The Cologne Gay Games 2010 will be about spreading the global message of acceptance, organisers say.
Australian representative for the Gay Games Philipp Lischke said: ‘It’s really important that we have a global event like that bringing over the message ‘Hey, we’re actually people like you guys,’ and we’re doing sport, for example, but on the other hand we can’t compete in the Olympic games, even if you’re good enough, because some countries just don’t allow there to be gay or lesbian team members in their teams,’ he said.
‘So it’s still important to have this kind of Games to bring the message across that there’s still so many issues worldwide for gays and lesbians that are not achieved yet.’
He said despite the European Union opening up its countries’ borders there were still parts of the union where gays and lesbians couldn’t live out in the open and freely express themselves.
‘I still think that’s one of the main parts of the Games,’ Lischke said.
‘To let people experience a free event where everyone can be themselves and let them bring back that feeling to their communities and work on creating a better community there.’
The games were the first gay-orientated sporting events to be established worldwide and should not be confused with the World Outgames, which began 24 years later.
Since the Gay Games were founded in San Francisco in 1982, they have continued to grow and have attracted up to 13,000 participants.
However the creation of the World Outgames has increased competition for the mantle of the biggest amateur athletic event.
Yet organisers remain optimistic that next year’s games will draw thousands to Germany’s oldest city, which is home to about 100,000 gays and lesbians.
‘There’s a little competition going on with the Out Games, which were just held in Copenhagen this year, and now we feel that a lot of sports clubs have started to prepare themselves towards 2010 and the Gay Games,’ Lischke said.
So far hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders have already begun to prepare.
‘When you compare it to the Olympic Games, where you march into the stadium as a country, at the Gay Games you march in as a city team,’ Lischke said.
‘So at the end of the day there’ll be Team Sydney, Team Melbourne, Team Adelaide – maybe Team Perth, hopefully – and all the others which are little cities, such as Broome or whatever, we try to match with other city teams so that they can join.’
Unlike the Olympics, the Gay Games enable people from all walks of life to compete against each other regardless of skill level, age or physical challenge.
The sporting events include badminton, basketball, beach-volleyball, bodybuilding, bowling, chess, cycling, dancesport, diving, field-hockey, figure skating, golf handball, ice hockey, inline speed skating, martial arts, pool-billiards, power lifting, road races (including marathon), sailing, soccer, softball, sport climbing, sport shooting, squash, swimming, sychronized swimming, table tennis, tennis, track and field, triathlon, volleyball, water polo, wrestling.
Lischke and his partner Christian Skaar are competing in the full-marathon in Cologne, while Skaar also plans to compete in the triathlon.
‘I’m really looking forward to when I will march into the stadium at Cologne, which is my city, and when they start these games in my city, which is a once in a lifetime experience for sure,’ Lischke said.
Despite some concerns surrounding an anti-gay attack on a runner at the Outgames, Lischke said it was unlikely to be repeated in Cologne.
‘The violence in Copenhagen was one single person on the side of the street, and you can’t avoid stupid things like that, in any part of the world,’ he said.
‘The Copenhagen games, at the end of the day, were really safe games, and just had one incident.
‘Cologne is a really safe place when it comes to GLBT groups, so you will experience that next year.
‘Walking in Cologne down the streets, hand in hand, is a daily circumstance and that’s why Cologne is famous as a hidden major city for the GLBT community.
‘So I don’t see there being any security issues down there.
‘Having said that, the police of Cologne are already working on taking part in the event and making sure everything is safe during these days.’
Lischke has hoped to recreate the success of the Amsterdam Gay Games where the games were occurring on every street corner.
‘You could actually feel the gay games on every street corner – you had a celestian girl or a gay guy,’ he said.
‘You really had the feeling for this one week that you’re in gay heaven.
‘We strongly believe that Cologne has the same ring shape as Amsterdam has and our concept of running the villages towards the sports venues, these games will be very intense in terms of the streets’ awareness.’
People wishing to register have a deadline of January 1, 2010 before the registration fee increases.
‘There are initiatives at the moment to get indigenous people over as well but it’s always a funding topic and you need to have sponsors to finance these kinds of scholarships,’ Lischke said.
Anyone wishing to register or ask any questions can email Australia@games-cologne.de.
For those wishing to form a Team Perth, Greg Mant can be contacted at greg.inglewood@travelworld.com.au
In addition to the 34 athletic and five cultural disciplines, there are many social events such as dance parties and concerts, together with the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
There will be the visual arts event, the International Rainbow Memorial Run to commemorate the victims of HIV-AIDS and breast cancer, the Rhenish Extravaganza where visitors will get a taste of the Karneval (Mardi Gras), boat cruises and guided city tours.
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