The games are open to all who wish to participate, without regard to sexual orientation, and there are no qualifying standards. It retains similarities with the Olympic Games, including the Gay Games flame which is lit at the opening ceremony. Waddell wanted to recreate the Olympics' power to bring people of various different backgrounds together through the international language of sport, and the organizers of the first event strived to accommodate differences and achieve gender parity. The Gay Games is a worldwide sport and cultural event that promotes acceptance of sexual diversity, featuring lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) athletes, artists and other individuals.įounded as the Gay Olympics, it was started in the United States in San Francisco, California, in 1982, as the brainchild of Olympic decathlete (Mexico City 1968) and medical doctor Tom Waddell, Brenda Young, and others, whose goals were to promote the spirit of inclusion and participation, as well as to promote the pursuit of personal growth in a sporting event. The Gay Games Closing Ceremony 2006 – Handing off the flag to the Cologne, Germany contingent, host of Gay Games 2010
