8 popular Tokyo Olympics events for gay lbian queer viewers - Outsports

Contents:

• OLYMPIC SWIMMER MARK THORMEYER PERFORMED AT HIS PEAK AFTER G OUT AS GAY
• GAY OLYMPICS SWIMMER MAK WAV AND OUT OF THE WATER
• NICK ALBIERO, 28-TIME ALL-AMERIN SWIMMER, IS GAY OIYMPIC HOPEFUL
• WHY THE FIRST GAY OLYMPICS WAS A WATERSHED MOMENT SPORTS
• FAMEWATCHER SEARCH PRIMARY MENU SKIP TO NTENT HOMECELEBRY HAIR TRANSPLANTCELEBRY PLASTIC SURGERYCELEBRY LEATHER JACKETBODY SHAPER SEARCH FOR: GAY MALE ATHLET, HOT MALE SWIMMERS, SWIMWEAR FOR MENGAY SWIMMERS LIST: OLYMPIANS AND COLLEGE STARS
• OLYMPIC SWIMMG LEGEND NFIRMS HE’S GAY
• GAY OLYMPIAN KEH FROSTAD WAS HARASSED, ATTACKED BY SWIMMERS 1992
• TOM DALEY AFTER WNG GOLD: ‘I'M GAY AND AN OLYMPIC CHAMPN'
• IAN THORPE REVEALS HE IS GAY
• WELE TO THE ‘GAY GAM,’ AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE OLYMPICS, WHERE ACTIVISM IS ENURAGED AND EVERYONE’S AN ATHLETE
• SIX FRENCH ATHLET TALK ABOUT BEG GAY, SHARE EXPERIENC

OLYMPIC SWIMMER MARK THORMEYER PERFORMED AT HIS PEAK AFTER G OUT AS GAY

Swimmer Mark Thormeyer was a wreck leadg up to the 2016 Canadian Olympic Trials, his hidg beg gay so taxg and bilatg that one day he broke down and lay helpls on his bedroom floor. In May, the openly gay Fnish swimmer won the 50-meter etyle at the European champnships, ls than three months before he is set to swim the same race, along wh the 100-meter etyle, Tokyo.

But was jt before the 2014 Wter Olympics Sochi, Rsia, (where they obvly don’t have swimmg) where the 6-10 Fn ma his biggt splash, when he me out as gay. “I wanted to jo the discsn relatn to Sochi, sce is a sad fact that the Rsian gay law affects negatively Rsian young people’s liv and g human rights general, he told the Fnish Natnal TV Channel YLE’s “Sports Weekend” show at the time. “Jt me gettg to be on the podium, Japan, as an Asian Amerin woman and gettg to take silver a historil women’s event for the first time, as someone who lik women and who intifi as gay — ’s so ol, ” she said, via the Post.

At least 186 publicly out gay, lbian, bisexual, transgenr, queer and nonbary athlet were Tokyo for the Summer Olympic Gam, more than triple the number who participated at the 2016 R Gam. “Competg at the Olympics as an openly gay athlete is pretty amazg, ” Canadian swimmer Mark Thormeyer told Outsports. Thormeyer was not out when he peted at the 2016 R Olympics and me out publicly as gay a 2020 say for Outsports.

GAY OLYMPICS SWIMMER MAK WAV AND OUT OF THE WATER

Elissa Alarie (Canada)#Brt Benn (Canada)#Kelly Brazier (New Zealand)Gayle Broughton (New Zealand)#Isadora Cello (Brazil) Lren Doyle (USA)#Mara Fravanti (Brazil)#Megan Jon (Bra)Alev Kelter (USA)Ghislae Landry (Canada)#Kaili Lan (Canada)#Celia Quansah (Bra)Kristen Thomas (USA)Ruby Tui (New Zealand)#Sharni Williams (Atralia)Portia Woodman (New Zealand).

Now the gay two-time NCAA champn for the Universy of Louisville, and current Olympic-hopeful swimmer, is talkg more publicly about beg a gay athlete bee, after all of the years, he’s simply ready to do so. And German diver Timo Barthel gave Outsports some thoughts on beg not “gay” or “straight.

NICK ALBIERO, 28-TIME ALL-AMERIN SWIMMER, IS GAY OIYMPIC HOPEFUL

Before he head to Tokyo, Team USA rerve Nick Wagman gave Outsports the first terview of him talkg about beg gay. Sger Ta Turner was the ma draw at the openg ceremony San Francis for the first Gay Gam 1982, but cy supervisor Doris Ward may have received the biggt reactn om the crowd.

“She said, ‘I’d like to ve you all to the first-ever Gay Olympics, ’” remembers Jim Hahn, one of roughly 1. ”But Gay Gam I, which ran om Augt 28-September 5, 1982, faced many challeng, cludg the U.

WHY THE FIRST GAY OLYMPICS WAS A WATERSHED MOMENT SPORTS

Olympic Commtee's lawsu barrg the event om g the name "Gay Olympics. You uld have an Olympics for anythg, ” says Shamey Cramer, a swimmer who -led Team Los Angel the first Gam, “but heaven forbid you should be gay or lbian. Succeed blockg the official e of the term "Olympic, " but the lawsu galvanized support for the Gam, pecially among the gay muny.

FAMEWATCHER SEARCH PRIMARY MENU SKIP TO NTENT HOMECELEBRY HAIR TRANSPLANTCELEBRY PLASTIC SURGERYCELEBRY LEATHER JACKETBODY SHAPER SEARCH FOR: GAY MALE ATHLET, HOT MALE SWIMMERS, SWIMWEAR FOR MENGAY SWIMMERS LIST: OLYMPIANS AND COLLEGE STARS

Participants the gural event today rell Gay Gam I as a watershed moment for gay athlet around the world. "When I walk to the [Gay Gam] openg ceremoni, " says Hahn, "I always get that sense of history g back.

Olympian Helps Organize Gay GamAthlet wave to the crowd at the 1994 Gay Gam New openg ceremony at the 1994 Gay Gam New skatg petors at the 1994 Gay Gam New closg ceremony for the 1994 Gay Gam New York was held at Yankee men's softball fal at the 1994 Gay Gam was held Central Gay Gam clu a body-buildg the 2002 Gay Gam Sydney, Atralia, nners ngratulate each other at the 5, 000-meter fal. Combs pete the dancport petn at the Gay Gam Chigo 2006.

OLYMPIC SWIMMG LEGEND NFIRMS HE’S GAY

Olympian, was one of the lead anizers of the first Gay Gam. Like many other LGBT athlet, Wadll wanted to make a siar, powerful statement wh an event for gay MORE: 8 Memorable Protts by Amerin Athlet “You were eher a drag queen or the leather muny—those were the stereotyp that were prented to the public at that time, ” says Rick Thoman, a track and field athlete who peted the first Gay Gam. “They never thought that we were able to be athletic and be gay at the same time.

”A number of gay and lbian sports leagu emerged the 1970s, as the LGBT muny gradually announced self to mastream society. Still, many outlets for gay athlet, namely bowlg and billiards leagu, were still tied to the bars that had served as safe harbors for s.

GAY OLYMPIAN KEH FROSTAD WAS HARASSED, ATTACKED BY SWIMMERS 1992

“The Gam offer another place to ‘e out’ bis a dark bar, ” Jill Ramsay, the chair of swimmg and divg at the first Gam, told the Bay Area Reporter, one of the natn's first gay newspapers,  1982. READ MORE: Harvey Milk, in the gay munyLike the mpaigns of gay polician Harvey Milk, a well-known muny anizer, the first Gay Gam were a grassroots project.

TOM DALEY AFTER WNG GOLD: ‘I'M GAY AND AN OLYMPIC CHAMPN'

Wadll ed an irong board as a makhift sign-up table for the Gam on a street rner the Castro, a hub of San Francis's gay muny.

Wadll said the first Gay Gam were put on wh a most budget: $220, 000.

IAN THORPE REVEALS HE IS GAY

How the First Gam Play OutAnnie Wells/Los Angel Tim via Getty ImagShamey Cramer was stmental anizg Gay Gam followg the gural event Gay Gam I, teams were anized by cy, each signg their own uniforms. Charlie Carson, a swimmer who traveled to om New York for Gay Gam I 1982, rells meetg a young swimmer om Atralia who had never peted agast others. READ MORE: Explore history of the LGBTQ movement AmeriIn addn to boxg, basketball, swimmg and a number of other tradnal Olympic sports, the Gay Gam featured billiards, bowlg and a physique petn held at the historic Castro Theater.

WELE TO THE ‘GAY GAM,’ AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE OLYMPICS, WHERE ACTIVISM IS ENURAGED AND EVERYONE’S AN ATHLETE

Pneerg a New TradnPasl Ron/ALLSPORTGreg Louganis, one of the bt divers Olympic history, publicly revealed he was gay at the Gay Gam to the efforts of Cramer, Hahn, Carson, Thoman and many others, the Gay Gam have taken place every four years sce 1982, wh recent edns drawg parable numbers of athlet to the Olympics and Paralympics. Carson remas proud of the impact of the Gay Gam on the Olympics and broar sportg world.

Six years after the first Gay Gam, equtrian Robert Dover beme the first openly gay athlete to pete the morn Olympics.

SIX FRENCH ATHLET TALK ABOUT BEG GAY, SHARE EXPERIENC

Olympic gold medalist Bce Hay me out publicly while petg at Gay Gam III 1990. Four years later, diver Greg Louganis me out as part of the openg ceremony of Gay Gam IV. The Gam also led to a boom the formatn of gay sports clubs across Ameri.