Federation of Gay Games Signs the Charter for Gender Diversity in Sports at Gay Games XII
Valencia hosts the first Mediterranean Gay Games
The Federation of Gay Games (FGG) has signed the Charter for Gender Diversity in Sport, strengthening its commitment to the full participation of transgender, intersex and non-binary people in sporting environments.
The signing was one of the most significant outcomes of Gay Games XII, held in Valencia from 27 June to 4 July 2026. The event brought together approximately 10,200 participants representing 81 nationalities, making it one of the largest editions of the past decade and the first Gay Games to be hosted in Spain and the Mediterranean region. Competitions across dozens of sports were accompanied by cultural performances, community activities and discussions on equality and human rights.
Since their creation in 1982, the Gay Games have sought to make participation more important than sporting status or competitive performance. Athletes do not need to meet qualifying standards and participation is open regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or level of ability. The Valencia edition continued this tradition while placing questions of gender diversity and trans participation particularly prominently within its sporting and educational programme.
A major event in a contested local context
The Games also took place against a complex political and organisational background. Several LGBTQIA+ organisations and local inclusive sports clubs that had contributed to Valencia’s original bid withdrew their support, arguing that the community’s role in the governance and development of the Games had been reduced.
Despite the boycott and tensions between parts of the local movement, the organisers, the Federation of Gay Games and the municipal authorities proceeded with the event, which attracted thousands of participants and spectators.
From self-identification to structural commitment
Gender inclusion was already a central element of the Federation of Gay Games’ approach before the opening ceremony. In March 2026, the Federation announced changes to registration procedures for wrestling and grappling after concerns were raised by trans and non-binary participants.
The revised procedures removed the requirement to provide legal gender documentation, clarified access to an all-gender category and reaffirmed gender self-identification as a core principle of the Gay Games. Under the Federation’s guidelines, women’s participation includes trans women, men’s participation includes trans men, and additional all-gender categories can provide opportunities for non-binary athletes where the structure of a sport makes them necessary.
The subsequent signature of the Charter for Gender Diversity in Sport therefore represents more than a symbolic declaration. It connects the Federation’s principles and recent operational decisions with a broader framework through which sports organisations can assess and progressively improve their policies, facilities and everyday practices.
The document was signed on behalf of the Federation of Gay Games by its Co-Presidents, Jan Schneider and Sophia Goodner-Rodriguez, during the Valencia Games. The Federation presented the decision as a commitment to trans, non-binary and intersex inclusion, as well as a message to other organisers of international and multi-sport events.
What the Charter asks sports organisations to change
The Charter was developed by Seitenwechsel e.V., the Berlin-based sports association for women, lesbians, trans, intersex and non-binary people. Rather than functioning as a general statement of support, it identifies concrete areas in which sporting organisations can recognise and remove structural barriers.
Its nine areas of action include the recognition of gender diversity, respectful and inclusive language, visibility and representation, registration documents, access to changing rooms and other spaces, protection from discrimination and violence, organisational innovation, intersectionality and external communication.
Signing the Charter does not imply that an organisation has already resolved every issue. Seitenwechsel defines it as the beginning of an ongoing process in which governing bodies, staff members, coaches and participants assume responsibility for making their organisation more accessible to people of all genders.
This approach is particularly important because exclusion is not produced only through formal eligibility regulations. It can also emerge through binary registration systems, inappropriate questions, the absence of safe changing facilities, the misuse of personal information, discriminatory language or a lack of procedures for responding to harassment.
The Charter had previously been signed by organisations including the European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation, which licenses the EuroGames. The Federation of Gay Games’ signature extends the framework’s international reach and connects European grassroots work with the global LGBTQIA+ sports movement.
“Trans football is football”
Trans participation was also explored through the Gay Games’ Out Loud programme, a series of public discussions addressing inclusion, accessibility and LGBTQIA+ experiences in sport.
The session “Fútbol Trans es Fútbol”, held on 2 July and moderated by Martin Muñoz of Seitenwechsel, focused on the experiences of trans players and the development of football communities in which trans people can participate safely. The panel featured representatives of Disforia FC from Chile and Didetrans FC from Mexico, bringing together two examples of trans-led football organising in Latin America.
Founded in 2019, Disforia describes itself as Chile’s first sports club created for trans and non-binary people. Although football remains a central part of its identity, the organisation has also developed basketball and volleyball activities. Its work combines sporting participation with community building, mutual support and the creation of spaces in which players do not have to continually explain or defend their identities.
The participation of Disforia and Didetrans in Valencia demonstrated why trans-led sporting initiatives matter. Such clubs offer immediate opportunities to play, particularly for people who have experienced rejection or discomfort in mainstream teams. At the same time, they generate knowledge that can help traditional clubs and federations transform their own structures.
Creating dedicated trans sporting spaces should therefore not be seen as a substitute for inclusion in mainstream sport. Both approaches are necessary: autonomous community spaces can provide safety, empowerment and visibility, while federations and conventional clubs remain responsible for removing barriers within their own competitions and organisations.
Germany’s playing-rights model for TIN* people
Since the 2022–2023 season, the German Football Association’s regulations have enabled players whose official gender marker is “diverse” or unspecified, as well as people undergoing a gender transition, to choose whether they wish to be registered with a women’s or men’s team. In 2026, Martin Muñoz said, the Berlin Football Association (BFV) reported 744 players registered with the legal gender marker “diverse” and 15 with no gender specified, reflecting the growing visibility of TIN* people within community football.
One of the policy examples examined during the discussion was the regulation of playing rights for trans, intersex and non-binary people—often referred to collectively as TIN people—in German amateur football*.
Trans players may remain with their existing team during transition or request a change of playing rights at a time they determine themselves. The regulations do not impose the ordinary waiting periods or transfer deadlines that might otherwise interrupt their participation. For non-binary, intersex and agender players without a male or female legal gender marker, the choice of category is not subject to a fixed time limit.
The objective of removing barriers
The rules cover amateur competitions, youth football and futsal. They do not automatically apply to Germany’s professional men’s and women’s leagues, which operate under separate national and international eligibility systems.
An important part of the model is the appointment of trusted contact persons within regional football associations. These officers provide confidential support to players, clubs and registration departments, limiting the number of people who need access to personal information and helping to manage each case discreetly. The DFB states that the regulations were developed in consultation with regional associations and LGBTQIA+ communities, with the explicit objective of removing barriers to participation in grassroots football.
The German experience also shows that inclusive regulations require appropriate administrative systems. As recently as December 2025, the Berlin Football Association noted that the DFB’s digital registration system did not yet allow clubs to select “diverse” as a gender marker, with a technical update planned for 2026. This apparent gap between policy and infrastructure illustrates why inclusion must be monitored through implementation rather than assessed solely on the wording of regulations.
Grassroots inclusion and elite restrictions
The discussions in Valencia took place at a moment when the direction of international elite sport is becoming increasingly restrictive.
In March 2026, the International Olympic Committee announced a new policy for the “protection” of the women’s category, due to apply from the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The policy establishes sex-based eligibility requirements for the Olympic women’s category, while stating that transgender athletes are not excluded from Olympic participation in every category. However, the new framework substantially excludes trans women from Olympic events.
Elite sport, community sport and open multi-sport events do not necessarily have the same objectives or regulatory needs. Nevertheless, the contrast is significant. While many elite governing bodies are moving towards more restrictive categories, initiatives such as the Gay Games, the Seitenwechsel Charter and the German amateur football regulations seek to protect participation through self-identification, flexible playing rights and practical organisational support.
The challenge is therefore not to apply a single solution indiscriminately to every level of sport, but to ensure that regulatory discussions do not erase the right of trans, intersex and non-binary people to be physically active, join a club, build relationships and experience the social benefits of sport.
From principles to implementation
For the Outsport Office, the signing of the Charter by the Federation of Gay Games is relevant precisely because it connects values with organisational responsibility.
International declarations are important, but inclusive sport is ultimately created through registration forms, qualified contact persons, trained coaches, appropriate facilities, safeguarding procedures and clear responses to discrimination. The experiences presented in Valencia demonstrate that workable solutions already exist and can be adapted to different sporting contexts.
The Charter, the work of trans-led clubs such as Disforia and Didetrans, and the German grassroots football model represent different but complementary approaches. Together, they show that inclusion is not an abstract aspiration: it is a continuous process of identifying barriers, sharing responsibility and creating the conditions in which people of every gender can participate, belong and develop through sport.
By Rosario Coco