The Federation of Gay Games is an LGBT advocacy group that hosts the Gay Games sporting event every four years. The Gay Games was founded by Olympic decathlete Tom Waddell in 1982 and held its first event from August 28 to September 5 in San Francisco, California that year. Participants are accepted regardless of sexual orientation or ability level.

It has been a client of the left-of-center marketing firm Fairmount Group. ¹ Federation of Gay Games provides a scholarship for athletes from around the world who cannot afford to participate. Begun in 1986, this program has awarded over 1,000 scholarships, and has been endorsed by President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. As part of the fundraising for this scholarship, FGG also spearheaded the “My Gay Games” project, which highlights participants’ backstories, with an emphasis on struggles of the LGBT movement in their home countries. ²

Background

The Gay Games was founded by Olympic decathlete Tom Waddell in 1982 and held its first event from August 28 to September 5 in San Francisco, California that year. Participants are accepted regardless of sexual orientation or ability level. Its first event drew over 1,300 participants from around the world; by 1998 its Amsterdam, Netherlands event had attracted over 13,000 athletes. Although that number later fell sharply to 8,000 athletes for its 2014 games held in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, numbers rebounded in later years. However, residual complications resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the 2022 event being postponed to 2023, with only 1,200 competitors signed up six months prior to the event. ^{3 4}

It has been a client of the left-of-center marketing firm Fairmount Group. ⁵

“Gay Olympics” Lawsuit

The Gay Games was originally called the “Gay Olympics,” but a name change was implemented in 1982 after the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) obtained an injunction three weeks before the event itself. This forced Tom Waddell to rebrand the event and prevented the sale of merchandise such as t-shirts and buttons. ⁶

The countersuit, San Francisco Arts and Athletics Inc. v United States Olympic Committee, eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled 7-2 in favor of the U.S. Olympic Committee, stating that its regulation of the word “Olympic” did not violate the First Amendment’s free speech stipulations. The court also ruled 5-4 that the USOC was not guilty of discrimination although it had allowed other groups to use the Olympic title for their events. ⁷

Transgender and Non-Binary Athletes

In August 2011, FGG released an updated gender policy purportedly aimed at increasing a sense of “inclusion” while maintaining a sense of competitive fairness in respect to biological differences between men and women. The policy states, “to best safeguard fair play and safe participation, some sports may need to continue with the provision of male and female binary gender competition categories,” but adds, wherever possible, “alternative formats such as mixed gender competitions, specific nonbinary competitions, or open competitions with no gender categories at all” should be made available to participants. ⁸

Participants will still be required to use their legal name for registration purposes, but this information will be kept confidential by Gay Games if it differs from the competitor’s chosen name. Similarly, the group requires athletes to register using their legal sex for registration purposes, but the policy states that preferred pronoun choice will be respected, and that “the FGG and Gay Games host cities will never use this legal sex or gender identity in a way that may encroach on any right to self- identification.” These rules will be implemented ahead of its 2023 games in Guadalajara and Hong Kong. ⁹

Scholarship

The FGG provides a scholarship for athletes from around the world who cannot afford to participate. Begun in 1986, this program has awarded over 1,000 scholarships, and has been endorsed by President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. As part of the fundraising for this scholarship, FGG also spearheaded the “My Gay Games” project, which highlights participants’ backstories, with an emphasis on struggles of the LGBT movement in their home countries. ¹⁰

People

Joanie Evans is co-president of FGG and a former player for the Hackney Women’s Football Club. ¹¹

Sean Fitzgerald is co-president of FGG and a swimmer and water polo player for the Vancouver Whisky Jacks. ¹²

1. “Client List.” The Fairmount Group. Accessed July 21, 2023. https://thefairmountgroup.com/industries-served/client-list/
2. “FGG Scholarship Program.” FGG. Accessed June 26, 2023.https://gaygames.org/FGG-Scholarship-Program
3. “History of the Gay Games.” Accessed June 26, 2023. https://gaygames.org/History
4. Magaletti, Douglas. Gay Games Registration at Record Low Six Months Before Opening Ceremony.” Star Observer. May 15, 2023. Accessed June 26, 2023. https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/gay-games-registration-at-record-low-six-months-before-opening-ceremony/223792
5.  “Client List.” The Fairmount Group. Accessed July 21, 2023. https://thefairmountgroup.com/industries-served/client-list/
6. Elsasser, Glen. “Court Backs Limit on Commercial Use of ‘Olympic.’” Chicago Tribune.  June 26, 1987. Accessed June 26, 2023. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-06-26-8702170106-story.html
7. Taylor, Stuart Jr. “Justices Uphold U.S. Panel’s Ban Against Gay Olympic Title.” The New York Times. June 26, 1987. Accessed June 26, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/26/us/supreme-court-roundup-justices-uphold-us-panel-s-ban-against-gay-olympics-title.html?login=email&auth=login-email
8. “Gender Policy August 2022.” FGG. Accessed June 26, 2023. https://gaygames.org/resources/Documents/FGG%20Gender%20Policy.pdf
9. “Gender Policy August 2022.” FGG. Accessed June 26, 2023. https://gaygames.org/resources/Documents/FGG%20Gender%20Policy.pdf
10.  “FGG Scholarship Program.” FGG. Accessed June 26, 2023.https://gaygames.org/FGG-Scholarship-Program
11. “FGG Scholarship Program.” FGG. Accessed June 26, 2023.https://gaygames.org/FGG-Scholarship-Program
12.  Brady, Rachel. “For LGBTQ athletes, “The Gay Games are as Crucial Now as When They Were Founded.” The Globe and Mail. June 17, 2023. Accessed June 26, 2023. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-design/article-gay-games-canada-2023/