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The EGLSF
Below you will find general information on the European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation. If you would like more information on the EGLSF and membership, please visit the EGLSF Website.
The EuroGames website and related services are non-profit ventures of the European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation. Its aim is to provide a free and independant information service to the Lesbian, Gay, BiSexual and Transgender (LGBT) community within Europe and around the world.
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European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation

EGLSF – European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation – was founded September 9, 1989 at the Gay Sport Integration Congress in The Netherlands. The 35 participants came from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, and The Netherlands, but the number of European countries represented by member clubs and individual members is much higher nowadays. In total, EGLSF member clubs and individual members come from 26 different European countries.

The aims of the Federation are:

  • fight against discrimination in sport on grounds of sexual preference
  • stimulate integration in sport and emancipation of lesbians and gays
  • enable and support the coming out of gay and lesbian sports men and women
  • exchange information and enable co-ordination between European sport groups and tournaments
  • support the founding of new gay/lesbian/bisexual/straight/transgendered and mixed sport groups

    • The federation is open to gay, lesbian, straight and mixed sport groups and organizations. At the moment this network has more than 10,000 members within over 100 organisations and sport groups. In the EGLSF all member organisations are autonomous: the Federation is operating as a servicing and co-ordinating body.

    We promote, amongst other things, the organisation of EuroGames, the European Gay & Lesbian Championships. The last EuroGames 2008 were held in Barcelona, Spain.

    Our members are invited to join the General Assembly. This annnual Assembly is the highest decision making body of the Federation. The members of the EGLSF board are elected (for two years) by the General Assembly.

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    Lesbian, Gay, BiSexual & Transgender Sport

    You may ask:

    The reasons vary from one country to another, since every country in Europe is different. However, most of us know it is not easy to come out about your sexuality in a 'regular' sports group. Some may even have been in situations where they felt harassed, were called names, or worse. They may have felt that by being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender they were not accepted by their fellow club members.

    LGBT sports groups experience the same discrimination when they want to compete in regular events or join existing sports associations. Did you know that in some countries it isn’t possible to rent a volleyball court if you say it’s for an LGBT event? We think this is not acceptable. Sport is supposed to be fun.

    We therefore need to work towards a climate in sports where people can be what they are, of their own free will, whether gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or straight. The EGLSF works towards that goal, together with LGBT mainstream organisations, like ILGA and others, as well as with European institutions like the European Council and the European Union.

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    EGLSF – Who Are We ?
    The European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) was founded in 1989 as a network of LGBT sports groups. Unlike today, it was difficult then to get into contact with other groups. Today, the EGLSF links over 100 groups, providing them with 'tools' to announce sport events, exchange information, discuss sports and much more!

    For more information about EGLSF, please visit www.eglsf.info.

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