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The Mission

"SYDNEY 2002, in partnership with the Federation of Gay Games and the gay & lesbian community, will create a great international sporting & cultural experience, which provides opportunities for all people to participate and achieve their personal best, leaving a legacy of cultural, sporting and commercial enrichment for the whole community."

Games Can Change The World!

"The Gay Games is a quadrennial athletic and cultural event which brings together people from around the world.

Based on the principles of inclusion and participation, the Gay Games welcomes all people without regard to their sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, political belief, physical ability, athletic/artistic ability, or HIV status.

There are no minimum standards to qualify for the Gay Games; the only requirement is the desire to support the ideals of the Games. When accepting the Gay Games' challenge to reach for one's personal best in sporting, artistic, and cultural activities, all Gay Games participants become winners.

By creating a safe and accepting environment, the Gay Games offers participants the opportunity to express themselves openly and to experience the camaraderie and validation of sport, culture, and art. The experience can be a highlight in one's lifetime."

History of the Gay Games.

The 1st Games - 1982 San Francisco USA

The first Gay Games opened on August 28, 1982 in San Francisco USA.

The event attracted 1,600 athletes from Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand and West Germany and the US.

The 2nd Games - 1986 San Francisco USA

Cultural events were included

More participants with a wider range of lifestyles and interests joined.

3,500 athletes competed in the week-long expanded program event.

Sports people from 17 countries participated.

3rd Gay Games - 1990 Vancouver Canada

Death of Dr. Tom Waddell (the founder)

A name change to the "Federation of Gay Games" was instigated to protect the ideals and spirit of the movement.

A total of 9,500 athletes and cultural participants attended, competing in twenty-three sporting events.

Visitors from 39 countries attended.

4th Gay Games - 1994 New York City USA

Almost 11,000 participants from forty countries around the
   world attended.

31 sporting events and numerous cultural and arts programs
   where promoted.

Gay Games IV was the largest sporting event in the world.

5th Gay Games - 1998 Amsterdam Netherlands

250,000 visitors attended.

The city of Amsterdam hosted performing and visual arts,
   gay film festivals and music programs.

14,700 athletes competed in 30 official sporting events
    -- 42% of them were women.

6th Gay Games - 25th Oct - 9th November 2002 Sydney Australia

Gay Games will make its first journey to the Southern
   Hemisphere.

The venues used for the Sydney 2000 Olympics will be used.

CULTURAL FESTIVAL  25th October - 9th November 2002

SPORTS FESTIVAL  2nd-9th November 2002

OPENING CEREMONY  2nd November 2002

CLOSING CEREMONY   9th November 2002

Early registration begins March 1, 200

Participants may register until July 31, 2002.

The Sports

Aerobics
Badminton
Basketball
Bowling
Cycling
Dancing
Diving
Field Hockey
Figure Skating
Golf
Ice Hockey
Judo
Marathon
Martial Arts
Netball
Physique
Pool Billiard
Power Lifting
Sailing
Soccer/Football
Softball
Squash
Swimming
Table Tennis
Tennis
Touch Rugby
Track and Field
Triathlon
Volleyball
Water Polo
Wrestling

INFORMATION BROCHURE

Click here to download the information brochure from the official Sydney Gay Games site at www.sydney2002.org.au

(this requires you have acrobat reader installed and may take some time to download)

The Venues

The Gay Games 2002 will be held in two main zones -- the Sydney Harbour Zone and Sydney Olympic Park.

Olympic Park

The Olympic Park is a complex of sporting venues within
a few minutes walk from each other. The complex is in Homebush Bay -- about 30 minutes by train from the city centre.

Some of the events that will be held in Olympic Park are:

Swimming
Water Polo
Diving
Tennis (higher grades & finals)
Volley Ball (3 grades)
Track and Field
Marathon
Field Hockey

Sydney Harbour Zone

The Sydney Harbour Zone includes the city area as well as Sydney Harbour itself. There's a range of venues throughout the city and harbour areas that will be used.

Other Venues

A few sports -- like triathlon -- will be held outside the main 2 zones. Further details will appear on the official site when they are published.

THE EVENTS & SCHEDULE

To go directly to the official schedule list on the Sydney 2002
 website, click here, select "Sport" from the navigation menu
and then select "The Schedule"

Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony will be a jubilant welcome based upon the theme "Under New Skies" -- the first Gay Games in the Southern Hemisphere.

Athletes and cultural participants will enter the stadium as 'teams' reflecting the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities of Sydney, Australia and the Asia/Pacific.

There will be lots of energy, talent, tributes to the work of community groups, fun and song, with stars that shine under our skies and almost certainly, a smattering of those from the international galaxy.

The event will reflect 'community' with lots of energy, talent and tributes to community groups, fun and song. We guarantee an unforgettable opening to Gay Games VI.

Sydney Gay Games 2002:
-- Be There or Be Square

Closing Ceremony

By contrast, the concept for the Closing Ceremony is to take place in a relaxed picnic like environment... no more processions and stadiums, just relaxed fun.  All the necessary protocols will be observed, but that can be well managed within a less formal but no less inspiring event.

Conferences
Program

Many conferences and workshops will provide the intellectual bases for the celebrations, and stimulate debate and discussion on a wide-range of topics including social issues, law, medicine, equal rights, genetics, the workplace and various philosophical positions in relation to sexual difference.

Details will be available in November 2001.

The Word is Out

The Grand Ball

A four day dance competition will culminate with the Grand Ball at the Sydney Town Hall.

We recommend you pack your Ball frock or tux.

The Sydney Womens' Dance Band, modeled on the great 'all girl' bands
of the 1930s and 1940s will provide
the mix and rhythms.

Quilt Memorial

The Quilt Project - Sydney will display quilt blocks from around the world.

A Memorial Service and unfolding of the quilts will also be held during the Gay Games.

A South Pacific Hangi

To celebrate the end of the swimming competition you can attend the water polo finals, with a demonstration of synchronized swimming and the Pink Flamingo Relay in the theme of the "South Pacific".

Teams will be limited to 5 minutes and will be judged on overall creativity, costumes, choreography, and use of the pool. (competitors should go to the official site www.sydney2002.org.au to get more details

After the completion of the swimming competition, the water polo finals and Pink Flamingo Relay, audience members will be ushered to the terrific tropical garden for a traditional hangi (where meats are baked on charcoal in the ground).

Expect the best of the South Pacific pool party - eating, drinking palm trees, slides, pool,
bar, spas and music.

Choral
Concert

The Opera House will host the many choirs and singers gathered in Sydney by performing in both afternoon and evening sessions. Don't miss your chance to see a performance in one of the worlds great venues.

Tickets

While some events will not require tickets, the events most likely to be ticketed are Aerobics, Basketball finals, Dancing, Diving, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Netball finals, Physique, Power lifting, Soccer finals, Swimming, Tennis finals, Track and Field, Volleyball finals, Water Polo finals, Grand Ball, Opening and Closing Ceremony, Pink Flamingo swimming races.

Day passes are expected to be available as well.

Tickets for all Gay Games events will go on sale in April 2002 and you will be able to order online. You should register your interest in the Conference Program now at:

www.sydney2002.org.au

Participant
Registration

You can register for the Gay Games VI as a participant in sport or cultural events, an associated conference or for a scholarship here. The registration system requires that you register as an individual, even if you are part of a sports team, choir or marching band

Registration continues from 1 November 2001 – 31 July 2002 after which late registrations will be accepted for some sports and cultural events, however there will be a US $50 late registration fee.

Do you want to register now? Have you read your sports or cultural event information? Do you know what you are going to register for? If not, please refer to the Sport A-Z page and/or Cultural Festival Program page first before you continue.

Click here to Register as a Participant

Would You Like to Participate?

If you are interested in being an official (judge, referee, umpire etc.), a volunteer, accredited media, applying for a scholarship or simply a visitor or spectator, you can express your interest here.

You may also express interest in participating in the Global Rights Conferences Program.

You will go through the same registration process as participants and will be given a registration number. You will not be required to pay.

Expressing your interest is FREE^*. It allows us to better accommodate you and keep you informed via email.

Click Here to Register your Expression of Interest

^*From 1 November 2001, accredited media will be charged a AUD$50 accreditation fee.

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

To volunteer gives expression to the key Gay Games values of inclusion, participation and personal best. It is also a terrific way to meet people, support the event and be a part of a great celebration of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender pride.

If you live in Sydney, you have the opportunity of volunteering immediately, if you wish.

If you do not live in Sydney, we are unable to offer you a volunteer placement until Games-time. However we will keep your expression of interest on file, add you to the mailing list for our volunteers' news letter and contact you for more information about your skills, interests and availability closer to the time. People who want to become involved now but do not live in Sydney are encouraged to support the activities of their local Team in promoting the GGVI event in their own communities.

If you are a registered official / judge / referee for a sport, email the contact for your sport to see if you are able to lend a hand during the sports events. Then express your interest as a Gay Games VI official.

Please express your interest as a volunteer here. Your information is passed to the Volunteer Coordinator who will contact you.

If you have any questions, you can email volunteer@sydney2002.org.au

Participants: Special Needs

For detailed
policy information,
please go to the sydney2002.org.au website,  then select
"Specific Needs"
from the menu.

PURPOSE OF THE SPECIFIC NEEDS & DISABILITY POLICY

The Specific Needs and Disability Policy represents a commitment to include participants with specific needs and disabilities as athletes, artists, staff, officials and volunteers, in the lead up and during the Sydney 2002 Gay Games. Sydney 2002 Gay Games recognizes that the emphasis is on ability not disability.

SPECIFIC NEEDS &
DISABILITY DEFINED

To clarify, participants could have one or more of the following:

intellectual disability
hearing or vision impairment
HIV/AIDS
medical condition
mental illness
neurological disorder/brain injury
physical disability

Participants will have the choice to disclose their specific need or disability.

THE GOALS OF THE NEEDS AND DISABILITY POLICY

The goals of this policy can be summarized as:

1. raising awareness about people with specific needs and disabilities within the preparation and staging of Sydney 2002 sporting and cultural events and to encourage people to think and act inclusively.

2. encouraging participation of people with specific needs and disabilities.

3. ensuring 2002 sporting and cultural events, are accessible to people with specific needs and disabilities.