The Gay Games are going bi… continental.
The Federation of Gay Games (FGG) and Gay Games 11 Hong Kong (GGHK) announced that Guadalajara, Mexico has been named the presumptive co-host of the November 2023 Gay Games.
Guadalajara was a finalist for the 2022 and 2026 Gay Games. Located in the state of Jalisco, it is the second largest city in Mexico and the birthplace of Mexican cultural mainstays including mariachi and charrería.
Related: Gay Travel Guide to Guadalajara
Lisa Lam, co-chair of Gay Games Hong Kong, said, “In these unprecedented times, we have to be agile and adaptable to a constantly changing environment. Faced with continued challenges brought on by the Covid pandemic, with the desire to ensure more participants can join the Games regardless of their locations, GGHK recently proposed the concept of a co-hosted event to the Federation of Gay Games.
“By having Gay Games 11 accessible to participants across two locations we can ensure we meet our aim of being as inclusive as possible while international travel continues to recover. We will still be holding the first Gay Games in Asia, but potentially for the first time in Latin America as well, welcoming the widest possible audience to both cities. There is a huge amount of planning to do and we will be providing more detailed updates as soon as we are in a position to share more information.”
Sean Fitzgerald, co-president of FGG, said, “We are energized by this opportunity to organize the first Gay Games in Asia and in Latin America both in November 2023. While the Games are two years away, we are embarking on a mountain of feasibility studies and planning to be undertaken in collaboration between the FGG, Hong Kong and Guadalajara. The passion of these two teams will bring to life the vision of Dr. Tom Waddell and the mission of the Gay Games: participation, inclusion and personal best.”
