Paris has won the right to host the 2018 Gay Games. The city won the right to host the event ahead of the other candidates, London and Limerick.
According to David Killian, co-chair of the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) Site Selection Committee;
“Paris proposed a wide range of sports in quality venues, many of which offer good visibility for the event. French LGBT sport organizations already have a great deal of experience hosting international multisport tournaments, and their LGBT community presents outstanding cultural events. They are already well advanced in planning, for example, with the designation of a dedicated sports manager. They arrived with demonstrable political support, including Minister for Sport Valerie Fourneyron and five-time Olympic fencing medalist Laura Flessel, who were part of the presentation team. And of course Paris is a great destination to visit or revisit.”
The mission of the Gay Games is to promote equality, inclusion and to engender respect and understanding primarily through an organized, international athletic and cultural event held every four years.
First held in 1982, The Games are ‘the largest sport and culture event in the world open to all’ and have been hosted in seven cities in five countries on three continents. Anyone can take part in the games whatever their sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, political belief(s), athletic/ artistic ability, physical challenge, age or health status.
Mark Naimark, Vice President of the Federation of Gay Games explains the numerous benefits that hosting the Games can provide to a host city:
“Financial impact, of course. Hosting over 10,000 athletes and artists and tens of thousands more friends, family, and fans brings in significant revenues for a host city. Unlike the Olympics and other mega-events, the Gay Games doesn’t require infrastructure investments, and the tourists who attend do not displace normal visitors.” (Games VIII in Cologne in 2010 attracted some 10,000 participants from about 70 countries)
“There is a political impact. The Gay Games are not about rewarding good LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender)-friendly countries and punishing bad LGBT-phobic countries….part of our mission is to promote positive change in the cities and regions to which we bring the Games.”
“There’s a moral impact as well. The mission of the Gay Games is to promote equality in and through sport. In our site selection process for 2018, we have for the first time explicitly requested that bidders discuss their vision for human rights, including the fundamental impact of the Games itself.”
