With the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics well underway, LGBTQ+ athletes are celebrating a record 47 out Olympic competitors in this year’s Games.
But even in this milestone, LGBTQ+ folks — especially those who are trans or non-binary — continue to hear the refrain of critics who want to exclude them from community (and competitive) athletics.
There is, however, one place they can go where their identities are fully celebrated: The Gay Games.
With a tagline promoting “participation, inclusion, and personal best,” the 10-day spectacle of the Gay Games is hosted every four years, just like the Olympics.
Combining athletics, art, culture, and community, it’s an event that is always open to everyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, or any other factor.
A variety of events, including dragon boating and drag shows, are on the Gay Games agenda. Photo courtesy of The Gay Games/Facebook
In 1982, Olympic decathlete Tom Waddell founded the Federation of Gay Games to create a major sports competition that intentionally carved out a space for athletes of all sexual orientations.
“Athletically speaking, the Games are not about competition alone, they never were. They are about participation and self-fulfillment,” Waddell said in 1983.
“They are not just a one-week event, they are a continuous process. They’re symbolic in the Gay movement in a way that is assertively free of discrimination. They’re symbolic of friendship and fun, and they are for everyone.”
Just like Waddell’s original vision, the current iteration of the Gay Games is part-competition, part-community fun.
Participants can compete in a number of tournaments in sports such as aquatics, track and field, bowling, cycling, dance, and much more.
But attendees can also join in for the International Rainbow Memorial Run, partake in workshops, or take a dip in the pool.
Both traditional and participation medals are awarded, and the Federation offers a wide range of binary and mix-gender category options for participants.
This encourages all participants to take part in the gender category they feel most accurately reflects their identities.
Since 1982, the Gay Games have been a safe place for LGBTQ+ athletes to compete and be together. Photo courtesy of Gay Games/Facebook
The next Games are scheduled for the summer of 2026, taking place in València, Spain. The host city for 2030 will be Perth, Australia, though Denver, Colorado was the runner-up, out of 25 cities that put in their bids to host.
“Colorado is a state where athletes can thrive no matter who they love or how they identify,” Governor Jared Polis said in 2024. “I hope to welcome the Gay Games to Colorado in 2030 — and maybe I’ll even try out for the baseball team.”
Ultimately, the honor went to Perth after a thorough site selection process by the Gay Games team.
“Each city has worked incredibly hard to present themselves as a potential host, and has firmly stamped their local culture and uniqueness onto their proposals,” Austin Manning, the officer of site selection for the Gay Games said in a statement.
“This milestone is not just about choosing a city; it’s about envisioning a future where LGBTQ+ sports and culture, and the values we have in common, shine brighter than ever.”
Those who would like to attend or compete in the 2026 games in Spain can still register online, with registration fees starting at $195.
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A version of this article was originally published in The 2024 Pride Edition of the Goodnewspaper.
Header image courtesy of The Gay Games/Facebook
