Dame Kelly Holm reveals she's gay as brave Olympics hero, 52, vows to be her 'real self' after mental health trma | The Sun

Contents:

• KELLY HOLM ON G OUT AS GAY: ‘SOMETIM I CRY WH RELIEF’
• KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY: ‘I NEED TO DO THIS NOW, FOR ME’
• DAME KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AND SAYS ‘I’M FALLY EE’
• KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AFTER LIVG FEAR FOR YEARS
• DAME KELLY HOLM SHAR RELIEF AT G OUT AS GAY
• DAME KELLY HOLM: OLYMPIC CHAMPN ANNOUNC SHE IS GAY - AND KEPT HIDN FOR 34 YEARS
• DAME KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AFTER 34 YEARS
• DAME KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AFTER 34 YEARS AND SAYS 'I'M FALLY EE'
• DAME KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AFTER 34 YEARS AND SAYS SHE'S 'FALLY EE'
• OLYMPIC CHAMPN DAME KELLY HOLM ANNOUNC SHE IS GAY - AND KEPT HIDN FOR 34 YEARS
• DAME KELLY HOLM REVEALS SHE’S GAY AS BRAVE OLYMPICS HERO, 52, VOWS TO BE HER ‘REAL SELF’ AFTER MENTAL HEALTH TRMA
• DAME KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AND IS 'FALLY EE'THE 52-YEAR-OLD OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST ADMTED SHE HAD BEEN WORRIED ABOUT GETTG TROUBLE DUE TO HER PAST REERBIRMGHAMMAILBOOKMARKSHARENEWSBYKATY HALLAMAUDIENCE EDOR22:04, 18 JUN 2022UPDATED15:38, 19 JUN 2022BOOKMARKVIO LOADGVIO UNAVAILABLECLICK TO PLAYTAP TO PLAYTHE VIO WILL TO-PLAY SOON8CANCELPLAY NOWDON'T MISS ANY TV AND SHOWBIZ NEWS - SIGN UP TO EE ALERTSMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 DON'T MISS ANY TV AND SHOWBIZ NEWS - SIGN UP TO EE ALERTSINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!
• OLYMPIC LEGEND KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AT 52

KELLY HOLM ON G OUT AS GAY: ‘SOMETIM I CRY WH RELIEF’

Dame Kelly Holm has announced that she is gay, sayg she “need to do this now”. Speakg durg Pri month, the two-time gold medal wng Olympic champn said she realised she was gay at the age of 17 after kissg a fellow female soldier, and that her fay and iends have known sce 1997. Until 2000, was illegal for gay, lbian and bisexual people to serve the Brish army, Royal Navy and RAF – and Holm feared she would still face repercsns for breakg that law durg her time the ntacted a ary LGBTQ+ lear 2020 to fd out if she uld be sanctned for breakg army l and was told she would not be.

KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY: ‘I NEED TO DO THIS NOW, FOR ME’

Gay rights mpaigners have weled Dame Kelly Holm’ cisn to e out at the age of 52, a move that sparked qutns about how many olr people rema aaid to be open about their sexualy after growg up more homophobic double Olympic gold medallist lifted a paful 34-year public silence on her sexualy on Sunday, sayg that she felt as if she was gog to “explo wh excement” by fally g out after years which she felt prsed, anx and even suicidal, keepg her secret om all but close fay and, who realised she was a lbian when she kissed a fellow female soldier the army 1988, told the Sunday Mirror: “It was illegal to be gay the army.

“The reason I didn’t want to e out was that I didn’t really know people sport … that were gay, ” she said.

”Sign up to First Edn, our ee daily newsletter – every weekday morng at 7am BSTOffice for Natnal Statistics figur released last month showed that far fewer people om Holm’ generatn were willg to intify as homosexual than younger adults. In 2020, only 2% of 50- to 64-year-old people said they were gay, lbian or bisexual, pared wh 4.

DAME KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AND SAYS ‘I’M FALLY EE’

5% among 25- to said that when she first realised she was gay, 1988, Bra was gripped by the Aids panic, which stigmatised gay people. Schools were prohibed om the “promotn of homosexualy” unr the sectn 28 le that operated om 1988 to 2003 England and Wal, and until 2000 Stland.

Gay people the ary uld be sacked until 2000 and some were urt-martialled.

KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AFTER LIVG FEAR FOR YEARS

“Kelly Holm is the tip of the iceberg, ” said the gay rights mpaigner Peter Tatchell, addg that there were “several other huge Brish sports stars who haven’t been able to e out”. “They grew up an era of often toxic homophobia and even though Bra is more liberal today they have been srred by that experience for life, ” he said: “There have been lots of dark tim where I wished I uld scream that I am gay – but I uldn’t. I was nvced throughout my whole life that if I admted to beg gay the army, I’d still be trouble.

”“We expect there are gog to be many more people livg the shadow of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia for many s; many people feelg they would be judged by iends and fay, ” he said. Get the ee Morng Headl email for news om our reporters across the worldSign up to our ee Morng Headl emailBrish Olympic champn Dame Kelly Holm has e out as gay at the age of double gold medal wner told the Sunday Mirror she first realised she was gay as a 17-year-old soldier after a female lleague kissed a fear of beg urt marshalled when same-sex relatnships were banned the forc led her to stay silent.

DAME KELLY HOLM SHAR RELIEF AT G OUT AS GAY

“There have been lots of dark tim where I wished I uld scream that I am gay – but I uldn’t, ” she told the feelg “ee”, Dame Kelly said she was happy to be g out on her own terms. ”Dame Kelly adms to secret relatnships wh women while the army (PA)Dame Kelly said her fay and close iends have known about her sexualy for years but she was “nvced throughout my whole life that if I admted to beg gay the army I’d still be trouble” Kelly said has been a relatnship for a while but plans to keep tails of her partner private. ”The retired athlete said fame and life the public eye also ma harr for her to e said that while growg up, the “stigma of homosexualy” due to the Aids epimic ma harr to reveal the tth.

She add that school sex tn at the time also “was nothg to do wh beg gay” was after she joed the Women’s Royal Army Corps 1988 when a fellow soldier kissed her that thgs changed. “There was this pub that had a back dance floor and a pool table and everyone we knew was gay ed to go to this place.

DAME KELLY HOLM: OLYMPIC CHAMPN ANNOUNC SHE IS GAY - AND KEPT HIDN FOR 34 YEARS

Holm first realised she was gay when she was jt 17. Dame Kelly Holm has e out as gay at the age of 52 after "spendg her whole life" terrified that she would get to trouble for havg relatnships wh women while the army. The gold medal wng Olympian first realised she was gay when she was jt 17, while she was servg the armed forc and a female lleague kissed her.

She explaed that her fay and close iends have known for a long time that she is gay but she was sure if she me out publilly she would face disciplary actn for breachg retrospective l. “I was nvced throughout my whole life that if I admted to beg gay the Army I’d still be trouble, ” she said she was fully aware that there had been mours about her sexualy throughout her athletics reer but fally "feels ee" to e out "on her own terms". Holm feared she face punishment for breakg the Army's le on homosexualy.

Speakg to the Sunday Mirror, she said: "There have been lots of dark tim where I wished I uld scream that I am gay – but I uldn't. “Everyone knew who was gay, but you’d never talk about , ” she said.

DAME KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AFTER 34 YEARS

'I'd be trouble'In her terview wh the Mirror, Dame Kelly spoke of her ncern that she would be punished for beg gay and servg the Army. "I was nvced throughout my whole life that if I admted to beg gay the Army I'd still be trouble, " she scribed an cint where the Royal Milary Police searched her acmodatn what she believed to be an attempt to unver her sexualy.

"They pulled everythg out of your cupboard, turned out the beds and drawers, read letters - everythg - tryg to tch out, so we uld be arrted, urt martialled and potentially go to jail, " she Kelly left profsnal nng at 18 to jo the Army the late 1980s, beg an HGV driver and a physil trag was award an MBE for servic to the Army 1998, and 2018, she beme the first person to be appoted Honorary Colonel to a regular un, the Royal Armoured, transgenr and bisexual people the ary faced prison if their sexualy or genr inty was law was changed 2000 after four servicemen and women, who were sacked for beg gay, won a se the European Court of Human on this story. Dame Kelly Holm has announced she is gay, and says she has hidn for 34 years. Speakg durg Pri month, the two-time Olympic gold medallist said she realised she was gay at the age of 17 after kissg a fellow female soldier, and that her fay and iends have known sce Olympic champn told the Sunday Mirror: "I need to do this now, for me.

DAME KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AFTER 34 YEARS AND SAYS 'I'M FALLY EE'

"The 52-year-old also revealed she stggled wh her mental health bee of havg to hi her sexualy, and that she had to keep several same-sex relatnships she had durg her time the Women's Royal Army Corps secret, for fear of beg urts 2000, was illegal for gay, lbian and bisexual people to serve the Brish Army, Royal Navy and RAF - and Dame Kelly feared she would still face repercsns for breakg that law durg her time the ntacted a ary LGBTQ+ lear 2020 to fd out if she uld be sanctned for breakg army l and was told she would not said: "I felt like I uld breathe aga, one ltle ll uld have saved 28 years of heartache. Dame Kelly Holm, 52, out as gay as she says 'I'm fally ee' after livg a 'secret life' for sDame Kelly has spoken about her sexualy for the first time publiclyShe nfirmed she has a partner but didn't want to give any further tailsDame Kelly's fay and close iends have known for s she is gayShe revealed fears over breakg the Army's no same-sex relatnship l at the time of her service as one of the reasons for hidg her sexualy Published: 21:56 BST, 18 June 2022 | Updated: 00:21 BST, 19 June 2022.

DAME KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AFTER 34 YEARS AND SAYS SHE'S 'FALLY EE'

Speakg to the Mirror, she said: 'There have been lots of dark tim where I wished I uld scream that I am gay – but I uldn't. ' Speakg out: Dame Kelly Holm has publicly e out as gay (pictured this year)'I need to do this now, for me.

'Dame Kelly nfirmed she has a partner but didn't want to give any further tails, admtg is the first time she hasn't troduced someone as a 'iend or PA' explaed how her fay and close iends have known for years she is gay but she worried about beg trouble for breachg retrospective l the Forc. Kelly had relatnships wh other women durg her 10 years , who chose to e out durg Pri month, told how she first realised she was gay when she kissed another female soldier at the age of 17.

OLYMPIC CHAMPN DAME KELLY HOLM ANNOUNC SHE IS GAY - AND KEPT HIDN FOR 34 YEARS

Historic: Kelly, who chose to e out durg Pri month, told how she first realised she was gay when she kissed another female soldier at the age of 17 (pictured durg her time the Army)Before the 2003 World Champnship fals, Kelly said she h an all time low and self-harmed, rellg how she had 'no ntrol' over didn't ask for any support at the time out of fear she would be dropped om the Olympic 2018, Kelly was ma an Honorary Colonel of the Royal Armoured Corps Trag Regiment, which she viewed as another barrier for her g sufferg a breakdown 2020, she ma a ll to a LGBTQ+ lear to qutn if she uld still face repercsns over her Army she was reassured that she wouldn't get any trouble wh the Forc, Kelly revealed she felt like she uld 'breathe aga' documentary will see Kelly speak to LGBTQ+ soldiers and she said she was 'gobsmacked' about how much the Army has changed sce her time said she talkg to some young people the Forc for the documentary who weren't even aware of the ban. Olympics legend Dame Kelly Holm today breaks a 34-year silence to tell the world: “I’m gay. And she adms: “There have been lots of dark tim where I wished I uld scream that I am gay – but I uldn’t.

She was a 17-year-old soldier when she first realised she was gay after a female ra kissed her.

Fear of beg prosecuted – at a time when homosexuals were banned om the Forc – forced her to silence. ” And explag her fear of retrospective actn for breachg Forc l, she says: “I was nvced throughout my whole life that if I admted to beg gay the Army I’d still be trouble.

DAME KELLY HOLM REVEALS SHE’S GAY AS BRAVE OLYMPICS HERO, 52, VOWS TO BE HER ‘REAL SELF’ AFTER MENTAL HEALTH TRMA

” Fay and close iends have known for years that Kelly is gay. She says: “It was an era where the stigma of homosexualy was really bad bee of the AIDS epimic. “And back then, school sex tn was nothg to do wh beg gay.

DAME KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AND IS 'FALLY EE'THE 52-YEAR-OLD OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST ADMTED SHE HAD BEEN WORRIED ABOUT GETTG TROUBLE DUE TO HER PAST REERBIRMGHAMMAILBOOKMARKSHARENEWSBYKATY HALLAMAUDIENCE EDOR22:04, 18 JUN 2022UPDATED15:38, 19 JUN 2022BOOKMARKVIO LOADGVIO UNAVAILABLECLICK TO PLAYTAP TO PLAYTHE VIO WILL TO-PLAY SOON8CANCELPLAY NOWDON'T MISS ANY TV AND SHOWBIZ NEWS - SIGN UP TO EE ALERTSMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 DON'T MISS ANY TV AND SHOWBIZ NEWS - SIGN UP TO EE ALERTSINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!

A fellow soldier kissed her at the bathroom block and, says Kelly: “I realised I mt be gay then, bee felt good. “Everyone knew who was gay, but you’d never talk about , ” she says. “I’d thk, ‘No one talks about the sport, how do I sudnly say I’m gay?

She says: “I uldn’t go to a unsellor bee if I tell them I’m gay they might tell someone. “You’ll get done for beg homophobic now, rather than for beg gay. After takg a few sends, she said: ‘Durg that time [Kelly was the army om 1998-1997] there was a wch hunt, where they were purposely gog to barracks and tryg to fd people who were nsired, possibly, to be gay.

Prime Mister Rishi Sunak apologised on behalf of the ernment (Picture: AP)It was illegal to be gay the Brish ary until 2000, and Sunak lled this fact an ‘appallg failure’ and apologised on behalf of the ernment.

OLYMPIC LEGEND KELLY HOLM OUT AS GAY AT 52

Servg personnel spected of beg gay, lbian, bisexual or transgenr ed to be tensely qutned and subjected to distrsg medil spectns.

Kelly has fought for the apology (Picture: Jeremy O’Donnell/Shutterstock)Some even served time behd bars due to the ary crimal offence of beg homosexual. Kelly Holm was an Army sergeant (Picture: PA)‘As today’s report mak clear, that perd many endured the most horrific sexual abe and vlence, homophobic bullyg and harassment, all while bravely servg this untry, ’ said Sunak.