3 Cities Interested in 2010 Gay Games Bid

Groups from Cologne, Johannesburg and Paris have submitted letters of intent to bid for the eighth edition of the quadrennial Gay Games, to be staged in 2010, officials from the Federation of Gay Games announced. Final bid materials are due on March 15.

“These are three outstanding potential locations for the Gay Games,” said Darl Schaaff, co-chair of the Federation’s Site Selection Committee.  “We look forward to working with the bidding groups during the site selection process over the next nine months.”

Between June and August, members of the Site Selection Committee plan to travel to each of the candidate cities to survey the proposed venues and meet local supporters.  The Site Selection Committee will review each group’s bid materials for completeness and periodically follow up with the bidding groups.  The bidding groups will make final presentations before the Federation’s full board of directors at the Federation’s annual meeting this November in Chicago, site of Gay Games VII in 2006.

“The Gay Games’ legacy will be well into its third decade by 2010,” said Kathleen Webster, Co-President of the Federation.  “Candidate cities such as Cologne, Johannesburg and Paris show that the inspiration of founder Tom Waddell and other 1982 Gay Games organizers becomes stronger with each cycle, confirming interest in bidding for our events from countries and continents where only just a few years ago such a project could not have been considered.”

Names of the groups submitting letters of intent to bid are Sport Club Janus e.V. (Cologne), the Johannesburg Gay Games Bid Committee and the Paris Gay Games Bid Committee.  Federation officials said that support for LGBT community activities is strong by local and federal governments in France, Germany and South Africa.

Roberto Mantaci, Federation co-president, noted that each of the potential 2010 bidding cities has key people who have participated in the Gay Games, attended Federation meetings, and worked on Federation committees.  He said that such experience is invaluable, not only in knowing what the Federation is seeking but particularly in what participants want and expect at each Gay Games.

“For the Federation’s part, we’re asking the bidding groups to focus on producing the core sports and cultural events,” Mantaci said.  “There has been a tendency of some previous bid groups to say they could organize any number of extra cultural, social and political activities that are not really necessary during the week of the Gay Games.  There are plenty of ongoing issues surrounding the LGBT community and sports that deserve a host committee’s fullest attention and resources.  And past participants have told us that if the host makes sure the core sports and cultural events are organized well, the Gay Games will be a success.”

The Gay Games is the largest ongoing event on the international LGBT calendar, with more than 10,000 participants taking part in approximately 30 sports, band and choral events every four years.  For more information about the Federation of Gay Games, go to www.gaygames.org.  For information about Gay Games VII in Chicago in 2006, including details on how to register, go to www.GayGamesChicago.org.