The Gay Games are coming to Asia for the first time since they were founded. Hong Kong will host the eleventh edition of the LGBT sporting event in 2022. “This is unique. I think it will make a positive impact to the acceptance of homosexuality here,” says Dennis Philipse (44), founder and chairman of the Gay Games organisation in Hong Kong.
Athletes who compete during the “gay Olympics” are often part of the LGBT community, but everyone is allowed to participate. “You do not have to qualify for the games, it is open to all who wish to participate,” Philipse elaborates. He is from a small village in the south of Holland and moved to China for his work seven years ago.