Why Gay Games?
What are the Gay Games values?
What is the Federation of Gay Games' (FGG) role?
The Gay Games history
Why do people participate in the Gay Games?
Who participates in the Gay Games? Where do these sports people come from?
Why Gay Games?
The aim of the Gay Games is to strengthen the self-confidence of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities around the world. At the same time the Gay Games, as the international sporting and cultural event, aim to increase respect for and understanding of gays and lesbians among straight people.
As the Gay Games' "golden rule" no one can be excluded from the Games because of his/her
- sexual orientation
- age
- gender
- race
- religion
- nationality or ethnicity
- political beliefs
- physical ability and athletic/artistic skills
- HIV/ health status
What are the Gay Games values?
"... Based on the principles of Inclusion, Participation and Personal Best, the Games welcome everybody, regardless of their sexual orientation, age, gender, race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, physical challenge, political beliefs, physical ability, athletic/artistic skills or HIV/health status. There are no minimum athletic standards to qualify for the Games. The only requirement is the desire to support the ideals of the Games. People with specific needs or disabilities are integrated as full-fledged participants, volunteers, officials or spectators. By accepting the Games' challenge to reach for their personal best in sports, artistic and cultural activities, all Games participants automatically become winners...".
top | FAQ-overview
What is the Federation of Gay Games' (FGG) role?
"The Federation of Gay Games (FGG) ensures that the Gay Games offers participants the opportunity to express themselves openly and to experience camaraderie and validation through sport and culture."
top | FAQ-overview
The Gay Games history
The Gay Games movement was founded in 1981 by Dr Thomas Waddell, who had successfully taken part in the 1968 Olympics. With the help of Mark Brown and Paul Mart, Waddell's dream came finally true: the organisation of a sporting event for EVERYONE, where gay and lesbian sports people can openly participate without being discriminated against.
With regard to the "sport" element of the event, the Gay Games can be compared to the Olympic Games. Every sport is practiced along the rules of its international association, which assures that all records and annual best performances are officially recognised.
The first Gay Games took place in San Francisco in 1982 and 1986. In 1982, 1,350 sportsmen and sportswomen from 12 countries competed in 14 different fields; only 4 years later the number of Gay Games participants had already tripled.
In 1989, the San Francisco Arts and Athletics (SFAA) founded the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) as the world's gay and lesbian sports association.
Here an overview of all former Gay Games:
1982 San Francisco
claim: Challenge
1,350 registered participants from 12 countries competed in 14 different sports
1986 San Francisco
claim: Triumph
3,482 registered participants from 17 countries competetd in 17 different sports
1990 Vancouver
claim: Celebration
7,500 registered participants from 39 countries competed in 23 different sports
1994 New York City
claim: Unity
10,864 registered participants from 40 countries competed in 30 different sports
1998 Amsterdam
claim: Friendship
14,715 registered participants from 68 countries competed in 30 different sports
2002 Sydney
claim: Under New Skies
12,100 registered participants from 70 countries competed in 31 different sports
2006 Chicago
claim: Where the world meets
12,000 participants from over 70 countries
top | FAQ-overview
Why do people participate in the Gay Games?
Apart from everyone's aim to do well, it is the possibility to get together with many other gay and lesbian sports people in one of the world's largest sporting event that makes an increasing number gays and lesbians from all 5 continents take part in the Gay Games.
According to the Federation of Gay Games, "By accepting the Games' challenge to reach for their personal best in sports, artistic and cultural activities, all participants are winners ...".
Last but not least, the Gay Games is a very strong political statement across all borders.
top | FAQ-overview
Who participates in the Gay Games? Where do these sports people come from?
More than 12,000 people from over 70 countries participated in the last Gay Games in Chicago in 2006. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and heterosexual sports people enjoyed this great sport and cultural event together.
There is no minimum physical standard required to take part in the Games. All sporting competitions are divided into different age and "ability" groups and are held without prior qualifying rounds.
top | FAQ-overview
