Hong Kong is still safe and protests will not stop the 2022 Gay Games as day-to-day life is unaffected, say organisers
- Past events, like Sars, illustrate Hong Kong’s ability to bounce back from crisis, say organisers
- Images of violence give rise to concerns, but the reality in Hong Kong is safe on a day-to-day basis, they say
The 2022 Gay Games will not be affected by civil unrest in Hong Kong, the organisers have said. The city has been rocked by more than 100 days of anti-government protests that started as opposition to a controversial extradition bill, but day-to-day life remains unaffected, said Linda Kovarik, director of marketing at local organising committee Hong Kong Gay Games.
“If you’re in North America, you don’t know what it’s like here. You see these images, they look at them and think it’s like Beirut in the 1980s, but they don’t see what Monday is like,” Kovarik said, following articles in US publications saying the Games are in “jeopardy”.
Kovarik has lived in Hong Kong for more than 30 years.
“Based on what we’ve seen, our gut is telling us we’ll be able to put on the Games,” she said. “Based on Sars [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, a 2003 epidemic], and how Hong Kong dealt with the credit crunch, and even how quickly things blow over in mainland China, we think Hong Kong will bounce back quickly.”
The Gay Games is a sporting and culture event hosted every four years, designed to promote the LGBTQ community, diversity and tolerance. It will be held in Hong Kong in November 2022.
Dennis Philipse, the man responsible for winning the bid to host the Games, echoed Kovarik’s view.