Reykjavic Wins Outgames Endorsement

Iceland’s bid to host the 2017 World Outgames, a gay sporting and cultural event held every four years, got a boost this week in the form of an endorsement from the Gay European Tourism Association. Reykjavic and Miami are finalists to host the ’17 Games; Antwerp is hosting the 2013 games this summer.

"Reykjavik is the ideal destination for a major gay world event," GETA chief executive Carlos Kytka said while meeting bid organizers at the Reykjavik mayor’s office, according to the online newsletter Incentive Travel & Corporate Meetings. "Iceland has an enviable gay pedigree. It has a lesbian president, an outstanding record on gay rights, and an outspoken mayor of its capital city who even attends pride in drag."
 

The World Outgames got its start in 2006, when the Federation for Gay Games determined that Montreal wasn’t prepared to host the official Gay Games, as planned, and moved the event to Chicago. Montreal organizers instead planned their own event, which became the World Outgames.