There are reportedly at least 135 out LGBTQIA+ athletes who will be competing in this summer’s 2021 Tokyo Olympics, according to Outsports. This is roughly double the number of queer athletes in the 2016 Rio Games (56) and significantly more than the out athletes in 2012 at the London Olympics (23). The numbers of queer athletes will never be completely accurate because some folks will choose to keep their identity private or may not come out until years after competing. Sexuality and gender identity are fluid, and it takes many of us longer to figure out who we are.
While I am not a fan of Caitlyn Jenner’s politics and don't share her views about transgender athletes, she is a transgender Olympian who competed as her assigned male gender and is one example of not knowing where one’s story will go. Other athletes will not come out because of the stigma and discrimination that queer people face. From losing endorsements to laws that make it unsafe to come out, LGBTQIA+ athletes from all over the world are not and can’t be visibly queer.
As an athletic kid and avid sports fan, I loved watching the Olympics when they were on. I was also a closeted gay kid. When I watched Greg Louganis hit his head on the diving board, I felt the fear and shame of what the media did to him because he was gay and HIV positive. What would happen to me when people found out I was gay?
I was out when I watched soccer player Abby Wambach and the 2012 US Women’s National Team win gold. Same-sex marriages were becoming legal in some states, and I was legally married to my now ex-partner. We were proud to be raising our baby daughter in a world that was becoming more accepting.
I held my breath in 2018 when figure skater Adam Rippon took the ice. He was openly gay and had the chance to become the first openly gay athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. He won bronze in the team event. I saw his resilience, his take-no-bulls**t attitude, and the affection given to him by spectators. I was becoming more hopeful that queer folks — no matter what their occupation — could live open, safe, and respected lives.
These and other out Olympians took the international stage as athletes, but for so many of us, they opened the door for queer athletes to find acceptance in sports and in our everyday lives. When possible, visibility is important for queer folks to see themselves in positive ways, but it’s also vital for cisgender and heterosexual folks to understand our experiences.
Thanks to progress and social media, more and more LGBTQIA+ athletes are sharing their stories, and I can’t wait to see what these Olympians do this summer. I know the flags representing their countries vary, but all of these queer athletes are waving the pride flag for LGBTQIA+ folks around the world.
Here are 10 athletes to keep your eyes on this summer:
Erica Bougard
Bougard is on Team USA's track and field squad and will be competing in the heptathlon. She isn’t afraid to show off her rainbow Nikes or celebrate a rainbow track.
Raven Saunders
Saunders is competing in the shot put event for Team USA. She is a vocal advocate for mental health, queerness, and Black lives.
Chelsea Gray
Gray plays in the WNBA and will be on the USA Basketball Women's National Team in Tokyo. She is married to Tipesa Mercedes Moorer.
Sue Bird
Bird will also be on the USA Basketball Women's National Team and is not only one of the veteran players to lead the team but is half of the queer power couple that includes soccer star Megan Rapinoe.
Megan Rapinoe
Soccer star Rapinoe is leading the US Women’s National Team into Tokyo for a shot at gold, but she has been one of the leading voices for women’s rights in sports and is an advocate for transgender athletes.
Celia Quansah
Quansah is a member of Great Britain's Team GB rugby squad and will be playing on the same team as her partner, Megan Jones.
Tom Daley
Veteran diver Tom Daley, who has been on the Olympic scene since 2008, will represent Great Britain this summer. And he will have his husband and super-cute kid cheering him on.
Domien Michiels
Michiels will be part of Belgium's equestrian team this summer. His partner, Geert-Jan Raateland, is also a Dutch dressage rider who has represented the Netherlands in international competitions.
Markus Thormeyer
Canadian swimmer Thormeyer saw his performance improve after removing the weight of being in the closet:
“After letting my walls down and coming out to the team, I felt like I could finally be me. It felt like a literal weight was lifted off my shoulders. I came to the pool with my head up and smile on my face. There were no distractions.”
Laurel Hubbard
Hubbard was named to New Zealand’s weightlifting team and will be the first transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics.
Weightlifting New Zealand President Richie Patterson says, “Laurel is an astute student of the sport and technically very good with the lifts. We look forward to supporting her in her final preparations towards Tokyo.”
Good luck, athletes, and thank you for sharing your pride.
