The Gay Games

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 24 August 2022

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It has been 40 years since the first ever Gay Games were held in San Francisco. Attracting a large crowd and featuring more than 1,000 athletes from more than 100 countries, the event was organised by a group of LGBT activists, including former Olympians, to raise awareness about homophobia in sport. The Gay Games are now held every four years at venues around the world. In 2019, Ashley Byrne spoke to organiser Sara Waddell Lewinstein and athlete Rick Tomin. A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service. Photo: An athlete at the first Gay Games. Credit: Getty Images.

Transcript

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0:00.0	On the podium, the podcast where Olympic and Paralympic athletes share their remarkable personal journeys.
0:07.0	We make you proud to have believed until the end.
0:11.0	Search for on the podium.
0:12.0	We're ready to go, we're ready to have fun, we're ready to party.
0:15.0	Wherever you found, this podcast.
0:24.0	Hello and welcome to the Witness History Podcast from the BBC World Service.
0:29.0	Today, we're taking you back 40 years to when the first ever gay games were held in San Francisco.
0:36.0	Attracting a large crowd and featuring more than 1,000 athletes from 100 countries,
0:41.0	the event was organised by a group of LGBT activists, including former Olympians,
0:46.0	to raise awareness about homophobia in sport.
0:49.0	In 2019, Ashley Burns spoke to organiser Sarah Woodell Lewinstein, an athlete, Rick Tomin.
1:00.0	Is the 28th of August 1982, and at the Kesar Stadium in San Francisco,
1:06.0	over 1,300 lesbian gay bisexual and transgender athletes around the world
1:12.0	are about to compete in the inaugural gay games.
1:15.0	Our vision was to give everyone that right to do their personal best
1:20.0	to be able to live that game with whatever sport they want.
1:24.0	Originally billed as the gay Olympics, the games will run for nine days,
1:28.0	simultaneously flying the flag for equality and harmony.
1:31.0	It turned out to be a life-changing event, at least for me,
1:35.0	to help me combine my athlete side with my gay side.
1:39.0	It would go on to be considered one of the most uplifting events in LGBT history.
1:43.0	I have never had that feeling in all of the gay games as I had coming into gay games one.
	...

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