The recently concluded Milan Cortina Winter Olympics featured a record-breaking number of openly LGBTQ+ athletes, with over 45 participants from 14 countries who took home 11 medals, including five gold.
This summer, queer athletes from around the world will converge in Valencia, Spain, for the annual Gay Games. Just like the Olympics, the games are held every four years, and Atlanta could be in the running for the 2034 event.
Atlanta historian and activist Tom Dibble Dempsey said he and a small group of supporters are gearing up to start planning for an Atlanta bid. A request for proposals will be issued for Gay Games XIII in early 2027.
Dempsey attended the 1998 games in Amsterdam and immediately wanted to bring the event to Atlanta. An unsuccessful bid was mounted in 2006, with the games eventually going to Chicago.
“Atlanta is primed and has so much to offer,” Dempsey said. “We’re even more attractive now than after the 1996 Olympics, because we have even more infrastructure.”
He said Atlanta’s successful hosting of multiple Super Bowls and the upcoming FIFA World Cup matches should make the city a frontrunner for 2034.
Dempsey said the City of Atlanta, Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Atlanta Sports Council will need to lead the bid, but wants to put together a diverse group of volunteers and sports organizations to lay the groundwork and raise initial funding for the campaign.
“We are also looking to host the annual Gay Games General Assembly in Atlanta in the next few years,” Dempsey said. “It is the annual meeting of the Federation of Gay Games, and Atlanta would be a great host.”
If you or your organization is interested, email atlantabid2034@team-atlanta.org. More information is available on the Team Atlanta Facebook page.