Vamos Valencia! Head down to Loton Park on Friday 5 June to farewell all the local sporting people heading off to the Gay Games in Valencia.
The Gay Games are in Spain this year, but the next outing in 2030 will be right here in Perth.
Capacity is limited to just 150 people so its essential you register your attendance. The farewell celebrations run from 5:30pm through to 8:30pm. There will be a cashless bar (meaning you need to use electronic payment) plus complimentary snacks and loads of entertainment including DJ Sailor on the decks and a drag sensation Barbie Q.
The 2026 Gay Games will be held in Valencia, Spain from 27th June until 4th July.
The Gay Games made their debut in San Francisco in 1982. Originally they were called the Gay Olympics.
The idea for a gay sporting competition akin to the Olympics was the brainchild of Olympian Tom Waddell. Wadell participated in the Decathlon in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, before becoming a medical doctor. He saw the need for a LGBTIQA+ focused event as people often experienced discrimination in the sporting realm.
Unlike the Olympics, there is no qualifying round, those who are willing to make the trip to the host city and take part are welcomed, and there is no requirement to disclose your sexuality.
Since its initial set up in San Franciso, which hosted the inaugural event in 1982 and the follow up in 1986, the event has been held in many cities.
Vancouver, New York, Amsterdam, Sydney, Chicago, Cologne, Cleveland-Akron and Paris have all played host.
The most recent games were originally planned to be held in Hong Kong in 2022, but they were pushed back a year due the Corona virus pandemic. Guadalajara in Mexico was added as an additional host city with events split across the two locations.
