The Gay Games attends the EGLSF AGA
It was an incredible experience at the Annual General Assembly in Antwerp with the European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF), its aim is to fight against discrimination in sport based on gender identity or sexual preference. I had the opportunity to participate as a new officer at large role representing the Federation of Gay Games.
On the first day, there were presentations about projects under the E+ program, discussions on equality issues, advancing in gender diversity, hosting EuroGames, and more.
The second day featured discussions and an interesting workshop on an Equal Representation on the EGLSF Board. Additionally, Samarucs LGTBI sport club presented its bid to host the next AGA in 2025, with the possibility for all associated LGTBI clubs to visit Valencia next year. Also, the presentation of Valencia Gay Games 2026 was well-received, and people were invited to participate.
On the third day, there were elections, with Cardiff winning the bid to host EuroGames in 2027. Remember that Vienna will host in 2024, Lyon in 2025, and there won't be EuroGames in 2026 due to the Valencia Gay Games. Samarucs won to host the next AGA in 2025. Lastly, a touching farewell to Sarah Townsend as co-president marked the end of her term.
It was an amazing experience for me to increase my network, to learn how to organize other sport events, and to increase visibility for the LGTBI community in sports.
Viv Downey-Woodcock, Angelica Saez and Hugh Torrence