International gay sporting body signs up to local “one games” boycott

A MAJOR international LGBTI sporting body has signed up to an initiative by local LGBTI sports organisation Team Melbourne to boycott future Gay Games and World Outgames events until the two events’ organisers can agree to a single global event going forward.

The European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation has agreed to the initiative, and will also be encouraging its member clubs across most of Europe to sign up.

The initiative was launched earlier this year in response to the ongoing conflict between the Federation of Gay Games and the Gay and Lesbian International Sporting Association, who run the Gay Games and the World Outgames respectively.

The latter split from the former after conflict at the 2006 Montreal Outgames, resulting in mutiple international LGBTI sporting events often falling on the same year.

Particularly for LGBTI sporting clubs in the southern hemisphere the costs of travel are prohibitive for teams to attend all events, forcing them to choose.

Team Melbourne has said it will not bid for or support any international LGBTI sporting event beyond 2018 until the governing bodies of the Gay Games and the World Outgames agree on a unified global event.

“We look forward to more and more clubs signing up and showing their support for this,” said Team Melbourne president Carolyn Harrison.

“Let’s hope we can get many more logos on our page in support for this and work together to ensure we compete in an environment that maximises attendance, unifying us rather than dividing us.”