Why is it so hard to find information on them? For example, I am interested in all the gay games track and field records. Where can I find them? I can go to the local track club and find results for the last five or ten years in all their local races. Why can't I do this for the gay games? Why doesn't Outsports have more in-depth coverage of the games? Do you not have enough reporters to cover them thoroughly or are they simply something you think of as more of a cultural event so you don't really bother? Or do you not have a budget?


I've found on the web that there actually is a gay tennis association that culminates with a gay US Open Championships. Why is there no coverage of these events?

I understand these athletes aren't world class athletes, but don't they deserve more recognition and exposure at this site?

Although the Gay Games and Outgames have sponsorships from major corporations, they are basically grassroots organizations that rely on volunteers who put in time and effort to get these events happening. There are countless LGBT sports organizations around the world, but again these are largely supported by volunteers who organize teams, leagues, tournaments, etc. on very low budgets. As such, there are probably not huge databases of records kept for ease of use by the public; although I'm sure results and data are kept in as an organized way as possible. For example, it's my understanding that for some sports, the Gay Games or Outgames may have ceded organization and record-keeping to that sports's federation.

You should check the websites of the Gay Games and Outgames. You may also have to look to the websites for the particular games in question, which I would assumed are linked to each site.

Federation of Gay Games: http://www.gaygames.com/en/
GLISA (Outgames): http://www.glisa.org/


Also, I can tell you that Outsports is not ESPN or Sports Illustrated. It's not a huge multimillion dollar corporation with offices and a team of reporters covering sports all over the world. It's made up of a very small number of hard-working people (who have day jobs!) and who have miraculously been able to produce the best gay sports website on the Internet. Jim and Cyd, please take a bow!

If you search the website, you will find lots of information on the Gay Games and Outgames. For example:

Gay Games VI Sydney: http://www.outsports.com/ggames02/index.cfm
News from the Gay Sports Movement 2006 (Gay Games Chicago; Outgames Montreal): http://www.outsports.com/local/sportsmovement/releases.htm

Outsports also has Olympic coverage: http://www.outsports.com/olympics/index.htm

I actually saw Cyd at the Outgames in Montreal, running around taking pictures and interviewing people. He can't go to every event around the country and around the world. Nor can Jim. However, I know that they are always happy when people attending events are willing to act as correspondents. If you are attending an event, you can contact Jim and Cyd and file a report, send photos, etc. I'm sure they'll be happy to post your coverage. For example, I was involved in organizing a "gay day" with the Toronto Blue Jays, and Outsports posted my article on the event. If we want more coverage of gay sports on Outsports... it's up to all of us. We can't just take, we have to give back, too.

Well, there are many organizations that are run largely by volunteers that still keep their records. I think it is the least an organization putting on an athletic event can do for the athletes and the fans of its events.





Okay, that's understandable. But shouldn't they make a more concerted effort to solicit volunteer reporters to cover these events? I think one of the problems for gay athletes is not merely the homophobia that sports is imersed in, but the lack of gay role models in sport. If these gay events were covered more closely on a website like this, then gay athletes would have more people to look up to. It starts with finding "minor league" level athletes and building from there.

I agree it would be nice if all the sport results could be warehoused, so someone could go online to retrieve them, but it might be a matter of money. I know right after each games, results are posted online for while but are eventually taken down. Your best bet might be to find the gay games books each city puts out. They usually contain the results of the top competitors. Certain sports are so well run that they maintain their own results and records. Swimming records are retained by IGLA, their govening body and they are very up to date. Other sports though, may be loosely run so their governing body may not take the time to save records.

I can verify that all Gay Games results going back to 1982 are kept on the Federation of Gay Games website. The Chicago 2006 results are available from this website as well, but not stored within the website (yet).

The idea of records is an interesting one. To my knowledge, the only records listed on this website are only age bracketed official world records (some of which were set by Bruce Hayes in the 1994 Gay Games in New York).

Click on the link on the home page of Gay Games that says Results in the top menu bar

It will take you to this page:
http://www.gaygames.com/en/participants/results/

We have not moved the Chicago 2006 results there yet.
We paid to keep the Chicago web site live with results.
http://www.gaygameschicago.org/sports/home.php
We are all volunteer and I promise you we work hard and could always use a few more helping hands. I attended Outgames and Gay Games in 2006. I started volunteering for Gay Games in 2006/7. Volunteers are spread all over the world and I really respect these people. They work hard, but try to make it all fun also.

Kelly Stevens
Officer Of Communications, Gay Games

I also volunteer for:
Team Seattle
Seattle Frontrunners