Ulster University Sporting Pride Day

In 1982, LGBTQ Olympian Tom Waddell founded the Gay Olympics in San Francisco but they were quickly renamed the Gay Games following an injunction from the International Olympic Committee who sued on the grounds that the term gay Olympics could harm the Olympic brand. By the end of the 1980s a group of German and Dutch sports teams inspired by the Gay Games came together to organise the Eurogames with the same purpose to celebrate athletic excellence regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

Now, 40 years later, Northern Ireland has hosted its first LGBTQ Sports day bringing together from a diverse range of backgrounds. My GAA team alone had representatives from Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone, Donegal and Fermanagh. We had participants from nationalist and unionist backgrounds and international students from as far as Asia. Representatives stopped by and donated a range of treats for the goody bag. This included representatives from Ulster University, GNI Magazine, Jordanstown Park Run, The GAA, The Rainbow Project, Aeracha Uladh GAC, Belfast Blaze, Azlans Rugby, All Skate Girls and El Polercise.

Performers included a local band “End of the Episode” & Drag Queens Onya Becks, Pure Bent and Cara Van Parke. While running the event, which was attended by almost 150 men, women & non binary people ageing from 5 to 75, I was delighted by the diversity of those attending and honoured by the response of other organisations reaching out to get involved in the next one. I am excited to watch the event grow and see who from today could one day represent us at the Eurogames.