A major, perhaps shocking change appears on the horizon for the LGBT sporting world, Windy City Times has learned.
Officials from the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) and the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association (GLISA) International met last week in Manchester (U.K.) and, reportedly, one main topic of discussion was for the collaboration on one quadrennial event, starting in 2018.
The 2018 event would comprise three equal components: sports, culture and human rights.
And, supposedly, there will be a new name for this joint event.
Nothing has been finalized as both boards must approve the decision.
“We both agreed that the goal is to have one quadrennial event [beginning] in 2018,” said Kurt Dahl, FGG co-president, said by phone from Manchester.
FGG and GLISA International have been in discussion about the potential merger since last July.
A joint news release will not be made until both boards have met and agreed, which would not be until April at the earliest, Dahl said.
The inaugural World Outgames, a GLISA International-authorized event, was held in Montreal
in 2006—and it started about a week after the seventh Gay Games ended in Chicago.
The 2009 World Outgames was held in Copenhagen, while the 2013 World Outgames will be in Antwerp, Belgium.
The 2010 Gay Games are scheduled to start this July in Cologne, Germany, while the 2014 Gay Games will be held in Cleveland.