同志运动会是一个由同志社区举办的体育和文化活动。它开始于1982年的旧金山，创办者是汤姆·沃德维尔博士（Dr. Tom Waddell），他的目标是发扬包容和参与的精神，以及把个人最好的追求带入到运动中：

这个同志运动会联盟的目的是，通过举办每年一届的有组织的国际（参与的）运动和文化活动，也就是大家所知的同志运动会，来培养和加强全球同性恋男女的自尊以及获得非同性恋世界人们（对同性恋）的尊重和理解。

同志运动会原来以“同志奥林匹克运动会”为名，但是后来国际奥林匹克委员会提起诉讼，迫使运动会改成了现在这个名称。其它使用“奥林匹克”名称的运动会没有遭遇相似的命运。这使人们怀疑是由于同性恋恐惧症造成的。

The Gay Games is the world's largest sporting and cultural event founded by Tom Waddell, and specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) athletes, artists and musicians. The 1994 Gay Games, held in New York City to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the modern start of the LGBT movement, "overtook the Olympics in size" with 10,864 athletes compared to 9,356 at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and 10,318 at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Founded as the Gay Olympics, it was started in the United States in San Francisco, California, in 1982, as the brainchild of Olympic decathlete (Mexico City 1968) and medical doctor Tom Waddell, whose goals were to promote the spirit of inclusion and participation, as well as to promote the pursuit of personal growth in a sporting event. It retains similarities with the Olympic Games, including the Gay Games flame which is lit at the opening ceremony. The games are open to all who wish to participate, without regard to sexual orientation and there are no qualifying standards. Competitors come from many countries, including those where homosexuality remains illegal and hidden.