Hong Kong - First Asian Country To Possibly Hold 'Gay Olympics'

by Caroline Soriano / Mar 05, 2017 08:56 AM EST

Daily Beast Removes Story About Gay Olympic Athletes

The 2022 Gay Games is almost set and this has been confirmed recently after Hong Kong has made its final shortlist for the said event. The effort has been supported by the Tourism board and the Equal Opportunities commission while expecting to progress with over 15,000 competitors.

The event -- Gay Games -- has been established by Tom Waddell in San Francisco in the year 1982. Originally, it was referred as "Gay Olympics, however, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and International Olympics Committee has sued him just because of using the term "Olympics."

The controversial competition, despite its name, is open to all genders. However, Gay Games still put its attention to producing a safe and competitive environment for the LGBT community. (via Yahoo!)

Going back to the days when the "Olympics" issue has still been a concern, Mary Dunlap who has stood as Waddell's lawyer has argued about finding nothing wrong with the use of the word -- as it has been used to other things as well such as Beer Olympics, Junior Olympics, Police Olympics, and the like. Obviously, Dunlap views this as a kind of discrimination. However, the USOC won, making the name of the "Gay Games" rather than Gay Olympics since then.

This time, Hong Kong's event is said to feature uniqueness as it will hold not only traditional tracks and field events but also dragon boating. Also, it will include a conference, culture focus, and festivities with arts.

Gay Game may have started a long time ago, being a big help to professional athletes who have openly come up with their genders, however, discrimination still continues. This is why most athletes only reveal their genders when they are confident enough with having established careers. Nevertheless, the so-called "faggot jokes" continued, affecting most of the athletes.

But then, Gay Games has provided a safe place for gay athletes, letting them show their talents and strength while sending a message to the world that homosexuality is nothing different.