The Paris 2018 Gay Games: From a sports competition to a structuring urban project
Paris was chosen to host the next Gay Games, a sports tournament organized by gay and lesbian associations in order to promote inclusion in sports competition. The Gay Games are similar to an Olympic Games organization, but quite different in spirit. The emphasis on cooperation and the smaller budgets seem to entail a lesser impact on the urban territory. However, the huge number of participants, the political claims, the specificity of Paris – a world class capital city – and the probable consequences on gender norms and visibility in the city, all contribute to make the Paris 2018 bid an actual urban project, indeed a veritable city project.