Sports competitions for sexual minorities are heating up in Hong Kong.
The atmosphere at the opening march of the Games was on the roof. EPA / AOP
In Hong Kong, the sports competitions for sexual minorities started on Friday. The event is called Gay Games in English.
News agency Reuters more than 2,300 athletes from 45 countries are taking part in the Games. There are no performance limits, and anyone can register to compete regardless of sexual orientation.
The games have been held every four years since 1982. This time, in addition to the traditional Olympic sports, the range of sports includes, for example, shot put, open water swimming, trail running and even the Mahjong smart game.
In addition to sports, music and art elements are also an integral part of the Gay Games event.
Contested races
Hong Kong became the first Asian country to host the Games. The second organizing country this year is Mexico.
Many Hong Kong policymakers have publicly opposed the event. The games are seen as a threat to the safety of citizens because they undermine traditional Chinese family values and spread Western ideology.
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, whose law does not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Hong Kong does not allow same-sex marriage.
However, the marriage law is about to change in the next two years.
The Hong Kong government has approved the Gay Games, but urged organizers to comply with laws and regulations.
The organizers have emphasized that they are not trying to pressure the decision-makers into changes in the law. They just want to give people an event that is as tolerant as possible.