What are the Gay Games?

What is the Federation of Gay Games?

How many people participate in the Gay Games?

What is the mission of the Federation of Gay Games?

What impact do the Gay Games have on athletes and cultural 
participants?

Who leads the Federation of Gay Games?

Who is eligible to participate in the Gay Games?

Who is eligible to join the General Assembly of the Federation 
of Gay Games?

Can elite athletes participate in the Gay Games?

When and where are the Gay Games held?

How do the Gay Games differ from other tournaments?

The Gay Games change political culture by challenging sports 
bodies, media and governments to create more opportunities 
for athletes regardless of sex, age or physical challenge. 

A few historical highlights: 

• HIV/AIDS. In 1994 the Games achieved a political 
milestone, convincing the U.S. Attorney General to allow HIV-
infected individuals to enter the U.S. for Gay Games IV 
without special visas. The Designated Event Status (DES) 
draws attention to the ramifications of national policies 
restricting travel by AIDS-affected individuals. The Federation 
of Gay Games and CGI won that DES designation for the 
2006 Chicago Gay Games. In sports that require drug testing, 
the FGG has worked with LGBT sports leaders to develop anti-
doping policies that allow for athletes on banned medications. 
• Gender. The Gay Games have offered women's wrestling 
since 1994: 10 years before the Athens Olympic Games. The 
Games offer 10 weight classes for women; the Olympics offer 
just four. 
• Homophobia. Olympic champion diver Greg Louganis came 
out of the closet during the Opening Ceremonies of Gay 
Games IV, the same year the USOC gave him its highest 
award. In his acceptance speech, Louganis dedicated his 
award to Tom Waddell and successfully lobbied to prevent the 
1996 Olympic volleyball competition from being held in 
homophobic Cobb County, Georgia. 
• Ageism. Recognizing that seniors over 50 are forecast to be 
25 percent of the GLBT community by 2020, the Chicago Gay 
Games have added new age categories in such sports as 
basketball, softball, volleyball and wrestling. These are in 
addition to the many Gay Games sports which already have 
age categories including aquatics, cycling, figure-skating, 
physique, power lifting, racquetball, road racing, tennis, track 
and field, and triathlon. 
• Gender. Gay Games policies for including transgendered 
athletes in 2002 set the tone for the Olympics and others to 
follow.