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HISTORY OF THE Gay Games

Event Logo / Dates / City Summary  Participants 
Gay Games I
Challenge
 

28 August - 5 Sept. 1982
San Francisco, CA USA

The opening ceremony at Kezar Stadium proved to be one of the most uplifting events in LGBT history. That day marked the beginning of a week of participation in 17 sports by 1,350 athletes from 12 countries. Lives were changed, and it was clear the Gay Games would be held again. 

17 sports
12 nations
1,350 participants
Gay Games II
Triumph in '86

 
10 -17 August 1986
San Francisco, CA USA

Opening and closing ceremonies were again held at Kezar Stadium. A program of cultural events was added to further include people from all walks of life and interests. The event attracted 3,500 artists & athletes from 17 countries participating in 21 sports and cultural events.

21 sports
17 nations
3,500 participants
Gay Games III
Celebration 1990


4 -11 August 1990
Vancouver, BC Canada

The third Gay Games were the first to take place outside the USA. It was the first to see Masters world records broken (in swimming). 27 countries sent 7,300 athletes participated in 27 sports plus 1,500 cultural participants. At the height of the AIDS crisis, the Gay Games doubled in size again and continued to serve as an inspiration.

 
27 sports and cultural events
27 nations
8,800 participants
Gay Games IV
Unity '94
 
 18 - 25 June 1994
New York City, USA

Coinciding with the Stonewall 25 celebration, participants included Olympians, celebrities, politicians, and 12,500 artists & athletes from 40 countries. With 31 sports, Gay Games IV exceeded the Olympics in numbers of participants, and saw its first academic conference. 31 sports and cultural events
40 nations
12,500 participants
Gay Games V
Friendship
 

1 - 8 August 1998
Amsterdam,
The Netherlands

The Netherlands welcomed participants to the first European Gay Games – yellow flags with the tulip-and-triangle logo were everywhere. More than 13,000 participants took part in 33 sports and a large cultural festival – 900 singers were in the choral program alone. Women made up 42% of all participants, a record rate.

33 sports and cultural events
68 nations
13,000 participants

Games VI
Under New Skies
 

2 - 9 November 2002
Sydney, NSW Australia

Visiting the Southern Hemisphere, more than 11,000 athletes and cultural participants converged “Under New Skies” from 70 countries. The Sydney hosts made special outreach efforts to the Asia/Pacific region. Many venues from the 2000 Summer Olympic Games were used, making these Games all the more memorable.

33+ sports and
cultural events
70 nations
12,100 participants

Gay Games VII
Where The World Meets
 

15 - 22 July 2006
Chicago, IL USA

With extensive civic and business support, Chicago organizers achieved record sponsorship levels that ensured a fun, well-organized week for the 11,700 participants from 70 countries and thousands of spectators. Gay Games VII again showed the enduring impact of the Gay Games. 

30 sports and cultural events
70 nations
11,700 participants


Gay Games VIII
Be Part Of It
 

31 July - 7 August 2010
Cologne, NRW Germany

With a gay sports history dating to 1979, Cologne’s tradition of openness, combined with two great villages and a concentration of sports at the German Sports University translated into a highly memorable week for 9,500 participants from 70 countries.

35 sports and 
cultural events
70 nations
9,500 participants
Gay Games IX     
Go All Out
 

 9 - 16 August 2014
Cleveland + Akron, Ohio USA

The 2014 Gay Games presented by the Cleveland Foundation brought the event to Northeast Ohio. 37 sports and culture events across the region. The event featured the first live streaming of many events and helped lead to a $147,000 lasting financial legacy in both Cleveland and Akron.

37 sports and
cultural events
50 nations
8,000 participants

Gay Games X         All Equal

 
 4 - 12 August 2018
Paris France

A global "celebration of diversity" took place in Paris in August 2018. This week-long festival for the 10th edition of the Gay Games included 36+ sports, 14 cultural events, and an academic conference. The Village at City Hall Plaza was a highly visible gathering place throughout the week and the site of the Closing Ceremony. A total of 10,317 registered participants from 91 countries took part in Gay Games 10.

36+ sports
14 cultural events
Academic Conference
91 nations
10,317 participants
Gay Games 11
Unity In Diversity


  November 2023
Hong Kong

The Gay Games will visit Asia for the first time in 2022. Watch this web site for links and more information as plans take shape for the 11th edition of the Gay Games. 36 sports planned
11 cultural events planned


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