Last modified: 2023-06-03 by zachary harden
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image located by Erick Bell, January 7, 2003
I have unearthed the flag and logo of the Federation of Gay Games.
The games were started by Dr. Tom Waddell in 1982.
The Federation of Gay Games was created in 1989 to replace
San Francisco Arts and Athletics as the Gay Games governing body.
The flag, which doubles as the ceremonial flag of the games, consists
of the Federation logo of three interlocking circles in blue on a white field.
The three circles signify participation, inclusion, and personal best.
The flag is presented by the mayor of the host city to the mayor of the next
host city during the closing ceremonies. I've attached a graphic of the flag.
Erick Bell, January 7, 2003.
The three circles are in fact the letters G - O - G superimposed over
one another so as to make the design symmetrical. The attributes
participation, inclusion, and personal best were added later, after the
design had been chosen. Dr Wadell's intention was to call these games
the Gay Olympic Games, and that was the working name of the organization
until the USOC with the backing of the IOC objected and threatened law
suits for infringement on the use of the word "Olympic" over which they
claim dominion and control as a result of the Amateur Sports Act.
Dr. Wadell, acceded to the demands of the Olympic community, but
cleverly, did not change the logo or the design of the flag. The
original flags were made by the now defunct Paramount Flag Co. of san
Francisco, who supplied the flags for the Gay Games held in that city.
Jim Ferrigan, January 9, 2003
I found this
photo which was taken in San Diego in 1992 or 1993. However, the rainbow
flag shown there is charged with the Olympic rings and inscription SAN
FRANCISCO, all in white; the inscription can be read after the photo is
zoomed to the maximum. Does somebody know anything about this flag's origins and
use?
Tomislav Todorovic, 31 August 2014
That would be one of the flags for the San Francisco Gay Olympics - see
http://www.ask.com/wiki/Gay_Games?o=2801&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com
That flag would pre-date a law suit in 1988 which prohibited the Gay
Olympics from using the name "Olympics" or the "Olympic rings". The games are
now called simply the Gay Games and use a different symbol above for their new
symbol.
Pete Loeser, 31 August 2014