Queer Moments in Olympic History

The Paris Olympics had queer kisses and queer medals and I loved every exciting moment. Read more about queer olympic history here!

The Paris Olympics had queer kisses and queer medals and I loved every exciting moment, especially those featuring our favorite queer athletes on Team USA

Did you catch the riveting performances in the opening ceremonies? What a show! My sister texted me that it was, “So gay!”

Ménage à trois? Oui. 

LGBTQ+ athletes as flagbearers? Oui.

Drag performers? Bien sûr. 

These opening ceremonies have sparked outrage and excitement, and isn’t that what performance is all about? Glaad reports that French drag artists were the first ever to carry the torch, leading up the Paris opening ceremonies. French drag performer Miss Martini posted on social media that she was “Proud to have been chosen to represent the LGBTQIA+ community with my sisters, Minima Gesté and Nicky Doll.”

On the heels of this iconic event, we want to share some of our favorite LGBTQ+ moments from Olympics past, starting with the first openly gay athlete to compete in the Olympic Games. Can you believe that was less than 40 years ago? Progress feels incredible. 

Let’s keep moving forward with pride.

Robert Dover

In 1988, Robert Dover became the first openly gay athlete to compete at the Olympic Games. In a 2020 interview with Outsports he said, “My thing was, ‘My name’s Robert Dover, I’m the token Jewish gay boy on the U.S. Olympic team, in the equestrian sport of dressage.’ And people laughed, but I had a lot of press following me around.” Dover makes it sound so simple “I was somebody who wasn’t afraid to talk about being openly gay in Olympic sport.” Dover’s willingness to be his true self opened the door for future Olympic athletes.

Matthew Mitcham

In Beijing 2008, openly gay Diver Matthew Mitchan won gold for Australia. His boyfriend was cheering him on in the stands. In an article originally published that summer, Jim Buzinski wrote “… Mitcham struck a golden blow for gay people everywhere who’ve been told they’re flawed or not good enough, especially in the athletic arena. For all the gay men who have been called weak, sissies, pansies, too emotional, not tough enough to compete in sports, that final dive was for you. Mitcham helped to shatter those stereotypes and brought me to tears thinking about what was possible.” Mitcham retired from diving in 2016.

Greg Louganis

American diver and Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis came out as part of the opening ceremony of Gay Games in 1994. In a 2021 interview with ESPN he recalls welcoming athletes by saying, “’It’s great to be out and proud.” Louganis, who lives with HIV, came out about his diagnosis in 1995. When asked about the impact of being an openly gay athlete, Louganis said, “It empowers so many individuals to not hide in the shadows, to be embraced, because, really, I think the deadliest thing is to isolate. Letting go of the secrets enables you to feel seen, heard and embraced.”

Kate & Helen Richardson-Walsh

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, British women’s field hockey players Helen and Kate Richardson-Walsh became the first same-sex married couple to win an Olympic Gold medal together. The couple have co-written a book together and have a 4-year-old daughter. 

Quinn

Team Canada soccer player Quinn became the first out non-binary transgender athlete to compete in the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021. They talked about using their voice and their social media to be visible to queer people. In an interview with Out Sports Quinn said that social media is “a place for me to trailblaze as a trans athlete. I want to use my platform. One of the reasons I came out was to use my platform and I’m hoping with my voice can help uplift other trans voices in our community.” The Canadian soccer team went on to win the gold medal, and Quinn is on the roster for this summer’s Olympic games.

These aren’t the only iconic LGBTQ+ moments in Olympic history, and they certainly won’t be the last. In an article for AP News Jim Buzinski, co-founder of Outsports said, “More and more people are coming out. They realize it’s important to be visible because there’s no other way to get representation.”

I really loved these past few weeks watching the Olympic Games, especially the major revival of my USA Spirit that I didn’t know I needed. Let’s keep this passion for our LGBTQ+ athletes alive by continuing to support our favorite sports, teams, and individuals.

Hey there. Laura Leigh here. I’m a wife, writer, mama, small business owner, podcast host, and the Head of Content here at Pink Robin.

I love supporting the queer community and bringing shared experiences to life.

If you have a story to tell, I’m here for it.

la********@pi***********.com

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I remember when my wife and I first became moms, I knew that our ability to “pass” was behind us. I was never going to pretend that my wife and family were something other than exactly who they were. It was freeing to know that I had to live my queer life out loud, that I would forever be myself in every space, all the time.

In a 2023 CNN article Daniel Korschun, associate professor of marketing at Drexel University explained that when it comes to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, executives “are becoming much more skittish about taking these stands and making strong statements.

According to a 2022 Pew Research Poll, roughly eight-in-ten U.S. adults say there is at least some discrimination against transgender people in our society. Because trans rights have become such a contentious issue across the country, companies that used to view supporting pride as “low stakes” have become less likely to support the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. “The pendulum is swinging a bit back … toward a more conservative approach, where they’ll be less vocal,” says Korschun. According to a recent NBC News article, Target stores will only sell pride merchandise in select locations this year. The retailer will not have Pride collections in about half of their locations. Additionally, they will only sell pride merchandise for adults.

An argument that Target has made in the past and is now using again is that this decision protects their LGBTQ+ employees, but let’s be clear: Conditional allyship is not support. Pulling queer merchandise from their shelves and essentially pretending that we don’t exist–and ignoring those of us who have children that want to celebrate pride with us–is detrimental to our community. Erasure threatens our safety. This weekend my mom told me that she’s done with Target. Like her, I can’t say I feel good about spending my money in a place that doesn’t value my family. As of today, the ACLU is currently tracking 515 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S. We exist, and abandoning us only endangers us.