Tag Archives: Olympics

Two-time Olympic Champion Nicola Adams Turns Professional

Double Olympic champion Nicola Adams (who is bisexual) will not be part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as she has chosen to go professional, having signed up with promoter Frank Warren.

Adams said:

My hero was Muhammad Ali. I said after watching him I wanted to box at the Olympics and turn pro.

Together we can help take women’s boxing to new levels and I can’t wait to get to get in the ring in April and start working towards becoming a world champion.”

Adams previously spoke of wanting to be the first female boxer to headline at Las Vegas and how the professional game was “waiting for a big name to step in there and open up the doors”.

The Adams came out as bisexual some years ago.

Asked by GQ magazine about whether she encounters prejudice in the sport, the British boxer said:

Racism, yes. Sexism, yes, in boxing: people saying women shouldn’t box. I’ve never come across homophobia.

The racism was more when I was younger, in primary school, and it’s about kids not understanding. I used to struggle with being called black. I said, ‘No, look at me, I’m brown’.

My mother’s side is quite mixed. She’s mixed race, my uncles and my auntie have white partners, my stepdad is white. I was always used to seeing white and black round the table. I never understood why people would be racist.”

Adams says she realised she was bisexual aged 15, and has gone on to top the list of Britain’s most influential LGBT people.

It was quite a scary thought for me at the time. You never know how the family is going to react, so I was nervous.

Mum was in the kitchen washing up and I was like, ‘I’ve got something to tell you’. I was so nervous, I was really sweating.

She said ‘What’s wrong?’ and I was just like ‘I’m bisexual’ and she said ‘OK… put the kettle on’.”

Nicola Adams Says She’s Encountered Racism And Sexism In Boxing, But Never Homophobia

Nicola Adams became the first woman to secure an Olympic boxing title when she won gold at London 2012 and is also the reigning Olympic, World, Commonwealth Games and European champion at flyweight.

Asked by GQ magazine about whether she encounters prejudice in the sport, the British boxer (who is bisexual) said:

Racism, yes. Sexism, yes, in boxing: people saying women shouldn’t box. I’ve never come across homophobia.

The racism was more when I was younger, in primary school, and it’s about kids not understanding. I used to struggle with being called black. I said, ‘No, look at me, I’m brown’.

My mother’s side is quite mixed. She’s mixed race, my uncles and my auntie have white partners, my stepdad is white. I was always used to seeing white and black round the table. I never understood why people would be racist.”

Adams says she realised she was bisexual aged 15, and has gone on to top the list of Britain’s most influential LGBT people.

It was quite a scary thought for me at the time. You never know how the family is going to react, so I was nervous.

Mum was in the kitchen washing up and I was like, ‘I’ve got something to tell you’. I was so nervous, I was really sweating.

She said ‘What’s wrong?’ and I was just like ‘I’m bisexual’ and she said ‘OK… put the kettle on’.”

This year in Rio Adams successfully defended her gold medal, but said her greatest regret was never meeting her hero, Muhammad Ali, who died in June.

I would loved to have met him and said, ‘You are the reason I wanted to become an Olympic champion too’.

He will always be known, he’ll always be there, the greatest who ever lived.

Nobody will ever forget him.”

Read the full interview in the December issue of GQ, on sale Monday.

Why Are Queer Female Athletes Years Ahead Of Gay Men When It Comes To Acceptance?

In the wake of another Olympic Games, we can all look back and ask: Weren’t these Olympics gayer than usual?

Well, in a way, they really were! With 50 LGBTQ athletes competing this year, there has been a considerable increase in out athletes participating when comparing with the London Olympics, where only 23 athletes identified as LGBTQ. Of course this staggering increase can be seen as a rise in acceptance as more athletes come out each year.

But, as always, there are two sides to every coin.

The disparity between queer male and female athletes is still visibly high. As UpWorthy mentioned, of the 12 athletes on the US Women’s Basketball Olympic Team, 4 identify as gay.

How about the Men’s Team or even the NBA? 2? Maybe 1? You guessed it, 0 players identify as gay or bisexual. This disparity has little to do with the number of LGBTQ players, but instead with acceptance.

The difference between coming out while playing for the WNBA or the NBA is as night and day; seen even regularly amongst the female athletes. Why is that?

As a lesbian, I have always loved the stereotype “Lesbians are good at sports.”

Not that I am nor most of my queer female friends are, but the fact that there are female all-star athletes such as Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova (should I include Dana Fairbanks?) sets a precedent that gave rise to such a stereotype. And most of us who have done any sport at a competitive level have come across a couple other queer athletes.

Although I am not saying in any way that coming out as a female athlete is easy, this normalization of LGBTQ women in sports has paved the way to acceptance and the freedom to come out.

But what about the other queer athletes?

How can it be expected for a bisexual or gay man to come out while playing for the NBA if there are no other queer players in the league? On the bright side, after North Carolina passed the known “anti-LGBTQ” law, the league ended up not having its All-Star game in Charlotte as a way not only to protest the law but also for protection of both the athletes and the fans.

The way I see it, it’s just a matter of time before male athletes start to come out, and once the first one does so, an avalanche of players, managers and coaches coming out will soon follow.

We have discussed the Ls, the Gs and the Bs. How about transgender athletes?

Only this year has the Olympic committee lifted its ban on transgender athletes without gender reassignment surgery! There’s still, however, disparity between trans-men and trans-women competing, with the IOC announcing that “Those who transition from female to male are eligible to compete in the male category without restriction,” but for those transitioning from male to female “[t]he declaration cannot be changed, for sporting purposes, for a minimum of four years.” with regular mandatory testing of serum testosterone levels. Although there are still some barriers to overcome, this has already been an enormous step forward in inclusion of transgender athletes in the Olympics.

What can we take from all this? Naturally, as more and more athletes come out, the more acceptance there is not only from fans but also from team mates and possibly sponsors.

As coming out is somewhat normalized in women’s sports, we can clearly see a higher level of acceptance. So let’s keep it that way and keep moving forward! The way towards acceptance is visibility which can definitely be achieved by coming out. Whenever a big athlete comes out there’s usually some sort of backlash whether from fans, sponsors or even team mates. But (and I hate to use this expression) it gets better!

Especially when that Olympic medal finally proves we are just as good (or even better) than the straight athletes.

Out Olympian Nicola Adams Wins Flyweight Gold Again

Out boxer, Nicola Adams has won a unanimous points decision to beat France’s Sarah Ourahmoune, and become Britain’s first gold boxing medal in Rio.

Adams told the BBC.

The gold rush continues. I’m now officially the most accomplished amateur boxer Great Britain has ever had. I can’t believe it.”

Adams, from Leeds, has won Olympic, European and Commonwealth golds and now becomes the first Briton to defend her Olympic crown since middleweight Harry Mallin in 1924.

She started strongly against the 15th-ranked Ourahmoune, winning the first of four two-minute rounds on all three judges’ scorecard.

She improved further in the second, again winning across the board after pinning back her opponent with speed and accuracy.

In past interviews, Adams has talked openly about her sexuality — and the fact it has never been an issue for her in her sport or personal life.

One label that has been attached to me is “bisexual”, although I would rather be just a person and not be categorised. …

I have never tried to hide my sexuality, but I have never spoken about it before in the press, either, because I didn’t want it to overshadow everything else. It is an important aspect of who I am, but it doesn’t define me.

I worried about how everyone would react, so I used to say I was single, rather than say I was with a girl. I felt like I was lying all the time. I didn’t like living like that so, in the end, I thought, ‘Well, this is who I am. It’s not as if I can stop it.”

Athletes have traditionally feared coming out, but Adams, who was named the most influential LGBT individual in Britain by The Independent in 2012, said she never tried to hide it.

The most important thing is to be honest about yourself. Secrets weigh heavy and it’s when you try to keep everything to yourself that it becomes a burden. You waste energy agonising when you could be living your life and realising your dreams.’

Adams has dominated her sport since the London Olympics in 2012, and in May secured the last major title to elude her, when she was crowned world flyweight champion.

She is once again the reigning Olympic, world, Commonwealth and European Games champion, having also won European and EU golds.

Rio 2016: The Decidedly Gay-Friendly Olympics

Unlike the Sochi Games two years ago, where gay rights were called into question over anti-gay laws enacted by Russia’s government, the Rio Games seem to be increasingly tolerant by comparison.

It hasn’t been flawless — for example, homophobic slurs were shouted by some in the stands at a U.S. women’s soccer match as the games opened — but there’s certain signs of progress on the inclusion front.

Olympic beach volleyball bronze medalist Larissa Franca of Brazil, said in a recent interview

I know all the prejudice that exists in society against homosexuals. We don’t choose our feelings, let alone control them.”

Her comments, mirrored U.S. women’s basketball star Elena Delle Donne, who came out and announced her engagement last week.

That’s what I hope for and I feel like our society is going in the right direction. That’s not a story. It’s normal.”

So far in these Olympics, there seems to be far more cheering than prejudice.

Whether it was a transgender model appearing in the athletes’ parade at the opening ceremony, two men kissing during their leg of the torch relay along Copacabana Beach or the British women’s field hockey team including two teammates who are married — an Olympic first — it has already been a games unlike any other for the LGBTQ community.

That’s as the International Olympic Committee intended, too. After Sochi, the IOC required future Olympic host cities to abide by rules that forbid any kind of discrimination, including with regard to sexual orientation.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Tuesday.

It’s in the charter that we don’t accept any discrimination on grounds of race or religion and sexuality is now included in that.”

Outsports.com reported that there are at least 46 publicly known LGBT athletes in the Rio Games, the highest number of any Olympics.

British diver Tom Daley won a bronze medal in the synchronized competition, with his fiance in the stands to cheer him on — and whatever buzz that created didn’t seem to overshadow the medal accomplishment whatsoever.

Daley came out in 2013 and said he’s never been happier.

I’m at my most consistent. I feel ready physically, psychologically, everything, so I’m really excited.”

Daley said the support he’s gotten has been empowering, and British racewalker Tom Bosworth can relate. When Bosworth revealed his sexuality publicly last year, he said he was blown away by the support from those who already knew and people he never met.

It’s actually spurred me on. It’s actually given me more motivation. … Now I feel like I’m doing it for even more people than before.”

10 Awesome Queer Women We’ve Been Rooting For At Rio 2016

Apparently there are double the amount of out LGBT athletes competing in Rio this year compared to the 2012 London Olympics and the majority of them are gay women.

So, we have compiled a list of our top 10 favourites for you to all look out for.

Put those tongues away ladies, these gals have got medals to win.

1. Elena Delle Donne

Elena is 26, a basketball player, and is representing the USA. She only recently came out as gay in the August issue of Vogue. What a complete babe she is and her partner, Amanda Clifton, must be very proud indeed.

2. Seimone Augustus

Seimone is 32 and a 2014 Basketball World Champion as well as a two-time gold medallist as well. Seimone married her wife Lataya Varner in 2015 and is sure to give her best in Rio this year. Go girl!

3. Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh

These two just have to be one of the sweetest married lez couples in sport. They both play Hockey for the UK team and married in 2013. They secured the bronze medal in London 2012 and have every chance of bringing it home together this year.

4. Larissa Franca

Larissa is a beach volleyball player and will be representing Brazil. She married her wife, Liliane Maestrini in 2013. Larissa is the 2012 Olympic Bronze medallist and 2011 World Champion so she is sure to do well again this year.

5. Megan Rapinoe

Super cute Megan plays Woman’s soccer for team USA. She recently got engaged to her girlfriend, singer/songwriter Sera Cahoone. The team are the world cup champions and it would be amazing if they could take home the Olympic gold as well. Do your best Megan, we’re all right behind you!

6. Hedvig Lindahl

Hedvig represents Sweden in women’s soccer and she is their goalkeeper. She has a wife and a son who apparently go with her when she plays and cheer her on from the side-lines. We’re cheering you as well, Hedvig.

7. Ashley Nee

Ashley is a little cutie and at 27 years old she represents the USA in kayaking. She is married to Ashley McEwen and they got married on the Potomac River where Ashley first learnt how to paddle. That’s just so darn super cute and gives us all a warm, fuzzy glow.

8. Katie Duncan

Katie represents New Zealand in the football team. Her wife Priscilla is also a New Zealand footballer. Before Katie left for Rio she shaved her head for charity so not only is she super sexy she’s also super kind as well.

9. Michelle Heyman

Michelle is a striker for Australia and this is her first Olympic Games appearance. She is 28 and also sports some of the coolest tats ever. She said in an interview once that she has always been out and proud and when she returns from Rio she is going to get some Olympic Rings tattooed on her body somewhere as a memento.

10. Nadine Muller

Nadine is a discus thrower representing Germany and has never earned an Olympic Medal so now is her chance. She married her wife on New Year’s Eve in 2013 and announced it publically on Facebook. We all hope she will be throwing her discus as far as possible with those awesome biceps of hers flexing away.

Nicola Adams: “No One Has Ever Really Cared About Me Being Bisexual”

Nicola Adams – who is heading to Rio games this summer to defend her Olympic gold medal – features in August’s Vogue.

In the interview, Adams talked openly about her sexuality — and the fact it has never been an issue for her in her sport or personal life.

No one’s ever really cared about me being bisexual and I only came out because I had always been out, it’s just the general public didn’t know. I’m quite fearless. I’m like, let’s just go out there and do this and see what happens.”

Athletes have traditionally feared coming out, but Adams, who was named the most influential LGBT individual in Britain by The Independent in 2012, said she never tried to hide it.

Adams has dominated her sport since the London Olympics in 2012, and in May secured the last major title to elude her, when she was crowned world flyweight champion.

I'm In the August issue of @BritishVogue Magazine don't forget to pick up a copy 😎 pic.twitter.com/J5jeQ216Kv

— Nicola Adams (@NicolaAdamsOBE) July 4, 2016

She will head to Rio as the reigning Olympic, world, Commonwealth and European Games champion, having also won European and EU golds.

The boxer, who was born in Leeds, said her triumphs had not come without making compromises.

The sacrifices are hard. You miss christenings, weddings, birthday parties. But then you think about what you’ll achieve.”

See the full shoot and interview with Nicola in the August issue of Vogue, on sale Thursday.

International Olympic Committee Moves to Protect LGBT Athletes

The world of sport is going through a revolutionary period at the moment. In basketball, we saw Jason Collins become the very first gay NBA player whilst the WNBA’s #1 draft pick Brittney Griner came out and became the first openly gay athlete to be sponsored by Nike. The US Women’s National Team in football had three star players come out (including striker Abby Wambach who married her partner last year) and Michael Sam looked set to be the first gay NFL player before the promising young star was cut from his team.

But for all of these coming outs there are still many places where athletes risk being persecuted for this same honesty. Take Russia for example, where its LGBT propaganda laws prevent people from ‘promoting’ LGBT identities or ‘lifestyles’.

As the home of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia came under fire for the discriminatory laws, with some asking for a boycott of the event. It also raised concerns that out LGB athletes would be persecuted under the law too but now the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made moves so that this won’t happen in future.

Earlier this week, the IOC voted unanimously to add ‘sexual orientation’ to the list of things that Olympic athletes cannot be discriminated against. The following text has now been added to the 6th Fundamental Principle of Olympism:

“Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.”

According to a new 40-page initiative by the IOC, called Agenda 2020, the group is working to “promote the Olympic values” and “strengthen sport in society”. Sadly though, the new ruling is still exclusionary to trans athletes or those who are gender non-conforming.

Athlete Ally, an organisation that is also working to make sports a more inclusive place, noted that this is progress but work still needs to be done. It’s a sort of two step forwards, one step back situation, although it’s unsurprising given that the IOC discriminated against South African athlete Caster Semenya because she’s intersex.

You can read the full Agenda 2020 document at the source link.

Source: International Olympic Committee

Olympics Must Protect LGBTs Say US Congress Members

Last Tuesday nineteen members of the United States Congress wrote to the President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach requesting he re-write Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter so that it explicitly opposes discrimination based on gender and sexual preference.

Penned as a response to the problems LGBT athletes and spectators experienced during the Sochi Winter Olympics earlier this year, the letter questions whether the IOC did enough to defend LGBTs from Russia’s homophobic legislation. In recent months Russian premier Vladimir Putin has signed laws outlawing ‘the propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations’ and banning gay people from adopting children. During the Sochi Games, the Russian police harassed and detained numerous gay activists, prompting international condemnation.

The bipartisan signatories of the letter were led by the Republican Representative Ileanas Ros-Lehtinen and Democrat Representative David Cicilline. Other LGBT Congress members who signed include Mark Pocan, Michael Michaud and Mark Takano.

The Representatives have called for the IOC to place the issue of LGBT rights top of the agenda at its summit in Monaco this December. “While we understand that politics are not a component of the Olympic Games,” the letter reads, “we believe amending Principle 6 to further uphold the ideals of non-discrimination will illustrate how the Olympic Games achieve their fundamental principle of ‘plac[ing] sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind …”

This letter has been seen as a clear sign that, although the Sochi Games have finished, international concerns remain about the IOC’s commitment to LGBT rights.

New Ad from Canada Makes The Olympics Gay

This advert, which is believed to be the Canada’s Response To Russia’s Anti-LGBT Propaganda Law, has been watched more than 5 million times on YouTube. Created by Canadian Institute for Diversity and Inclusion the ad promotes the Olympic Games as initially homosexual.

“Games have always been a little gay… Let’s fight to keep them that way.”

Tag Archives: Olympics

Two-time Olympic Champion Nicola Adams Turns Professional

Nicola Adams Says She’s Encountered Racism And Sexism In Boxing, But Never Homophobia

Why Are Queer Female Athletes Years Ahead Of Gay Men When It Comes To Acceptance?

But, as always, there are two sides to every coin.