Primary Source Set: the Gay Games
The Gay Games is a competition for LGBTQ+ athletes from all over the world. It was founded in 1982 by a group that included Olympic decathlete Dr. Tom Waddell, as well as Rikki Streicher, owner of the iconic lesbian bar Amelia’s. Patterned after the Olympics and held every four years in a different city, the Gay Games came to encompass many different events, including track and field, wrestling, and bodybuilding. As AIDS cast a growing shadow over queer people’s lives (and led to Waddell’s 1987 death), the Games’ mission of celebrating the queer body became increasingly vital. Today, it remains a significant athletic and cultural event which gives queer athletes of many nations a joyous place in which to excel.
Selected Source Set
Additional Resources
The GLBT Historical Society has an extensive online collection of Gay Games photographs taken by Robert Pruzan.
We also have a large amount of material about the Games in the archives, which you can visit by making an appointment.
General search for the Gay Games in the Bay Area Reporter.
Research guide on archival holdings related to Sports
Contact reference@glbthistory.org for research questions or information about reproductions and permissions.
These primary source sets are just a small sampling of our digitized materials. Additional resources are available in our digital collections. Our extensive archival holdings are searchable through our catalog.