Calls for Hong Kong to better protect LGBT rights as city wins bid to host 2022 Gay Games
City’s tourism board will support the promotion of the event, adding that it’s ‘pleased’ at beating rivals Washington and Guadalajara to be next venue after Paris in 2018
With Hong Kong becoming the first Asian city to host the “Gay Olympics” in 2022, the city should now do more to legally protect sexual minorities, the team behind the city’s successful bid said on Tuesday.
The stewards of the largest LGBT sporting event in the world announced in Paris on Monday night that Hong Kong had won the backing of a majority of its voting committee, beating Washington in the US and Guadalajara in Mexico to be the host city five years from now. It did not give a breakdown of how the 70 votes were cast.
No Asian city has hosted the games since the event began in 1982.
Hong Kong’s 13-member bid team on Friday made its case to the committee that bringing the games to the city would help tackle the stigma and cultural barriers faced by LGBT groups across the region.
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On Tuesday, the team said “the real work” started now to make it the best Gay Games yet. Bid chair Dennis Philipse said. “We fought tirelessly and are elated to bring the games to Asia for the first time. Thank you all for your love and support.”
We fought tirelessly and are elated to bring the games to Asia for the first time