In 1982, there was no internet, no cell phones, no email, no social media, no personal computers, and no cell phones. Yet, somehow planning for the first Gay Games happened. To build national awareness for the event and raise funds, the “Gay Olympic Games National Torch Run” took place, going from the famous Stonewall Inn in New York City between 13 June and 22 August, making 31 stops before arriving in San Francisco. Here are a few photos from that event.

Publicity photo for the National Torch Run. Photo: FGG

Map of the 1982 National Torch Run. Photo: Niv Ben-Yehuda

The Torch arrives in San FranciscoRun. Photo: FGG

The lighting of the flame at Gay Games I Opening Ceremony by Olympians George Frenn and Susan McGreivy. Photo: Lisa Kanemoto

You can read more details about this event in post #29 from the 40-post “Passing The Torch” series that’s on the FGG website HERE. 

Fast forward to January 2024. The FGG was contacted by Paula Bloodsaw of Madison, Wisconsin. She was at Gay Games I as a spectator, cheering on her brother and his partner, Richard Reginal Bloodsaw Hulsizer and Fred Allen Bloodsaw Hulsizer, both athletes at Gay Games I, II, and III (Fred earned the silver medal in his age group at Gay Games II in 1986). Richard and Fred are both deceased and Paula was slowly going through their affairs.

Among other things, she found a large folded banner with signatures all over it. At first, Paula thought it was a panel from the NAMES Project. Upon contacting them, she learned that this was not part of the AIDS Quilt. She then reached out to the FGG. Here is a photo of the banner which is now safely in the FGG’s archives.

The signed Olympic Gay Games banner now back in San Francisco in the FGG Arhcives. Photo: Paula Bloodsaw

You can’t help but notice that the word “OLYMPIC” is marked out on the banner. Some readers may not remember that the original event name was “Gay Olympic Games.” But, on 9 August 1982, in the midst of the National Torch Run, the United States Olympic Committee obtained a restraining order against Tom Waddell and the other Gay Games I organizers preventing them from using the word “Olympics.” With just 19 days before the Opening Ceremony, the organizers had to manually cover over the “O” word on all kinds of printed materials, including medals and this banner.

It was a very scary time, and the lawsuit eventually was brought to the US Supreme Court in 1987, after Tom Waddell had passed away from AIDS. You can read more details about this dark chapter of Gay Games history in post #13 from the 40-post “Passing The Torch” series that’s on the FGG website HERE.

This unfortunate episode led directly to the event being renamed to what it still is today: the Gay Games. Here is a rare poster that survived all the attempts to remove the word "Olympics" from all printed materials.

As Paula Bloodsaw continues to organize their affairs, she expects to find more photos and other artifacts from the early Gay Games. As the FGG’s Archivist, I look forward to seeing what additional treasures she unearths.