{{Short description|LGBT multi-sport event in Cologne, Germany}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2014}} {{Infobox games | name = VIII Gay Games <br>Cologne 2010 | logo = GG2010-midi.gif | size = | caption = | host_city = Cologne | country = Germany | motto = Be part of it! | nations = 70 | athletes = 9,500 | events = 35 sports | opening = {{Start date|2010|07|31}} | closing = {{End date|2010|08|07}} | opened_by = | athlete_oath = | judge_oath = | torch_lighter = | Paralympic_torch = | Queens_Baton = <!-- for Commonwealth Games only --> | stadium = RheinEnergieStadion | Paralympic_stadium = | length = | website = | previous = Gay Games VII | next = Gay Games IX }} The '''2010 Gay Games''' ('''Gay Games VIII''') were an international multi-sport event and cultural gathering organized by, and specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) athletes, artists and musicians. It was held from July 31 to August 7, 2010 in Cologne, Germany.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gaygames.org/History |title=History |website=Gay Gays |access-date=March 8, 2021}}</ref>
==Bidding process== On 16 March 2005, the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) announced that Cologne, Johannesburg, and Paris were the official candidate cities for Gay Games VIII in 2010. Cologne was elected in the FGG annual meeting in Chicago on 13 November 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gaygames.com/en/media/releases/2005/FGG051113PR/FGG051113PR.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051126100018/http://www.gaygames.com/en/media/releases/2005/FGG051113PR/FGG051113PR.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 November 2005 |title=Cologne, Germany, Announced as Host for 2010 Gay Games |accessdate=2009-02-04 |publisher=Federation of Gay Games |date=13 November 2005 }}</ref> The 2010 Games marked the first time the Games were held in Germany, and the second time in Europe (Amsterdam hosted in 1998). In the 2010 Gay Games was Sir Elton John was announced as the ambassador of the games on November 7.<ref>{{Cite web|last=U.S.|first=Newswire|date=2007-11-05|title=Sir Elton John Becomes Gay Games Ambassador|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/450829471|id={{ProQuest|450829471}}}}</ref>
==Participating nations== Athletes from 70 countries participated at the 2010 Gay Games.<ref>[http://www.games-cologne.de/en/static/take-part/participants-information participants information] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726015232/http://www.games-cologne.de/en/static/take-part/participants-information |date=July 26, 2011 }}, www.games-cologne.de</ref> The most athletes came from Germany (2,955), followed by the United States (2,215), the United Kingdom (841), the Netherlands (658) and France (524).
{| |- |valign=top width="200px" | *{{flag|Angola}} *{{flag|Argentina}} *{{flag|Australia}} *{{flag|Austria}} *{{flag|Belgium}} *{{flag|Brazil}} *{{flag|Bulgaria}} *{{flag|Canada}} *{{flag|Chile}} *{{flag|China}} *{{flag|Colombia}} *{{flag|Croatia}} *{{flag|Czech Republic}} *{{flag|Denmark}} *{{flag|Dominican Republic}} *{{flag|El Salvador}} *{{flag|Estonia}} |valign=top width="200px" | *{{flag|Finland}} *{{flag|France}} *{{flag|Germany}} *{{flag|Ghana}} *{{flag|Greece}} *{{flag|Guatemala}} *{{flag|Hong Kong}} *{{flag|Hungary}} *{{flag|Iceland}} *{{flag|India}} *{{flag|Indonesia}} *{{flag|Ireland}} *{{flag|Israel}} *{{flag|Italy}} *{{flag|Jamaica}} *{{flag|Japan}} *{{flag|Kenya}} |valign=top width="200px" | *{{flag|Latvia}} *{{flag|Liberia}} *{{flag|Lithuania}} *{{flag|Luxembourg}} *{{flag|Mexico}} *{{flag|Montenegro}} *{{flag|Netherlands}} *{{flag|New Zealand}} *{{flag|Norway}} *{{flag|Pakistan}} *{{flag|Peru}} *{{flag|Philippines}} *{{flag|Poland}} *{{flag|Puerto Rico}} *{{flag|Russian Federation}} *{{flag|Singapore}} *{{flag|Slovakia}} |valign=top width="200px" | *{{flag|Slovenia}} *{{flag|South Africa}} *{{flag|Spain}} *{{flag|Sri Lanka}} *{{flag|Suriname}} *{{flag|Sweden}} *{{flag|Switzerland}} *{{flag|Taiwan}} *{{flag|Tanzania}} *{{flag|Thailand}} *{{flag|Turkey}} *{{flag|United Arab Emirates}} *{{flag|United Kingdom}} *{{flag|United States}} *{{flag|Uruguay}} |}
==Opening ceremony== German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle (who was openly gay) attended the opening ceremony on 31 July 2010.<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5853139,00.html "Cologne gears up to play and party as host to Gay Games"]</ref>
The Official Anthem for the 2010 Gay Games was "Facing a Miracle" by Taylor Dayne in which she performed live.
Also Sir Elton John was announced as an ambassador of the games on November 7.<ref>Elton john becomes gay games ambassador . (2005). Retrieved from
https://www.mambaonline.com/2005/11/08/elton-john-becomes-gay-games-ambassador/</ref>
== Events == [[File:FIFA WM06 Stadion Koeln.jpg|thumb|RheinEnergieStadion at Müngersdorfer Sportpark]] The event featured 35 sports, accompanied by community and cultural events throughout Cologne and the surrounding area.
{| class="wikitable" |- ! Event ! Location |- | Opening and closing ceremonies | RheinEnergieStadion |- | Synchronized swimming | German Sport University Cologne |- | Softball | Südstadion Sporting Complex |- | Cycling | Köln-Longerich |- | Sailing | Roermond, Netherlands |}
The 35 disciplines consisted of Badminton, Basketball, Beach-Volleyball, Bodybuilding (Physique), Bowling, Bridge, Chess, Cycling, DanceSport, Diving, Field Hockey, Figure Skating, Golf, Handball, Ice Hockey, Inline Speed Skating, Martial Arts, Pool-Billiards, Powerlifting, Road Races incl. Marathon, Sailing, Soccer (Football), Softball, Sport Climbing, Sport Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Synchronized Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Track and Field Triathlon, Volleyball, Water Polo and Wrestling.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gaygames.org/GGVIII-results |title=Gay Games VIII Results |website=Federation of Gay Games |access-date=March 8, 2021}}</ref>
Soccer (football) had the largest participation with more than 1,000 male and female competitors.<ref>Scally, Derek. "One Hundred Irish Go for Gold at Gay Games." ''Irish Times'', August 7, 2010, pp. 4''.''</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|LGBTQ|Sports}} * Federation of Gay Games, the sanctioning body of the Gay Games * Gay Games * LGBT rights in Germany * List of LGBT-related organizations
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090202012402/http://www.games-cologne.de/en/ Gay Games VIII official Homepage] (English) * [http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5868750,00.html Postcard from Europe: Questioning the necessity of the Gay Games]
{{Gay Games}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gay Games 2010}} 2010 Category:2010 in multi-sport events Category:2010 in German sport Cologne Category:Sport in Cologne Category:Multi-sport events in Germany Category:2010 in LGBTQ history Category:LGBTQ culture in Cologne