HIV/AIDS advocate and Gay Games medalist Jack Mackenroth

The following is adapted from the Charter on HIV/AIDS of the Fédération sportive gaie et lesbienne, and represents the official Charter on HIV/AIDS of the international Federation of Gay Games (FGG). It is included as part of the present Health and well-being policy guidelines.

Background

The Gay Games were founded by a person with AIDS, at a time when the epidemic of AIDS was beginning to take its deadly toll on the LGBT community. Throughout its history, the FGG has endeavored to meet the needs of HIV-positive persons and people with AIDS.

The FGG believes that sport and physical activity, as well as participation in cultural activities and involvement in ones community, are important components for the health, well-being, and dignity of persons with HIV/AIDS.

The FGG also recognizes that it has a role to play in the never-ending fight against the spread of HIV.

Thus the FGG commits itself to:

1 Information and Prevention

• Publish in all documents it produces practical and factual information on HIV and relevant treatments, the benefits of cultural and athletic activities for the lives of HIV-positive people, the experiences of HIV-positive athletes and artists, and other relevant news.
• Propose at all public events (competitions, artistic performances, ceremonies and celebrations) and in particular at its Annual General Assembly and the quadrennial Gay Games literature and information on prevention of AIDS.
• Make a statement of at least one minute on the theme of HIV/AIDS at each Gay Games or other major events organized by the Federation of Gay Games or its Host.
• Ensure that venues and events associated with the Gay Games and other Federation events provide appropriate information on HIV/AIDS and means of protecting participants, in particular by making condoms readily available.
• Give particular attention in its communication to the means of transmission of HIV, recognizing that sport is as a rule a very low-risk activity.
• Remind everyone that they should be aware of their HIV status, and provide information on testing options.

2 Welcome and Solidarity

• Seek out appropriate information and using this to raise awareness of its members to welcoming HIV-positive people in its member organizations and events. Actively reach out to people with HIV/AIDS, whether with an athletic background or not, to encourage them to participate in sport.
• Welcome all and encouraging its members and Gay Games Hosts to welcome all persons, whatever their health status, at all events organized.
• Ensure that its members and Host organizations are able to react swiftly, effectively and appropriately in the case of incidents that create a risk for transmission, in particular any exposure to blood.
• Take HIV/AIDS into account in the development and implementation of its participant policies.
• Combat discrimination on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
• Encourage openness with respect to ones HIV status: the best weapon against the stigma associated with HIV is visibility of people with HIV/AIDS.

3 Communication and Responsibility

• Communicate whenever possible on its commitment to fight the spread of HIV.
• Raise the awareness of all involved in its activities of their personal responsibility in terms of protecting themselves and others from the spread of HIV.
• Never forget the members of our community lost to AIDS, and always include them in memorial activities.

The FGG encourages its members to adopt relevant policies that respect and enrich this Charter.

For Gay Games Host organizations, the above requirements must be included in the relevant health and prevention policies, sports organization, and communications and marketing plans.

Hosts are encouraged to offer events (cultural, social…) directed particularly at people with HIV/AIDS, but open to all.