Rainbow Olympics

(By Adam Eastman)

A record number of out LGBTQ+ athletes are competing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with 142 out athletes taking place which is more than double the number of Athletes at the Rio Olympics.

The record number of out athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is something phenomenal for anybody that is out there struggling with their identity because it shows that you can be the person that you want to be and still be an elite athlete at the games.

There are 12 out athletes competing for Australia including big names such as Matildas Sam Kerr, Chloe Logazo, and Tameka Yallop, and Aussie tennis star Sam Stosur, which is an increase on the sole out athlete that Australia had in Rio. Across the Olympics, the majority of Out athletes are women where there seems to be a wider acceptance of Women in sport that are out athletes as opposed to Male athletes.

This is proven by the fact that there is just one out Australian male athlete that is out at the Olympics which is Trampolinist Dominic Clarke who is a proud out athlete. The lack of Gay male athletes in the Australian team is still disappointing given that there would be almost certainly many athletes who do identify as LGBTQ+ but don’t feel comfortable coming out yet (although that shouldn't be a thing)

In sport, there is still a stigma especially being a gay male in sport and even though there has been huge progress in sport especially with the introduction of LGBTQ+ sporting competitions and teams, there is still a stigma about playing in the regular competition which has been shown by the fact that in our two biggest sporting competition there is no out athlete currently playing in either the AFL and NRL.

As someone who loves both those sports, I’ve grown accustomed to the fact that it will still be a long time for that to happen but I sit here worried as a 26-year-old gay male that someone who is 15 or 16 who wants to try and make it as a professional athlete cannot do it because there is nobody to tell them that it is ok and that they need to suppress who they really are. I was lucky enough to come out to my family just over 3 years ago and for my parents, it was something that came as a shock because I loved to play sports, head to the pub with mates, and joke around with them whilst watching Footy or anything and go to games when I wasn’t working

One of the highest profile Gay athletes is Tom Daley since coming out in 2013 and has no doubt been a role model for many people to show that they could be someone who isn’t straight and still do what they want to do in life.

Tom Daley and Matty Lee after their gold medal win

Another remarkable athlete at these Olympics is Canadian swimmer Markus Thormeyer who came out in 2019 after competing at the 2018 Olympics still not out. Thormeyer is another athlete who is an inspiration to me even though I’m older (cries hard) after he came out and realised that he could be who is he and still compete at the highest level.

Markus Thormyer

A recent news story came out that certain Tik Tokers have created Grindr accounts and then are posting pics and profiles of athletes that aren’t out is absolutely infuriating and upsetting. Somebody may have many reasons why that they haven’t come out whether it be for political reasons in their home country, personal reasons that are beyond their control right now or maybe that people want to keep their private lives just that private. Nobody wins in the situation where athletes are outed because it then creates more issues for them because it can feel as if you’ve done something wrong when you are outed when you don’t want to be and it’s an awful feeling.

In Paris 2024, hopefully, there can be an even higher number of LGBTQ+ athletes and that there can be more Gay male athletes at the games because there is sadly still a stigma that you cannot be both Gay and a top-line athlete with the often intentional and even unconscious homophobia that exists in society with just random comments that are made and sometimes they are done without any intention of ill-will or hurt intended but they certainly do and can be a bloody big reason that many people don’t feel comfortable.

To anyone that is reading this and struggling, remember that you are never alone and that you can achieve anything and you will always be loved by someone and if I’ve achieved coming out and playing sport, you can as well.