ABSTRACT
LGBTQ sport events, such as the Gay Games, potentially represent a significant transgressive and alternative space in the world of sport. They can provide the opportunity for a range of complex and interconnected issues and legacies to emerge. There is considerable academic and applied event/destination management interest in critically investigating the legacies of events, especially sport related, due not only to their prominence within the global arena, but their associated investment costs. Events are often criticized because they may be promoted and dominated by politicians, the media or white middle-class consumers. The context of the Gay Games is introduced to those readers who may not be familiar with the growth of this significant hallmark sport tourism event, which also provides the opportunity to volunteer for both local citizens and from those further afield. The role of the Gay Games as a catalyst for increasing volunteerism appears to be under some dispute.
