Olympic Games ceremony then became the first Winter Games to hold competitions before the opening ceremony. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, various elements frame the Opening Ceremonies of a celebration of the Olympic Games. Most of these rituals were canonized at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. The artistic program is what creates the idiosyncratic element of each ceremony. Coubertin's initial vision of the Modern Olympics featured both athletic competitions and artistic achievements. As the modern Olympics have evolved into a celebration of sport, it is in the opening ceremonies that one can see the most of Coubertin's ideal. The opening
LGBT athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Games of the 2006 Gay Games, which were initially awarded to Montreal (the 2006 Gay Games would instead be held in Chicago). With over 8,000 participants, the inaugural World OutGames were the largest international sporting event to be held in Montreal since the 1976 Summer Olympics. The following is a list of LGBT sportspeople who have competed at the Olympics. This includes athletes who competed while not being publicly known as LGBT at that time. Medals won are in parentheses. LGBT athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Games Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) athletes have competed in the Olympic and