About the Gay Games
by admin | Tue, 03/31/2009 - 19:29
About The Gay Games
Between July 31st and August 7th in 2010, Gay Games VIII will take place in Cologne, Germany. Around 12.000 participants from all over the world are expected to take part in this quadrennial sport and cultural event.
Games Cologne is expecting over 46,000 guests for the Opening Ceremony at the RheinEnergie-Stadium, home of the famous Cologne Soccer Club. Please plan to travel with Team Chicago to Cologne between 31 July and 7 August, for a week-long celebration of sports competition and cultural events.
Click here for a brief promo movie about Gay Games VIII - July 31-August 7, 2010 in Cologne, Germany:
The first Gay Games took place in 1982 in San Francisco, bringing together 1,350 athletes from a dozen countries. The Games have been held every four years since in world-class cities. The Gay Games are the world's largest amateur athletic event.
The Gay Games are the legacy of Dr. Tom Waddell, a decathlon competitor for the U.S. in the 1968 Olympics. Waddell conceived of the Games as an opportunity for gays and lesbians to show the world that their skills and competitive spirit were equal to the rest of humanity. He wanted to promote better understanding through sport.
The Games define winning as achieving one's personal best. Anyone can participate, regardless of ability, age, sexual orientation, race, gender, nationality, political or religious beliefs, ethnic origins, or HIV status. Athletes represent their cities and not their countries.
Simply by participating in the Gay Games, you are a winner.
The Games grow in stature with each event and they have triumphed over adversity. They survived a court challenge by the U.S. Olympic Committee, which sued and won over the use of the name "Olympic." They survived the loss of Waddell, who died of AIDS in July 1987 at age 49. And they survived the withdrawal of the Montréal bid organizers from Gay Games VII, which resulted in the Gay Games coming to Chicago.
Waddell, an athlete, physician and leader, also was a father. He and a lesbian Gay Games organizer, Sara Waddell-Lewinstein, conceived a daughter who was born in 1983.
The Games flourish today, fulfilling Waddell's vision of inclusion, participation and achieving one's best. The Games are sanctioned and organized by the Federation of Gay Games, an international nonprofit membership organization based in San Francisco.
See www.gaygames.com for more information.
Take the Flame - From San Francisco, USA to Cologne, Germany
Take the Flame DVD - Dave Sector presents a historical perspective of the Gay Games Movement across the world!
The role of Team Chicago Before and During the Gay Games
For the Gay Games and other National and International sporting events, Team Chicago serves as the umbrella not-for-profit organization for participants, volunteers and supporters going to the Gay Games. In addition to on-going education to the community about the core values, mission and history of Team Chicago, Federations of Gay Games and the quadrennial Gay Games itself. Team Chicago raises and distributes scholarship funds to support athletes in under-represented populations at the Gay Games. We also work with local LGBT Sporting organizations in the planning and coordination or our Team Chicago and Illinois delegation represented at the Gay Games by providing group travel and accommodations discounted packages, logistics and uniforms that help to provide a cohesive look for our delegation during the procession of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Gay Games. During the years proceeding and post Gay Games, Team Chicago serves as the official delegate(s) to the Federation of Gay Games.
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