As first mayor of Cologne I would like to extend to you a warm welcome to our city.
Cologne and the organizing club SC Janus are proud to act as hosts for this biggest and most important worldwide sports and culture event in the LGBT movement. With these games in 2010, we are honored to join previous organizing cities such as San Francisco, Sydney and Chicago.
Image: Lord Mayor Juergen Roters
I am especially happy about the fact that, with the motto “Be part of it”, the organizers managed to strengthen contacts with East Europe and that participants from those countries, partly for the first time in their life, get the chance to participate in the Gay Games.
This outreach effort encourages me and I value this as a positive sign that with sports and culture, regardless of attitude, color of skin, origin, and regardless of sexual orientation, strong links can be forged.
I wish the organizers a smoothly running event, the spectators exciting competitions and the participants fulfillment of their goals, so that in the end everybody reaches the same conclusion – the Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010 were a great experience.
Sincerely
Juergen Roters
Lord Mayor of Cologne
