When the first Gay Games, at that time called the "Gay Olympic Games", were held in San Francisco in 1982, they were hailed as an empowering sporting and cultural celebration organized by and for lesbians, gays and their allies on the principles of inclusion and participation.(1) From their inception, discrimination based on "sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, political belief(s), athletic/artistic ability, physical challenge, or HIV status" was prohibited; the Purpose of the Gay Games Sport and Cultural Festival was "to foster and augment the self-respect of lesbians and gay men... and to engender respect and understanding from the non-gay world" (Federation of Gay Games). Since their modest beginnings
