Aug 9
Looking Back, The Most Iconic Moments for LGBTQ+ Athletes at the Olympics
Roger Porter READ TIME: 4 MIN.
It has been a wonderful time in "gay Paree," a nod to the notable increase of out gay and trans athletes competing in the Summer Games. In fact, representation of queer athletes increases with each passing games and Paris was no exception. Over 200 out and proud athletes have been competing at the games and many have already won medals.
The road to Paris is a reminder of the progress we've made and the key stepping stones along the way for these incredible humans to stand on the world's stage and own their truth. The following iconic and recent moments in LGBTQ+ athlete history show that progress is achievable and real. Because when queer athletes stand on that stage, they send a message of pride and inclusion for the world to see.
2012: Megan Rapinoe Takes Home the Gold
In advance of the London Games in 2012, Megan Rapinoe, star soccer player of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, publicly came out as gay. At the time, she was the only publicly out gay soccer player, thrusting her into the spotlight as a world class athlete and, in 2012, a gay activist. She led her team to victory in London, claiming gold and cementing her status as one of the most influential athletes of her generation. The world watched in awe as Rapinoe used her star power to speak out about equal pay in women's soccer and even joined Colin Kaepernick in 2016 by taking a knee in a sign of protest. Still, coming out over 12 years ago created a ripple effect that continues to make an impact.
"I still, to this day, have people coming up to me or writing me or whatever it may be, you know, thanking me or saying, you know, I'm the reason they felt OK with themselves or I'm the reason their family was OK – or you know, parents coming up to me who very clearly have little budding gay children," said Rapinoe in an interview. "And even if it's an unspoken thing, they see themselves in me."
2018: Gus Kenworthy's Kiss Goes Viral
The hunky Brit who grew up in Colorado, known for his dashing smile and sublime freestyle ski abilities, took home silver at the Sochi Winter Games in 2014. But Kenworthy was closeted at the time. Returning to PyeongChang in 2018, he failed to medal but captured our hearts in a moment of pure bliss – this time as a confidently out gay athlete.
After a qualifying run, Kenworthy skied to the bottom of the hill and shared a kiss with then-boyfriend Matt Wilkas. The sweet moment, intended to be private, was captured on live NBC cameras and quickly went viral. His tender smooch broadcast the moment that love is love and secured its spot as one of the most iconic moments for queer athletes at the Olympics.
"I didn't even know that that was a televised moment at all, but I think that's amazing," Kenworthy said in an interview. "That's something that I wanted at the last Olympics was to share a kiss with my boyfriend at the bottom and it was something that I was too scared to do for myself. And so to be able to do that, to give him a kiss, to have that affection broadcasted for the world is incredible."
"I think that the only way to really change perceptions, break down homophobia, break down barriers is through representation. That's definitely not something I had as a kid. I definitely didn't see a gay athlete at the Olympics kissing their boyfriend and I think that if I had it would have made it a lot easier for me, so hopefully it did that for other people."
2020: The First Trans and Non-Binary Athlete Wins Gold
The Tokyo Games marked a number of firsts for Quinn, a Canadian soccer player who came out in 2020 as transgender and non-binary. The skilled midfielder was the first openly trans and non-binary athlete to win an Olympic medal. That medal happened to be gold. The historic moment shined a light on Quinn's journey to self acceptance and notched a win for out LGBTQ+ athletes around the world. "I feel proud seeing 'Quinn' up on the lineup and on my accreditation," they said in an interview. "I feel sad knowing there were Olympians before me unable to live their truth because of the world, [but] I feel optimistic for change."
2022: Timothy LeDuc is the First Openly Non-Binary Athlete to Compete in the Winter Games
Timothy LeDuc, a U.S. pairs figure skater, pushed LGBTQ+ athlete representation forward when they came out as non-binary and competed in the Winter Games in Beijing 2022. In a traditionally gendered sport, pairs figure skating typically features male and female gender roles. But with LeDuc's non-binary status, they showed the world that inclusion in sports is the true win. LeDuc said in an interview: "It's really challenging being in a gendered sport sometimes... but me and [my partner] get to just be ourselves and be two amazing athletes who come together and create something beautiful."
