Olympic Gymnast Danell Leyva Reflects On Comg Out Earlier This Month: WATCH - Towleroad Gay News

Contents:

• FOR GAY OLYMPIC GYMNAST DOMIC CLARKE, G OUT ALLOWED HIM TO SHE TOKYO
• JOSH DIXON, OLYMPICS GYMNASTICS HOPEFUL, COM OUT AS GAY
• A GAY GYMNAST'S STGGLE TO E OUT TO HIS LLEGE ACH
• GAY OLYMPIC GYMNAST DOMIC CLARKE STRS VISIBILY AFTER G OUT
• SAN JOSE ATHLETE COULD BE 1ST OPENLY GAY MALE GYMNAST ON US OLYMPIC TEAM
• A GAY GYMNAST'S STGGLE TO COME OUT TO HIS COLLEGE COACH
• THERE ARE A RERD 11 OPENLY GAY MALE OLYMPIANS R. NONE IS AN AMERIN.

FOR GAY OLYMPIC GYMNAST DOMIC CLARKE, G OUT ALLOWED HIM TO SHE TOKYO

Across our culture today, when a man “ out” so many immediately label him “gay gay gay!

That Leyva don’t intify as gay, is still tryg to figure out how exactly he intifi, and is still willg to share all of this publicly should be empowerg to other men who are the same boat. Weeks before the 2016 printial electn, he shared a msage of support for LGBTQ people, and trans rights particular, while wearg a “Make Ameri Gay Aga” T-shirt. The men the sports are eher largely assumed to be gay, or their sexualy is unknown.

JOSH DIXON, OLYMPICS GYMNASTICS HOPEFUL, COM OUT AS GAY

Women face the same issu, but reverse: Ice hockey and softball players are assumed gay, figure skaters and gymnasts assumed straight.

In the sports where athlet are assumed to be “gay, ” the prsure on athlet is to rist that label so they don’t nform to people’s assumptns. The attus — that some sports are “gay” and some are “straight” — are changg, but they n’t change fast enough. For gay Olympic gymnast Domic Clarke, g out allowed him to she Tokyo.

A GAY GYMNAST'S STGGLE TO E OUT TO HIS LLEGE ACH

Domic Clarke had a ‘gay old time’ beg himself at the Olympics once he embraced who he was. I was posed and peted thentilly and led me to be Domic Clarke, Olympic Falist and Proud Gay Olympian.

I was havg a gay old time.

GAY OLYMPIC GYMNAST DOMIC CLARKE STRS VISIBILY AFTER G OUT

Growg up, I was one of those kids who was untentnally and unapologetilly gay.

Before I had time to explore who I was I heard ments like, “You’re a gymnast, you mt be gay” or “Isn’t that for girls? ” or “You have to wear a leotard, that’s so gay.

I spent a lot of time fendg myself and my sport to protect the tegry of other male athlet I traed wh, but dog so I was lyg to myself by repeatedly sayg I wasn’t gay.

SAN JOSE ATHLETE COULD BE 1ST OPENLY GAY MALE GYMNAST ON US OLYMPIC TEAM

I remember the p my stomach that I would get every time someone asked me if I was gay, and the sharp pa I would feel when I lied.

While I n see why lots of heterosexual boys don’t want to have an inty phed on them that many nsir taboo, the rult is that creat an unrlyg homophobia for many the sport. The only openly gay sports role mols I saw on Atralian TV were Ji Wallace, who won silver 2000 the trampole, and Matthew Mcham, who won a divg gold 2008.

Even though I was fortably out wh certa people, I never wanted to me known as a “gay gymnast.

A GAY GYMNAST'S STGGLE TO COME OUT TO HIS COLLEGE COACH

It uld be as simple as tattoos or piercgs for some judg, and I thought beg gay uld be a negative as well. I was openly gay socially wh my fay and close iends.

THERE ARE A RERD 11 OPENLY GAY MALE OLYMPIANS R. NONE IS AN AMERIN.

Beg the only gay guy a boy’s club environment is tough. There were only so many tim I uld put up wh teammat or ach sayg homophobic slurs before started affectg my mental health. As an openly gay gymnast who people saw at the Olympics, I hope I n spire others to feel pri wh themself.

So when I ntacted him 2014, askg if he’d like to talk about beg gay, he jt wasn’t ready.

People around him knew he was gay. Var posts across the ter speculated about him beg gay, or outright claimed .