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William769

(55,124 posts)
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 03:45 PM Jul 2012

Team LGBT: Gay Athletes In Olympic History

Now that the Olympic torch is ablaze in London, we can't help but think about all of the gay athletes, out and closeted, to represent their countries doing what they do best. Outsports has compiled more than 100 athletes who have done just that, and what's impressive is that 52% of LGBT-identified athletes on their list have earned at least one shiny piece of medal.

And for the record, the gayest Olympic sports -- that is, the sports with the most openly gay Olympic athletes -- are soccer, track & field, swimming, and equestrian. Click through for ten members of the historical Team LGBT.

http://www.advocate.com/travel/summer-loving-london/2012/07/28/team-lgbt-gay-athletes-olympic-history

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Team LGBT: Gay Athletes In Olympic History (Original Post) William769 Jul 2012 OP
Didn't know that about Conchita Martinez...knr joeybee12 Jul 2012 #1
Gay Olympians Competing At 2012 London Olympics William769 Jul 2012 #2

William769

(55,124 posts)
2. Gay Olympians Competing At 2012 London Olympics
Mon Jul 30, 2012, 10:49 AM
Jul 2012

Of the nearly 11,000 athletes from around the world who have arrived in London and now eagerly await tonight's reportedly fanfare-filled Olympic opening ceremonies, only 22 are openly gay, according to the most recent OutSports report, as well as Mambaonline.

This dismally small number may be surprising considering speculation (though now debunked) that the influx of gay Olympians crashed gay mobile dating app Grindr. Furthermore, while numbers are low across the board, there is a particularly small number of openly gay males, as HuffPost Gay Voices blogger Josh Goodman has pointed out.

Nevertheless, the amount of out gay athletes does mark an improvement from past games -- there were only 11 out athletes in Athens and 10 in Beijing, according to OutSports. Futhermore, with some suggesting that gay and lesbian athletes from countries in which being gay is illegal should come out during the games and seek asylum in Britain, it's possible that these numbers may increase in the coming days.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/27/gay-olympians-london-2012-olympics_n_1710329.html

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