Gay International Group (Geneva, Switzerland)

The Gay International Group is an organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland that offers an informal meeting space for gay men, expatriates, internationals or tourists in Geneva and the region. Only organization dealing with homosexuality to be officially registered at the Geneva Welcome Center of Geneva, it totals more than 500 members from more than 100 countries and all continents, mainly from the UN and its agencies, covering a wide range of professional interests. The group was created in 1994 by Yves de Matteis, a Geneva gay militant, and is affiliated to the LGBT organisation 360 (member, at the Swiss level, of Pink Cross, and, at the international level, of ILGA)

The GIG is the only one of the LGBT and gay groups in the gay community of Geneva to be solely dedicated to gay foreigners. Its activities are:


 * Dinners (potluck buffet) organized twice a month on Fridays and Saturdays (main activity)
 * Cultural events : concerts, opera, visits to museums, sites, etc.
 * Restaurant, dancing, cinema, theatre
 * Vacations, travels, week-ends, day-trips, picnics, walks, tourism, other outings
 * Sports group activity such as swimming

The GIG also provides :
 * More information accessible to non-French speaking people
 * News on same-sex rights in international organizations
 * Info on pacs, partnership law and permits for binational/foreign couples
 * Tips or news on what happens/is available in Geneva
 * Information on voting in Geneva (for foreign residents in Geneva for 8 years+)