The Gay Games are an international sporting and cultural event founded by former Olympian Tom Waddel. It originated in 1982 in San Francisco as a multi-sport and cultural event, aiming to promote inclusivity and participation regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or age.
Overseeing this event is The Federation of Gay Games, or the “FGG.” The FGG has announced a major milestone in the quest to determine the host city for Gay Games XIII in 2030. From a pool of 25 initial contenders spanning five continents, ten cities have surged ahead to the next phase of the selection process.
The Ten Cities
The contenders making the cut include Adelaide, Melbourne, and Perth in Australia, Auckland in New Zealand, Cape Town in South Africa, Denver in the USA, Edmonton and Vancouver in Canada, Frankfurt in Germany, and Taipei in Taiwan. Of these cities, only Vancouver has previously played host to the games.
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These cities have demonstrated their commitment by submitting official letters of intent and the first bid fee, following months of preparatory meetings including informational sessions and Q&A sessions. Now, they’re gearing up to present their comprehensive “bid books” by August 2024, detailing their vision for hosting the event.
The competition will intensify further as the ten cities showcase their bids at the FGG Annual General Assembly in Washington DC in October 2024. From there, three finalists will emerge by December 2024.
The Past and Future Gay Games
The last Gay Games took place in both Hong Kong and Guadalajara in 2023. Originally slated for 2022, Due to issues relating to the global coronavirus pandemic, the date of the Games was pushed back from 2022 to 2023. On 14 February 2022, the organizers added Guadalajara as the co-host of this games in response to both the pandemic and amid anti-LGBTQ+ political tensions in Hong Kong. Despite facing opposition from anti-LGBTQ lawmakers and human rights activists, the Gay Games Hong Kong (GGHK) boldly commenced its first ever event in Asia without issue.
Valencia, Spain will host the next Gay Games in 2026.
Source: Gaygames.org
