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 |
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 |
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 events50 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 |
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 |