Guadalajara to Co-Host 2023 Gay Games with Hong Kong

Guadalajara has been named the presumptive co-host of the November 2023 Gay Games, a global multi-sport event founded in 1982 that celebrates diversity and inclusion.

The Federation of Gay Games (FGG) will more than likely move events to Guadalajara for the 2023 Gay Games, and away from the host city, Hong Kong, where the government’s adherence to strict quarantines and travel bans has strangled the travel industry, according to Bloomberg.

Hong Kong’s tough travel restrictions include a 14 -day quarantine for returning residents, and the city has banned flights from nine countries, including Australia, Britain, and the United States. 

Founder and co-chairman of the Hong Kong event, Dennis Philipse, who spearheaded the city’s successful bid to play host, resigned, but he will continue in an advisory role on the Games committee.  

Philipse believes the decision to co-host with Guadalajara is the best solution to ensure the event could take place and allow people to attend. “This has been a long journey,” Philipse told the South China Morning Post. “We just need to be adaptable to the situation in Hong Kong and that is very painful, but at some point, we need to face reality.” 

Guadalajara, a finalist for the 2022 and 2026 Gay Games, is an international city located in Jalisco, a state with the official slogan “Jalisco is México” for being the birthplace of many significant Mexican cultural mainstays including tequila, mariachi, birria, and more.

“In these unprecedented times, we have to be agile and adaptable to a constantly changing environment,” said Lisa Lam, co-chair of the Gay Games Hong Kong (GGHK). “By having Gay Games 11 accessible to participants across two locations we can ensure we meet our aim of being as inclusive as possible while international travel continues to recover.”

Even though changes are underway, officials at the Federation of Gay Games still believe the special event will still have history-making moments.  

“We are energized by this opportunity to organize the first Gay Games in Asia and in Latin America both in November 2023,” said Sean Fitzgerald, co-president of FGG. “While the Games are two years away, we are embarking on a mountain of feasibility studies and planning to be undertaken in collaboration between the FGG, Hong Kong, and Guadalajara.”

According to Bloomberg, the Hong Kong games have received support from the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Hong Kong Tourism Board, pro-establishment politicians have attacked the event, with lawmaker Junius Ho last year calling the event “disgraceful” and “wolf in sheep’s clothing” that could post a threat to national security. 

LGBTQ+ people have suffered repeated setbacks in mainland China, where the government last year shut down WeChat accounts of LGBTQ+ university students and attacked “effeminate men” in state-run media. 

In addition to the recent changes and co-chair resignation, GGHK announced the members of its “Road to 2023” management committee, a dedicated and passionate team of over 20 leaders, many of whom have been with the Games since Hong Kong won the bid in 2017. Leading a passionate team of volunteers, this group will bring fresh energy, established experience and connections, essential ingredients for a successful event. For in-depth profiles of each member please visit this [link].

To ensure continuity as Hong Kong and Guadalajara build the co-host teams, Lisa Lam will remain as GGHK co-chair and Nigel Lee, who has represented GGHK at FGG events for the last few years, will stand in as acting co-chair until a new co-chair based in Hong Kong can be brought on-board.