Gay Olympics?

[Andrew8 12]

After reading about Copenhagen and the Gay Olympics being hosted there, I'm like curious to know..... what is the purpose of having the Gay Games?

Is it because gay people are not allowed to compete in the actual Olympic Games?

[Sir Rols 1902]

LOL _ of course gay people can and do compete at the Olympic games _ ever heard of Greg Louganis? Or wondered about most of the male figure skaters etc.

Actually, the Copenhagen Gay Games story is an old one. It was actually chosen last year to host the 2009 Outgames, which is one of the two main gay sports festivals. The other is the Gay Games, which are being held in Chicago this year and Cologne, Germany in 2010. Montreal is also hosting an Outgames tis year. The reason there are two events is complex and all to do with gay politics. Let's just say it is an unecessary split between gay sports associations.

As to why are there gay games, well, why not? We gay people like to mix with each other, party with each other abd be ourselves with each other. So why not a games where we can compete while proudly stating and celebrating our gay identity. It is also about making ourselves more visible and known by the wider community _ to remind general society that we do exist, we do play sport and there are great numbers of us.

And before you ask, yes, straight people can also compete atthe gay games. They are not restricted to gay people, they are open to all to respect and support us.

[savas 46]

why do we have to organise Gay Olympic Games?? We already have the Paralympic Games....!!!?

Sorry,... just a bad taste joke... Are those games officialy cold Olympic Games? i do not think so...

[Kenadian 300]

No, there is no such thing as the "Gay Olympics" because the IOC owns the rights and trademarks to all sport events with the term "Olympic" except for the "Special Olympics" which they allowed to use the Olympic name.  It is just a lazy media term for anything that is a multi-sport event.  I'm sure there are some calling Melbourne 2006 the "Commonwealth Olympics" or the games in Rio next year the "North and South America Olympics".

From the sounds of it, the Gay Games and the OutGames are more like a festival with competitions.  Its a party.  Except that now there are two of them.

So are the Copenhagen OutGames in 2009?  Will the OutGames rotate on a 3 year schedule?

[Sir Rols 1902]

No, there is no such thing as the "Gay Olympics" because the IOC owns the rights and trademarks to all sport events with the term "Olympic" except for the "Special Olympics" which they allowed to use the Olympic name.  It is just a lazy media term for anything that is a multi-sport event.  I'm sure there are some calling Melbourne 2006 the "Commonwealth Olympics" or the games in Rio next year the "North and South America Olympics".

From the sounds of it, the Gay Games and the OutGames are more like a festival with competitions.  Its a party.  Except that now there are two of them.

So are the Copenhagen OutGames in 2009?  Will the OutGames rotate on a 3 year schedule?

Exactly, very lazy of GM to use the term 'Gay Olympics'. And yeah, it's as much a festival as a sports event.

The Outgames timing is I think one of the few compromises that was made within the split, so that the two events didn't conflict again like this year. Otherwise there's no love lost between the two organisations.

[baron-pierreIV 1693]

So who did the lesbians side with?

[Andrew8 12]

hmmm... that's really interesting... never knew those stuff~thnx

[Faster 545]

the OutGames are going to be on a four year rotation, but so they would not compete with the other games they are going to held in three years, then get held again in 2013

[Citius Altius Fortius 560]

The other is the Gay Games, which are being held in Chicago this year and Cologne, Germany in 2010. Montreal is also hosting an Outgames tis year.

Here is the official website of the Gay Games in Cologne

You can change the language (english - on the left side) - you will find the bid document and the bid movie, too (on the right side)...

[HFB-Melbourne 0]

The athlete's village would be fun  :devil:

[Mekky 0]

Never wondered that Baron would answer inside a gay thread ! this man feel bored  

[AlexDS69 7]

Here's the thing about the Gay Games:

It's not that gay people can't compete in the Olympics. On the contrary, LGBT people have been competing in the Olympics since time immemorial. The thing is, these Games were conceived in part to prove that LGBT persons, contrary to stereotypes (especially where men are concerned), can and are competent in athletic endeavors. Though the overall lot of gay people has improved greatly since the Games' inception in 1982, it is still a virulently homophobic world, even in sports. The Gay Games provide a sense of community, validation, and pride that not even the Olympic Games can provide.

Unlike the Olympics, there is a greater emphasis on equality between the sexes. Some events have men and women competing together, even in sports where the genders are usually separate. And even more unlike the Olympics, there is a wide age range. Usually, contestants are as young as 18 and as old as 70+ in any given Gay Games.

Many gay atheletes who have competed in Olympic and world competition have contested and done well in the Gay Games. I do hope that there will come a time when an openly gay athlete wins a gold medal at the Olympics. That time hasn't happened yet, but I hope that it happens in my generation.

[Sir Rols 1902]

Many gay atheletes who have competed in Olympic and world competition have contested and done well in the Gay Games. I do hope that there will come a time when an openly gay athlete wins a gold medal at the Olympics. That time hasn't happened yet, but I hope that it happens in my generation.

What about Greg Louganis, who not only had the gay stigma to overcome, but also his HIV positive status. He was not exactly closeted when he competed.