Hong Kong's First Gay Games Face Backlash from Conservative Lawmakers Amid Lower Participation Rates

Conservative Hong Kong lawmakers accuse event of advocating for LGBTQ rights and spreading "Western ideology", while participation concerns rise due to perceived national security risks and pandemic-related travel restrictions.

• Conservative lawmakers in Hong Kong have voiced opposition to the city's first Gay Games, an event that invites both gay and straight athletes from all over the world to compete. These lawmakers accuse the event of promoting LGBTQ rights and 'Western ideology'.
• There have been suggestions that the event could breach a new national security law in Hong Kong that prohibits foreign powers from interfering in the city’s governance, although organisers say they have been 'abiding by the local laws since Day One'.
• The event, jointly hosted with Guadalajara, Mexico, has faced lower participation rates due to pandemic-related travel restrictions and perceptions of increased national security risks. Registration numbers are significantly lower than previous Gay Games, with fewer than 8,000 participants registered a week before the event.
• Some athletes, especially from Taiwan, have explicitly cited concerns about Hong Kong’s national security law as a reason for not participating, fearing possible arrests for actions such as waving a Taiwanese flag.
• Despite the controversies and challenges, organizers and some lawmakers see the Gay Games as an important milestone for Hong Kong’s LGBTQ community, an opportunity to showcase Hong Kong as an inclusive society, and a platform for advocacy against discrimination.

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