Denver advances as sole US city to potentially host ‘Gay Games’
DENVER (KDVR) — Denver advanced as one of the 10 worldwide cities that could host the Gay Games sports competition in 2030.
The Federation of Gay Games announced that 10 cities across five continents are still in the bid to host Gay Games XIII, and Denver is the sole U.S. city listed.
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Denver will present its case to host this fall in Washington, D.C., along with nine other cities.
What is Gay Games?
The event started in 1982 and happens every four years, bringing over 10,000 LGBTQIA+ people to compete in over 30 sports. The games welcome adults of all genders, gay or straight, whether beginner athletes or Olympic medalists, according to the website.
Denver was a top eight finalist for the 2022 games, and both Gov. Jared Polis and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston are in full support of Denver’s bid to host Gay Games in 2030.
“Colorado is a state where athletes can thrive no matter who they love or how they identify. Colorado is the best state for athletic training and events, and we welcome athletes of all backgrounds. I hope to welcome the Gay Games to Colorado in 2030, and maybe I’ll even try out for the baseball team,” Polis said.
What happens next?
Denver’s bid committee will work to finalize the proposed venues and details over the next few months.
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In October, Denver will present its case in Washington, and the top contending cities will be announced toward the end of the year. The official host city will not be decided until November 2025.
These are the other cities that are still in the running:
Adelaide, Australia
Auckland, New Zealand
Cape Town, South Africa
Edmonton, Canada
Frankfurt, Germany
Melbourne, Australia
Perth, Australia
Taipei, Taiwan
Vancouver, Canada
What does it mean for Denver?
After the Mile High City was selected among 25 cities to host the Gay Games, Denver created a website that outlines its vision.
The proposed list of featured sports includes:
Flag football
Dodgeball
Cheerleading
Kickball
Rock climbing
Rugby
Soccer
Softball
Volleyball
Water polo
According to a Federation of Gay Games impact study, hosting the Gay Games has economic value. The federation reports that when Paris hosted the games in 2018, it saw community profits of 107€ million, and Cleveland-Akron recorded $52 million in 2014.
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