Sports Uniforms & Trophies
Sports teams have always had their heroes. The push for equality in sports for the
GLBT community is no exception.
2014 was a watershed year for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
athletes… Michael Sam's NFL draft and kiss with his boyfriend on national television
to the international controversy surrounding the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, visibility
surrounding queer athletes … – James Michael Nichols/The Huffington Post
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The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics were not the first time gay Olympians have come under
scrutiny. Consider the 1982 Gay Olympic Games.
Perhaps, the best-known story connected with the games is that of the legal proceedings
with the U.S. Olympic Committee over the Gay Games’ use of the word “Olympic.” Using the
Olympic Games as a model and in keeping with other events such as the Special Olympics,
the Gay Olympic Games were formed. Nineteen days prior to the event, the United States
Olympic Committee obtained an injunction forbidding the use of the word “Olympic” in any
of the event’s materials. Of course, by that time press packets, T-shirts, and posters
had already been printed. The success of the 1982 Gay Games in San Francisco spawned a
movement that continues to this day. The federation oversees the organization of the
quadrennial event, which has taken place in San Francisco (1986), Vancouver (1990),
New York City (1994), Amsterdam (1998), and Sydney (2002). -– San Francisco Public Library
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In addition, the Gay Games were also played in Chicago in 2006, Cologne in 2010,
Cleveland and Akron, Ohio in 2014, and in 2018 will be held in Paris France.
In addition to the games, there are now gay and lesbian sports groups in many cities around the world that meet to bowl, run, bike, swim, row, and play softball, to name just a few of the sports. The Gay Games have opened up another avenue for individuals in the GLBT community to connect.
