From the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre, and all points in between, the city of Paris will be waving one enormous, welcoming rainbow flag in 2018.
Paris, the capital and most populous city of France, was awarded the rights to host Gay Games X in 2018. The announcement was made live by Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson during ceremonies held Oct. 7 at the Renaissance Hotel in Cleveland, host city of Gay Games 9 next August.
The international delegates and board of directors of the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) voted at the end of a three-day meeting, featuring site inspection reports, question-and-answer sessions, committee reviews, and an oral presentation by each bidding organization. There were 74 total eligible votes for the 2018 site, FGG co-President Kurt Dahl confirmed.
Paris won over bids from Limerick, Ireland, and London.
There also had been 2018 bids from Amsterdam and Orlando, Fla., though neither of those cities advanced to the finals.
David Killian, co-chair of the FGG Site Selection Committee, said in a statement:
"The vote is the result of dozens of individual choices, but during discussions, some points stood out for many voters. Paris proposed a wide range of sports in quality venues, many of which offer good visibility for the event. French LGBT sport organizations have a great deal of experience hosting international multisport tournaments. And Paris is a great destination to visit or revisit. They are already well advanced in planning, for example with the designation of a dedicated sports manager. And they arrived with demonstrable political support, including the Minister for Sport, who was part of the presentation team, as well as elected officials and civil servants from the municipal and regional governments."
Dahl, who lives in the Chicago area, said in a statement that with Paris announced as the presumptive host, "we open a 90-day window to execute our license agreement, with the support of law firm Fox Rothschild on the FGG side. We entered this process close to agreement with all three bidders, so we're convinced that we will be able to confirm Paris as the host of Gay Games X very shortly."
In an exclusive interview Oct. 7, Dahl said he was most impressed with the organization of the Paris bid committee, which included about 25 attendees in Cleveland, including the French Sports Minister Valérie Fourneyron and double Olympic gold medal winning fencer Laura Flessel.
Paris had the most support from its city of the finalists, Dahl confirmed.
"This was a difficult decision for everybody," Dahl said. "I don't know what the final count was, but people really had a tough time deciding, I believe, on which city to pick as their No. 1 choice."
This was Paris' second bid to host the Games, having been defeated in 2005 by Cologne for the 2010 Games.
Dahl a signed license agreement should be executed between FGG and Paris "well within the 90 days; we're very close."
FGG co-president Emy Ritt in a statement said, "It's been such an enriching experience to discover so many new people through this bidding cycle. The talent, energy, and enthusiasm of these men and women was inspiring to all of us at the Federation. We are convinced that all involved will continue to contribute to the Gay Games movement, and we would be fortunate to benefit as an organization from the participation of such outstanding individuals."
Chris Fanuel, the co-chair of Paris 2018, told Windy City Times Oct. 7, "We're very proud, it's such an emotional moment for us. Hosting the Gay Games in Paris is really an honor for us."
Same-sex marriage was passed earlier this year by the French government. The first same-sex ceremony in France took place May 29 in the city of Montpellier.
"Paris is a wonderful city and we're very excited to host Gay Games X," Fanuel said.
Dahl said FGG officials have already had initial discussions with cities interested in hosting Gay Games XI in 2022, though he did not mention any potential cities that will or might bid for 2022.
