PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 29 FEBRUARY 2020

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA, 29 February 2020

20 Cities Across 6 Continents Return RFIs to be the Host City for the Games that Change the World.

The Federation of Gay Games has received a record number of expressions of interest from cities around the globe desiring to be the host of Gay Games XII to be held in 2026!

Dave Killian, Officer of Site Selection says,

"We are extremely delighted to have received this record amount of interest for the Gay Games! The excitement of 20 cities from 6 continents shows that countries want to not only welcome diverse communities to their cities but also want to be a place of community and connectedness for all people. These are the Games that change the world and the growing interest in participation, hosting and volunteering proves that."

The cities are:

Brisbane, Australia

São Paulo, Brazil

Toronto, Canada

Munich, Germany

Dublin, Ireland

Guadalajara, Mexico

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Auckland, New Zealand

Lisbon, Portugal

Cape Town, South Africa

Durban, South Africa

Valencia, Spain

Taipei, Taiwan

Liverpool, UK

Austin, USA

Fort Lauderdale, USA

Minneapolis, USA

New Orleans, USA

San Diego, USA

Seattle, USA

"We listen closely to our members and take the feedback on the submission process from previous bidders and host cities very seriously. Our goal is to make it easier for the Games to come to cities and we are on the right track for doing that,” Killian adds.

The RFP will be available on March 1. On April 30 the official contenders for host status for Gay Games XII will be be identified, as that is the date that Letters of Intent are due. For more information on the process including timelines visit our website.

Hosting the Gay Games

The positive financial impact to the host city of the Gay Games is clear, as evidenced by the official economic impact highlights from the 2018 Gay Games X in Paris:

Total economic impact: US $117.9 million.

Locals and non-locals contributed a total of US $72.7 million to the economy, in the areas of lodging, dining and entertainment, travel and other necessities, and tourism.

An additional US $45.8 million was generated in local incomes - roughly the equivalent of 1,429 full-time jobs.

23% of participants were from France (12% from Paris).

40% of local participants said they would have traveled outside Paris, France to participate in theGay Games, taking their spend of US $9.2 million to another region.

About the Federation of Gay Games

The Gay Games was conceived by Dr. Tom Waddell, an Olympic decathlete, as a way to empower thousands of LGBTQ+ athletes and artists through sport, culture, and fellowship. It was first held in San Francisco in 1982. Subsequent Gay Games were held in San Francisco (1986), Vancouver (1990), New York (1994), Amsterdam (1998), Sydney (2002), Chicago (2006), Cologne (2010), Cleveland+Akron (2014), and Paris (2018). Gay Games 11 will be held in Hong Kong in 2022. Visit www.gaygameshk2022.com for more information.

“Gay Games,” “Federation of Gay Games,” the interlocking circles device, and the phrase“Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best” are trademarks of the Federation of Gay Games, Inc. Trademarks are registered in the USA, Canada, Benelux, the UK, Germany, and Australia.

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