Gay Games XIII 2030

Site Selection

The bidding process to choose a host for the Gay Games XIII 2030 is now in its final phase, with two cities hoping to win the bid

Finalist Cities

“GGDen2030 is excited to continue our mission of bringing the Gay Games to Denver in 2030 to unite our global LGBTQ+ communities; Together! Out West!”

Lance Husak, Denver Bid Team

“We’re incredibly excited to move into the Top 3 to host Gay Games 2030. Perth’s bid is from ground up; directly from Perth’s LGBTQIA+ sporting teams. We want the world to share in our dynamic, vibrant and inclusive community.”

Laurie Butterly, Perth Bid Team

The bid process began in January 2024 with 25 cities across five continents expressing an interest in bidding to host the 13th Gay Games event in 2030.  

Ten cities then moved to the next stage of the process, by submitting an official letter of intent to bid and payment of the first bid fee. Each of those cities participated in a number of meetings over the next few months in anticipation of this deadline, including informational sessions, Q&A sessions, and individual meetings.

In order to proceed to the next phase, each of those ten cities was required to submit a “bid book” - a document which describes how they aim to host the Gay Games in their city.  Seven cities submitted their bid books, and were invited to present their bid at the FGG Annual General Assembly in Washington, DC. in October 2024 where the bid teams had their first in-person contact with the FGG stakeholders and member organizations, as well as presenting their Preliminary Bid Books to the assembly.

In December 2024 our delegates and members voted for the cities they think are offering the very best proposals, and three cities were chosen as finalists: Auckland, New Zealand; Denver, USA and Perth, Australia. In May 2025, Auckland withdrew from the process, leaving just two cities in the running to become the host of the 2030 Gay Games.

The two remaining cities - Denver and Perth - are now tasked with preparing their Detailed Bid Books, describing every facet of how they will host the Games, and will present these to the FGG in June 2025. The final vote will happen in València at the FGG Annual General Assembly 2025, where the host city for Gay Games XIII 2030 will be decided.

The FGG is proud to maintain an equitable, supportive, and transparent bidding process which empowers communities to mobilize their stakeholders and unite to participate in the global LGBTQ+ movement as athletes, artists, and allies.

Austin Manning, Officer of Site Selection

“We are thrilled to congratulate Denver and Perth on advancing as finalists on this journey toward selecting the host city for Gay Games XIII in 2030. Each city has worked incredibly hard to present themselves as a potential host, and has firmly stamped their local culture and uniqueness onto their proposals. This milestone is not just about choosing a city; it's about envisioning a future where LGBTQ+ sports and culture, and the values we have in common, shine brighter than ever.  We look forward to the next 12 months and working closely with the two teams as they prepare their final bid books for review in October 2025.”

Site Inspection

In July 2025 the FGG will undertake a site inspection tour of the two finalist  bid cities - Denver, USA and Perth, Australia - vying to host Gay Games XIII in 2030, to see first hand how the bid teams plan to host the Games in their city. 

The inspection will take place in July 2025, and take the form of a 4-day visit to each city, hosted by the bid team, and will include a detailed analysis of the bid book,visits to the facilities and sites where the Games will be held and meetings with bid team leadership and community stakeholders..   Each bid team will also help the inspectors understand local context and culture and how it supports  their bid proposal.

The visit will be undertaken by three site inspectors, hand-selected by the FGG from outside of the Federation, but with a deep understanding of the history of the Games, and with specific sport and culture knowledge.  This will allow our site inspectors to prepare a detailed view of the bid from the ground, which will then be shared with the FGG General Assembly.

Our Site Inspectors

Julie Williams

Melbourne, Australia · she/her

Julie has been a dedicated participant in the Gay Games, attending eight consecutive editions since New York in 1994 and winning her first medal at the Guadalajara event in 2023. She has previously undertaken the role of site inspector for the 2022 bid process and served on the board of the FGG in 2017–2018, so is ideally suited for this site inspection.

A passionate advocate for inclusion and equity, Julie has played a key role in numerous local LGBTIQ+ sports and cultural initiatives. She is the Co-founder and Convener of Melbourne Rainbow Golfers, actively promoting community inclusion, equity and access in sport.

Professionally, Julie brings extensive experience from a successful career in corporate human resources. She currently works as a consultant and project manager specializing in HR and payroll systems.

Julie remains deeply committed to the mission of the Gay Games -championing inclusion, health, and participation. She is honored to be part of the site selection team for GGXIII in 2030, helping to shape the future of this global event.

“I sincerely thank the FGG for providing me with another opportunity to be a site inspector – this time for GGXIII 2030.  I am lucky enough to have been to every Gay Games since New York in 1994.  These experiences have been a fantastic way to explore new cities in a safe and inclusive environment, whilst experiencing the local arts, culture, hospitality – and participating in team and individual sports.  I look forward to visiting the finalist cities with the rest of the site inspection team – and finding our host for GGXIII 2030.”

Rob Smitherman

Chicago, USA · he/him

With over 25 years of involvement in the Gay Games, Rob brings a deep personal and professional commitment to the movement. His first experience at the 1998 Amsterdam Games - where he competed in basketball - was life-changing, merging his identity and love of sport in a way that brought a profound sense of completeness and belonging.

Since then, he has participated in every Gay Games, playing basketball in seven editions and competing in tennis at Guadalajara. Beyond competition, Rob has played an integral role in delivering the Games: managing eight sports for the Chicago Games in 2006, producing and overseeing 36 sports in Cologne, and serving as Chief Operating Officer and Assistant Executive Director for Gay Games 9 in Cleveland-Akron. Supporting host cities in creating this transformative event remains one of the most rewarding aspects of his career.

Following Gay Games 9, he continued to support the Federation of Gay Games through service on the Gay Games Steering Committee for Paris, Hong Kong, and Guadalajara—collaborating with FGG and host city leaders, inspecting venues, and supporting event readiness.

Originally from Virginia, where he attended college and law school and practiced law for 22 years, Rob now resides in Chicago with his husband. He currently works at Northwestern University, focusing on estate and trust matters related to donor gifts.

“I am honored and excited to be selected as part of the Site Inspection team for the 2030 Gay Games. I hope that I will be able to use my past experience to fulfill the duties in this essential part of the site selection process.”

Sarah Townsend

France · she/her

Sarah is a passionate advocate for inclusion and gender equality in sport, with a long-standing commitment to driving change through research, activism, and leadership. From 2016 to 2024, she served on the board of the European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF), including a term as Co-President, and was appointed as one of 15 experts to the European Commission’s High-Level Group on Gender Equality in Sport.

She currently serves as Vice Chair of the ENGSO Equality Within Sport Committee, is an active member of the Feminist Sports Lab, and leads as President of Activ’Elles - a grassroots organization working to create safe, empowering spaces for women in sport, especially in rural areas. Her advocacy is grounded in lived experience and a strong connection to the outdoors; as a certified hiking guide, rowing coach, and avid ice-water swimmer, Sarah works to break down barriers to access, participation, and equity across all levels of sport.

“I'm absolutely thrilled to accept the role of Site Inspector for GGXIII 2030. It's a privilege to support the Federation of Gay Games in this important process and to contribute to an initiative that brings the global LGBTQI+ sports community together. I still vividly remember the emotion and sense of belonging I felt at my first Games in Amsterdam, and I’m proud to be part of the movement that ensures others can experience that same feeling. In today’s socio-political climate—where LGBTQI+ rights are increasingly under threat—events like the Gay Games are about so much more than sport. They’re about creating space, offering community, and affirming that sport is a fundamental human right that must remain open and accessible to all.”

The site inspectors will be accompanied by two members of the FGG board of directors

  • Austin Manning - Officer of Site Inspection

  • Duncan Campbell - Officer of Communications

The tour will be shared on the FGG social media accounts during the month of July and a summary of findings will be shared during the FGG AGA in October 2025.

David Killian, Co-Chair of the Site Selection Committee

“The Gay Games has been an iconic event in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond for the last forty years, and adding these amazing cities to the Gay Games family in order to further our mission to change the world through sport and culture is truly gratifying.  We are very excited to work with them to get the best bids possible to showcase their city’s angle on  “Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best”.”

Process

  • Prospective bidders will receive a document outlining the information they will need to provide in order to enter into the process officially

  • Bidding cities must provide an official letter of intent by this date

  • The first bid books are expected by this date, outlining how the city plans to host the Games and validating that they understand and have control over the whole process of the Games organisation and delivery

  • Potential bidders will be invited to attend an information session and interact with FGG stakeholders and member organizations, including presentation of Preliminary Bid Books and participation in Q&A sessions at the FGG AGA in Washington DC, USA

  • Having now reviewed the preliminary bid books, the FGG will announce who are the finalist cities entering the last part of the Site Selection process

  • Finalist cities will now have to deliver a more detailed, compehensive document outlining the organisation of the event down to the smallest details to ensure everything is anticipated

  • The culmination of the process will be the announcement of the presumptive 2030 host in November 2025 in Valencia, Spain

The Gay Games sporting and culture event is an opportunity to invite over ten thousand LGBTQ+ participants and allies to one’s region. The week-long event represents a critical cultural and economic opportunity providing significant economic impact to a region.

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 the Gay Games, taking their spend of US $9.2 million to another region.