Wele to the 'Gay Gam,' an Olympics alternative, where activism is enuraged and everyone's an athlete | CNN

Contents:

• WELE TO THE ‘GAY GAM,’ AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE OLYMPICS, WHERE ACTIVISM IS ENURAGED AND EVERYONE’S AN ATHLETE
• GAY GAM X - PARIS 2018
• HISTORY OF THE GAY GAM
• DONATN GOAL FOR GAY GAM 11
• THE FAC OF THE GAY GAM OPENG CEREMONY
• GAY GAM X RESULTS

WELE TO THE ‘GAY GAM,’ AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE OLYMPICS, WHERE ACTIVISM IS ENURAGED AND EVERYONE’S AN ATHLETE

Sce 1982, the Gay Gam have brought together people om all walks of life, whout discrimatn, around the valu of diversy, rpect, equaly, solidary, and sharg. Wh sport beg a medium for togetherns and cln, the Gay Gam are OPEN TO ALL and offer everyone the opportuny to participate their own way. As athlet, artists, supporters, spectators, donors, volunteers, nference participants, sponsors, or simply anyone terted this project, everyone has a role to play at the Gay Gam and help make thgs happen.

His gay and lbian iends San Francis, though, had never experienced an event as thrillg or movg as the openg ceremony. And so Wadll created the Gay Gam – then lled the Gay Olympics, until the Internatnal Olympic Commtee sued over the name. “The formula for succs was visibily and inty, ” Wadll said an terview followg the first Gay Gam 1982.

GAY GAM X - PARIS 2018

That’s what the first Gay Gam were all about. Wadll died 1987, but the Gay Gam ntue to this day, growg to an ternatnal phenomenon sce their first eratn. They draw over 10, 000 athlet and sometim seven or eight tim as many spectators, said Shiv Pl, vice print of external relatns for the Feratn of Gay Gam.

You don’t have to be a profsnal athlete – even a proficient one – to pete the Gay Gam. You don’t even have to be gay.

And unlike at the Olympics, activism is enuraged at the Gay Gam, as has been sce the begng when the HIV/AIDS crisis was ravagg LGBTQ muni. Above all, though, the Gay Gam are an event for queer and trans people to gather safely, play sports they love and be themselv whout fear of tolerance. The first Gay Gam were held San Francis 1982, where transmissn of HIV had peaked among the cy’s btlg gay muny.

HISTORY OF THE GAY GAM

The Gay Gam uld be an act of prott then, too, Wadll cid, an event durg which LGBTQ people uld play the same sports they watched durg the Olympics and achieve the same kd of glory he had at the 1968 Olympics.

HIV/AIDS awarens has been baked to the Gay Gam sce s ceptn: In addn to banng discrimatn based on genr, sexualy, race and other tras, the Gay Gam wouldn’t allow any participant to be turned away based on their HIV stat. The Gay Gam also succsfully lobbied the US ernment to briefly waive a prev ban on HIV-posive people enterg the untry so they uld pete the 1994 Gay Gam New York and the 1996 Olympics Atlanta, chang ma wh the help of the US Olympic Commtee.

Anyone n participate the Gay Gam – really, jt about anyone. Though Wadll emphasized that sports weren’t the central foc of the Gay Gam, the event has hosted athlet wh real prows.

DONATN GOAL FOR GAY GAM 11

Swimmer Jim Ballard set a world rerd the 100-meter backstroke 2002 at the Sydney Gay Gam.

THE FAC OF THE GAY GAM OPENG CEREMONY

Powerlifter Chris Man began his reer at the Gay Gam and went on to w another 30 medals at var world champnships.

And unlike the “regular Olympics, ” at the Gay Gam, a same-sex figurg skatg pair n don matchg nim jumpsus a performance set to “Hopelsly Devoted to You.

The upg Gay Gam will take place next year Hong Kong, where same-sex marriage is not legally regnized.

GAY GAM X RESULTS

The openg ceremony of the first Gay Gam was the stuff of Wadll’s dreams. Wadll died of AIDS 1987, one year after the send Gay Gam, but the Gam and his dream for their impact have only grown sce. Participatn the Gay Gam steadily grew every year was held, and 1994, at the New York Gay Gam, the number of participants exceed the number of athlet at the 1994 Wter Olympics.

The 11th Gay Gam, to be held next year Hong Kong, will likely see at least 10, 000 participants. The openg ceremony of the Gay Gam is still emotnal all the years later, Pl said, pecially when participants om untri where homosexualy is not accepted march the Para of Natns. If you go back to ancient tim, the Olympics have a few centuri on the Gay Gam.