ABOUT

PROUDLY SUPPORTING
WESTERN AUSTRALIA'S LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY

Team Perth was started based around the success of "Where the Gay Games Were Born".

The Perth Gay Olympics were held from 1979 -1986. By 1987, Perth had become known to the San Francisco organisers of the “Gay Olympics” (which eventually became the Gay Games). Paul Mart, one of the financial backers and co-founders of the Gay Games, travelled to Perth as ambassador. Following this meeting in North Perth, the founding team, San Francisco Arts & Athletics, launched the Federation of Gay Games. (gaygames.org)

Peter B. Todd—an Australian psychologist, psychotherapist, and early community activist, was a gold medalist bodybuilder at the inaugural Gay Games in San Francisco in 1982, and later returned to California to work on Gay Games II.

Several other Team Australia participants attended GGII 1986 in San Francisco, bringing with them koalas and pins which started a craze that continues to this day. By 1990 in GGIII Vancouver, there were more Aussies, including our own Team Perth members Brett Heil in cycling and silver medalist Dee Farrell in racquetball.

A new organisation known as Team Perth officially sprang to life in 1992, sending roughly 30 members to Gay Games IV in NYC as part of a combined Australian team (which included our very own gold medalist Janet Bolton, Wett Ones, Sydney). More Australians went to GGV in Amsterdam, GGVI in Sydney and onwards. And by 2026, at GGXII in Valencia, more than 50 participants from Western Australia were among the 610 from across Australia, participating in 10 days of cultural and sporting events.

Perth GG XIII in 2030 expects a record number of participants from Team Perth (teamperth.org) and the rest of Australia. (perthgaygames2030.com)

Why Team Perth

Team Perth is at the forefront of Community. We are here to support local sporting organisations so that they can make a difference to the lives of LGBTQIA+ people in sport, recreational activities embracing active and happy communities.

We support the community in three key areas;

- by providing a free directory of organisations to make finding the right organisation easily and more accessible

- providing advocacy and support to organisations and groups through raising awareness and a joint voice while working with business, local bodies and government to progress inclusivity.

- by supporting organisations to develop themselves to become more inclusive which includes and not limited to setting up new sports clubs or transitioning existing clubs to inclusive models, community sports events or encouraging representation in State, National & Global sport.

- Our members are the cultural and sporting community groups and clubs. These clubs are the backbone of our community creating safe places for people to play sport, build community and be healthy.

History

More recent chronicals

In 2016 Gary Namestnik met the person who ran Team Adelaide at the time whom helped set up Team Perth's first website. Gary then proceeded to contact different sports clubs as a way to promote Queer Sporting and Recreation in WA. Team Perth has developed into the 'home of LGBTQIA+ sport' in WA over the years that followed.

Team Perth was handed over to Justin Barnes to look after. Justin then continued the amazing work and legacy Gary held. Faction Carnival - our version of those Perth Gay Olympics was born in 2021. Since then Team Perth has grown, supported to build many new sport clubs, advocated for individuals who have been discriminated against and worked closely on the Perth Gay Games XIII 2030 bid to secure Perth as the host city.

Team Perth has a proud history - but this history is only just getting started with Team Perth Incorporating in 2025 with its first AGM held in October 2026.