London loses out to Paris in fight to host Gay Games
The 2018 Gay Games will be held in Paris, after London lost out in the final decision on where to host the games.
The organisers of the London 2018 bid were supported by the British government, including Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who met the committee deciding which city should host the games on the day that the House of Lords voted for same-sex marriage.
The committee organising the bid said: “Naturally we are disappointed, but it has been an honour to be part of this experience and we are overwhelmed by the support of you all!”
Also in the running was the Irish city of Limerick.
David Killian, co-chair of the committee selecting a site, noted some factors that may have influenced voters in their choice: “The vote is the result of dozens of individual choices, but some points stood out for many voters. Paris proposed a wide range of sports in quality venues, many of which offer good visibility for the event. French LGBT sport organizations already have a great deal of experience hosting international multi-sport tournaments, and their LGBT community presents outstanding cultural events. They are already well advanced in planning, for example, with the designation of a dedicated sports manager. They arrived with demonstrable political support, including Minister for Sport Valerie Fourneyron and five-time Olympic fencing medalist Laura Flessel, who were part of the presentation team. And of course Paris is a great destination to visit or revisit.”
The Gay Games is open to competitors who are LGBT+ or straight.
