Dennis Phillipse: His Day Job and His Gay Job

Photo credit: Gay Games Hong Hong

DENNIS PHILLIPSE:

HIS DAY JOB & HIS GAY JOB

BY DIRK SMITH (HE, HIM, HIS)

I met Dennis Phillipse when he and the Hong Kong contingent came to the Paris Gay Games representing Hong Kong as one of three finalist cities bidding for the 2022 Gay Games. He’s the founder and now co-chair of Gay Games XI Hong Kong (GGHK) and I was pleased to catch up with him just prior to the pandemic hitting.

Dirk Smith – It’s great to see you again, Dennis. Please share a little about yourself for our readers and how long you’ve been involved with Out in HK and in organizing Gay Games XI.

Dennis Phillipse – I am originally from a small town in Holland and like so many, I was always the last kid picked in gym class. As an adult, jobs took me first to Shanghai in 2010 and then to Hong Kong where I have been living for over nine years. I love to spend my freetime outdoors and love the ultra-trail running races. Hong Kong has beautiful trails for running and hiking.

I had been involved in leading LGBTQ+ sporting events in Hong Kong and realized the potential for even larger events. So I became the founder of Gay Games 11 Hong Kong 2022. I now have a fulltime job with a technology company in Hong Kong and a fulltime job as co-chair of the GGHK, so I tell people I have a day job and a gay job!

DS – I love that! Why did you think of the Gay Games and how do you plan to be involved?

DP – I remembered the 1998 Gay Games in Amsterdam as a great inclusive event. When we started Out in HK five years ago, I realised that the Gay Games had never been held in Asia, that it would be a great opportunity to bring this festival of diversity of sports, arts and culture to Asia. I reached out to the Federation of Gay Games to learn more about the bid process. Since then life has become like a roller coaster, working with an amazing team of volunteers working on the bid book proposal and winning the hosting rights in 2017 in Paris.

As co-chair my focus is on government relations and supporting other members on the team and the LGBTQ+ sports organizations to make sure we host a game that's both professional on the sports level and inclusive to the Gay Games community.

DS – How has the LGBTQ+ sports community in Hong Kong evolved over the last 5-10 years?

DP – Out in HK started five years ago and since we have organised more than 600 events like running, hiking, camping, waterfall hikes, outdoor events and beach clean-ups. The closed Facebook group has grown to 6,000+ members and is a great alternative for people to connect and it has become a platform for LGBTQ+ groups in Hong Kong. It’s really empowering to see people joining an LGBTQ+ event for the first time in their lives, making friendships and helping each other on a hike. Several members even have found the love of their lives at an Out in HK event!

In the last couple of years more groups in Hong Kong have been formed to support the LGBTQ+ sports community: OutRunnersHK, OutswimmersHK, Dragon boat team, OIHK Tennis Open and Diversity Games for organising regular sports events. In the lead up to GGHK in 2022 we expect more sports events will be held to connect the community as a warmup for GGHK. Unity is the key message of GGHK!

Note: The GGHK has aggressively addressed the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest in Hong Kong as it plans for the November 2022 event. For updates from the GGHK team, visit gghk2022.com.