civic leaders from Chicago's business, sports and non-profit sectors. For information about how to sponsor or participate in Gay Games VII in Chicago, visit www.GayGamesChicago.org, e-mail info@GayGamesChicago.org, or phone (773) 907-2006.
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