European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation
Encyclopedia
The European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) is a sporting body for homosexuals in Europe
. It was founded by German
and Dutch
LGBT
sport clubs in 1989 after being inspirated by the first Gay Games
in San Francisco, United States. Its headquarters are in Amsterdam
, The Netherlands
. Today, EGLSF has more than a hundred LGBT sport clubs from all over Europe as members, representing more than 10.000 European athletes.
Since 1992, the EGLSF celebrates a huge European gay sport event once a year: the EuroGames
, the European Gay & Lesbian Championships. There are two levels of EuroGames: large-scale EuroGames which are held every 4 years and small-scale EuroGames which are held annually (except for years in which Gay Games or Outgames take place).
For the large scale EuroGames no limitations apply. Small-scale EuroGames are limited to a maximum of 3,000 participants in order to enable small clubs to bid for, and host, the EuroGames.
Besides offering a high-quality sport event to the gay and lesbian sports community, the EGLSF wishes to promote the following goals:
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It was founded by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
sport clubs in 1989 after being inspirated by the first Gay Games
Gay Games
The Gay Games is the world's largest sporting and cultural event organized by and specifically for LGBT athletes, artists, musicians, and others. It welcomes participants of every sexual orientation and every skill level...
in San Francisco, United States. Its headquarters are in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Today, EGLSF has more than a hundred LGBT sport clubs from all over Europe as members, representing more than 10.000 European athletes.
Since 1992, the EGLSF celebrates a huge European gay sport event once a year: the EuroGames
Eurogames
Eurogames may refer to:* EuroGames * Eurogames , a French board game publisher operated by Descartes Editeur* German-style board games or Eurogames...
, the European Gay & Lesbian Championships. There are two levels of EuroGames: large-scale EuroGames which are held every 4 years and small-scale EuroGames which are held annually (except for years in which Gay Games or Outgames take place).
For the large scale EuroGames no limitations apply. Small-scale EuroGames are limited to a maximum of 3,000 participants in order to enable small clubs to bid for, and host, the EuroGames.
Besides offering a high-quality sport event to the gay and lesbian sports community, the EGLSF wishes to promote the following goals:
- fight against discrimination in sport on grounds of sexual preference
- stimulate integration in sport and emancipation of lesbians and gays
- enable and support the coming out of gay and lesbian sports men and women
- support the founding of new gay, lesbian, straight and mixed groups
See also
- World OutgamesWorld OutgamesThe World Outgames are a sporting and cultural event hosted by the gay community. With over 12,000 participants, the 1st World Outgames, held in 2006, was the largest international event to be held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada since the 1976 Summer Olympiad. These first Outgames were not as...
/ Gay and Lesbian International Sport AssociationGay and Lesbian International Sport AssociationThe Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association is an international gay and lesbian sport association. The focus of GLISA is developing gay and lesbian sport worldwide... - Gay GamesGay GamesThe Gay Games is the world's largest sporting and cultural event organized by and specifically for LGBT athletes, artists, musicians, and others. It welcomes participants of every sexual orientation and every skill level...
/ Federation of Gay GamesFederation of Gay Games-Concept and official purpose:According to the Federation of Gay Games :-Schism in LGBT sports communities over Gay Games VII:In 2001, the Federation of Gay Games awarded the seventh edition of the Gay Games to Montréal, Quebec, Canada for 2006, but the FGG removed its sanction in late 2003 after...