Over the past several years, there has been a strong emphasis on raising awareness about LGBTQ+ athletes and the community to change our society’s norms.
The Olympics are one such prestigious platform. The number of LGBTQ+ athletes in the Olympics has recently increased.
At least 34 LGBTQ+ athletes have been registered for the 2022 Olympics. When compared to the previous 15 LGBTQ+ athletes in the 2018 PyeongChang Games, this figure is more than double.
These 34 athletes will also compete in nine different games. Hockey, figure skating, skeleton, skiing, and snowboarding are among the sports available.
So, without further ado, here are the counties with the most LGBTQ+ athletes competing in the Beijing Olympics 2022.
Countries with the Most LGBTQ+ Athletes in the 2022 Beijing Olympics
The countries’ names, along with the number of LGBTQ+ athletes, are compiled using data from the Olympics 2022.
The majority of them are based on Openlynews.com, Outsports.com, and Olympics.com.
Furthermore, before delving into the specifics of the countries with the most LGBTQ+ athletes in the Beijing Olympics 2022, let us quickly review the countries on the list.
| Country Name | Number of Athlete | Games |
| 14. Netherland | One | Speedskating |
| 13. Italy | One | Figure Skating |
| 12. Finland | One | Ice Hockey |
| 11. Brazil | one | Skeleton |
| 10. Belgium | One | Skeleton |
| 9. Austria | One | Ski Jumping |
| 8. Armenia | One | Figure Skating |
| 7. Australia | One | Snowboarding |
| 6. France | Two | Figure Skating |
| 5. The Czech Republic | Two | Ice Hockey and Snowboarding |
| 4. Sweden | Two | Skiing and Ice Hockey |
| 3. Great Britain | Four | Curling, Figure Skating, and Skiing |
| 2. The USA | Six | Speedskating, Skeleton, Ice Hockey, and Figure Skating |
| 1. Canada | Ten | Biathlon, Figure Skating, and Ice Hockey |
14. Netherland
Wüst, Ireen
Ireen Wüst is the ultimate speed skater. From 2010 to 2018, she won four consecutive Olympic gold medals. She also appears to have a good chance of winning this year.
Furthermore, Ireen is openly bisexual and is at ease with her sexuality. However, as an LGBTQ+ athlete, she struggled with accepting and being true to herself.
Initially, the skater imagined herself as a happy straight person. She had, however, fallen in love with and was very attracted to a woman.
Wüst had always wished that her attraction to women would fade away. She wished some pills could help her get these thoughts out.
The Olympic gold medalist was afraid that people would look down on her because she was an athlete. Despite this, she fought her demons and chose to come out.
As a result, she is one of the most decorated LGBTQ+ athletes in the world.
13. Italy
Ambrosini, Filippo
Filippo Ambrosini is an Italian pair skater who is openly gay. He will compete in figure skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Furthermore, the skater is competing in two separate events. One is in the pair skating event with his current partner Ghilardi Rebecca. Similarly, the second is for the Italian figure skating team.
When it comes to ice skating, Ambrosini takes things to the next level. He and his current partner have won the ISU Challenger Series three times.
Similarly, the pair has finished in the top ten at the European Championship twice. Furthermore, they just posted a career-high 178.90 combined total in the 2022 European game.
Furthermore, the figure skater is competing in the Olympics for the first time. He would undoubtedly perform admirably at this level as well.
12. Finland
Savolainen, Ronja
Ronja Savolainen plays defense in ice hockey. She is currently a member of the Swedish Women’s Hockey League’s Lule HF/MSSK (SDHL).
She is also a proud lesbian in an open relationship with her Lule teammate Anna Kjellbin. Anna, who is Swedish, also holds the same position as her lover.
Despite playing in the SDHL at the same time, they represent their home country at the Olympics and World Championships.
Athletes who are LGBTQ+
Ronja Savolainen poses in her Lule HF/MSSK uniform (Source: Twitter.com)
As a result, Ronja’s girlfriend has also qualified for Sweden’s Olympic team. They are very excited to compete for a medal with one another.
Aside from that, this is Finn’s second Olympics. She won a bronze medal with the Finland team in Pyeongchang in 2018.
11. Brazil
Silveira, Nicole
Nicole Silveira is an accomplished skeleton racer. She has four gold medals from the America Skeleton Cup and one from the Intercontinental Skeleton Cup.
This is her first Olympics, and it will be a memorable one. Kim Meylemans, a Belgian skeleton racer, and shares this platform.
Both couples are ranked in the top 20 in the world. Similarly, they will compete on the biggest stage of the Olympics.
The couple has developed a friendly rivalry with one another. When asked if they would let the other win, both responded that they would do their best to succeed.
However, they would both be overjoyed if one of them won a medal because, at the end of the day, they both love each other and want to see each other grow and progress.
They also met three years ago and have grown closer since then. They revealed details about their relationship in an Instagram post.
10. Belgium
Meulemans, Kim
Kim Meylemans is a Belgian skeleton racer of German origin. This is her second Olympics, following Pyeongchang in 2018. She finished fourth in the skeleton race at the previous Olympics.
Kim was the first Belgian skeleton racer to compete in the 2018 Olympics. Furthermore, she was only 1.80 seconds late for a bronze medal that year.
She is, however, much better prepared and is on track to win a medal this year. Furthermore, this Olympics is special for Kim because her girlfriend Nicole will be competing alongside her.
It would be very entertaining to watch their in-game rivalry from now on. Aside from that, Kim is well-known for her outspokenness about her sexuality.
Many Russians harassed her for being LGBTQ during the 2016 Russian skeleton world cup. Despite this, the racer did not lose focus and entered the tournament.
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9. Austria
Iraschko-Stolz, Daniela
Daniela Iraschko-Stolz is one of our generation’s most successful female skiers. With 12 world cup victories, she ranks third among female athletes.
She currently holds the highest women’s ski flying record of 200 meters. Her first Olympics and she looks as good as ever.
With her skills and experience, the Austrian skier has a good chance of winning a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
She is also a lesbian who married her partner in 2014. Daniela never expressed her preference before her marriage because she believed it would be detrimental to her career.
The decorated skier, however, couldn’t keep it up for much longer. As a result, she decided to come out by publicly marrying a woman she adored.
As a result, she has been very vocal in educating the world about LGBTQ rights and that it is okay to come out as one since her marriage.
8. Armenia
Sénécal, Simon Proulx
Simon Proulx Sénécal is an Armenian figure skater born in Canada. He and his partner Tina Garabedian have won six Armenian National Championships.
Likewise, the duo is a four-time world champion. They had a career-high combined total score of 175.18 in the 2021 CS Golden Spin.
Furthermore, they will compete in the Olympics in 2022 to extend their winning streak internationally. This is the pair’s first Olympic appearance. It will not be easy for them as they compete against formidable opponents.
However, the pair is confident because they have been working together since 2015. As a result, they have created an unbreakable synergy that has given them an advantage over others.
Furthermore, Simon came out as gay and proudly embraced it on social media. He frequently posts photos with his boyfriend, David Benoit, on his Instagram account.
7. Australia
Brockhoff, Belle
Belle Brockhoff is a snowboarder from Australia. She is the current mixed snowboard cross World Championships champion for 2021.
She was named an Olympic athlete for the third time following her triumphant victory. The snowboarder had never made an impression in her previous two Olympics.
However, after winning the recent World Cup, Belle appears poised to win her first Olympic gold medal.
Brockhoff also came out as a lesbian in 2013. She was preparing for the 2014 Sochi Olympics at the time.
This Olympics had a contentious start because it was held in Russia, where the Putin government outlawed LGBTQ+ people.
As a result, many LGBTQ+ athletes withdrew from the Olympics for their safety. Belle, on the other hand, did not back down and endured all of the harassment to compete in the Olympics.
6. France
Cizeron, Guillaume
Guillaume Cizeron is a world-class French ice dancer. He is the first runner-up for the 2018 Olympics, along with his partner Gabriella Papadakis.
Both have returned to the Olympics to win it all for their country. They’ve even created a spectacular ice dance routine.
Furthermore, the dance is based on “walking,” a dance style that originated in underground gay clubs in the 1990s. Not to mention, this dance is currently trending on Tiktok.
Aside from that, Cizeron is openly gay and never hides his sexual orientation. He drew more attention, however, after posting a photo of himself and his boyfriend on Instagram.
This photo made headlines because it was likely the first time he discussed it publicly.
Aymoz, Kevin
Kévin Aymoz of France is another notable LGBTQ+ athlete competing in the 2022 Olympics. He is a five-time French national champion and a professional figure skater.
He is a figure skating expert with a lot to prove. As a result, the skater has a fantastic opportunity to make a name for himself and his country in the Men Single Skating event.
Furthermore, the 25-year-old athlete publicly announced his homosexuality in the documentary “We Need to Talk,” which aired in 2021 and featured six LGBTQ+ athletes.
Aymoz, one of the six athletes, had already opened up to his friends and family but not to the public. As a result, he was always hesitant to come out in public.
Even though France is one of the most LGBTQ-friendly countries in the world, his insecurities kept him from coming out.
However, the skater felt relieved after completing the documentary, which he was skeptical about. As a result, Kevin is feeling much better and more confident heading into the Olympics.
5. Republic of Czechoslovakia
Pancochová, Sárka
Sárka Pancochová is an accomplished snowboarder. She was previously ranked first in the Snowboard Freestyle and Slopestyle World Cups.
Furthermore, she is a three-time Olympian, with the 2022 Olympics being her fourth.
Sárka is also married to her long-term girlfriend, Kaileen. She married even though same-sex marriage is illegal in the Czech Republic.
Nonetheless, she waited a long time to ensure that same-sex marriage was legalized in the country.
However, because there was no sign of that happening anytime soon, she married.
Furthermore, the snowboarder wishes for her country to recognize this fact and work toward legalizing same-sex marriage.
As a result, Pancochova is one of many LGBTQ+ activists working to achieve marriage equality. Her efforts have made a difference, as evidenced by public opinion and legislative action.
Lédlová, Aneta
Aneta Lédlová plays professional ice hockey. She is a Swedish Women’s Hockey League player for AIK IF. Furthermore, she is one of three SDHL players who compete in the Olympics.
Aneta is a forward who has excelled since she began playing ice hockey. However, this is her first Olympic appearance in her country.
Aside from that, she is revealed to be a lesbian. In April 2018, she married her partner. She, like Sárka Pancochová, is a strong advocate for legalizing marriage equality.
Similarly, the couple plans to adopt a baby girl in December 2020. Aneta’s Instagram contains photos of the couples with their daughter.
4. Sweden
Kjellbin, Anna
Anna Kjellbin is a defensive ice hockey player for the Swedish Women’s Hockey League. She is one of three SDHL players selected for the 2022 Olympics.
Ronja Savolainen, her SDHL teammate, fellow defenseman, and lovely girlfriend. Aneta Lédlová of the AIK IF of the SDHL is the second player.
She is also a former gold medalist in the 2012 Winter Olympics. She won the medal while playing for the Swedish ice hockey team.
Similarly, her Olympic goal is to win another gold medal. Her girlfriend, on the other hand, was a member of Finland’s ice hockey team and shared the same dream.
They are both very excited to share their experience. Similarly, they have developed a healthy in-game rivalry and hope to meet in the finals.
Naeslund, Sandra
Sandra Naeslund is a world-class freestyle skier. She is also a ski cross specialist, having won the 2017 and 2021 ski cross world cups.
Sandra is also the overall winner of the 2017-18 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup. Furthermore, this is her third Olympic appearance, following those in 2018 and 2014.
She came close to winning a medal in both of the games. In the Women’s Ski Cross event, she finished fifth in 2014 and fourth in 2018.
Furthermore, based on her past performance, this could be the year she receives a medal. She was also recently named to the 2022 Olympic team.
Sandra Näslund competes in the February 2016 World Cup in Idre Fjäll, Sweden (Source: Wikimedia.org)
Overall, Naeslund has a better chance of winning a gold medal in the Olympics after winning the recent World Cup.
Aside from that, she came out as gay. Furthermore, she is one of the few LGBTQ+ athletes who competed in the 2014 Olympics even though the Putin government approved of them.
Sandra was subjected to a great deal of harassment while in Russia. Despite this, she persevered and finished fifth in the game.
3. The United Kingdom
Schofield, Makayla Gerken
Makayla Gerken Schofield is a talented young skier. She also recently finished seventh in the women’s moguls and thirteenth in the dual moguls.
As a child, she went skiing with her family during a vacation in France. Her siblings were a big part in encouraging Makayla to pursue skiing as a career.
Her two older siblings are both professional skiers. Similarly, her father encouraged them to participate in sports.
Athletes who are LGBTQ+
Makayla Gerken Schofield with the flag of the United Kingdom (Source: Gbsnowsport.com)
Aside from that, Schofield is competing in his first Olympics. Similarly, she is the first pansexual athlete to compete in the Olympics.
Many people think of her as bisexual, but she denies it. The British skier goes on to say that she has not been limited in her sexual preferences. As a result, she prefers to be identified as a pansexual.
Kenworthy, Gus
Gus Kenworthy is one of Britain’s most decorated freestyle skiers. He also competes in slopestyle and halfpipe. Furthermore, he is competing in his third Winter Olympics.
Kenworthy won a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. Gus was overcome with emotion at this point because he was terrified of the harassment of LGBTQ+ people in Russia.
He overcame his fear, however, and fought his way to the runner-up position. After winning the championship, the athlete spoke with ESPN and revealed that he was gay.
He went on to say that he was finally ready to break free from the fear he had been living with. Gus even uses social media to educate his followers about not succumbing to fear.
Most notably, he has over 52.9k subscribers on YouTube. He has also posted videos about the 2022 Beijing Olympics and his personal experience.
Gibson, Lewis
Lewis Gibson is an ice dancer from Scotland. He and his partner Lilah Fear have won four British Skating titles. Similarly, the duo has always been at the top of their hierarchy.
As a result, choosing them to represent Team Great Britain was a breeze. However, due to multiple injuries, they were also unable to compete in the previous Olympics.
Finally, the two have their chance, and they will undoubtedly make the most of it. Aside from that, Lewis recently revealed that he is gay, following his marriage to his husband.
Previous LGBTQ+ athletes, he says, have inspired him to be proud of who he is. As a result, Gibson is eager to join Team LGBTQ in the Olympics, free of fear and regret.
Mouat, Bruce
Bruce Mouat is a Scottish curler who currently serves as a World Curling Tour team captain. He recently won the World Mixed Doubles Championship for 2021.
Similarly, he won the 2021 European Championship. Bruce has two European, three Scottish, and one Winter Universiade titles to his name.
Furthermore, the athlete mentions that his success in curling led to him coming out as gay to his teammates eight years ago. He has been making headlines in the sport ever since.
As a result, Mouat, a first-time Olympian, believes his lucky charm will continue to work. As a result, the British team can expect at least one medal from the athlete.
2. The United States
Brown, Jason
Jason Brown was one of three figure skaters who participated in the recent Pride Month. Brown issued a statement on Twitter, shocking the majority of his fans.
Brown is an American figure skater who won a bronze medal in the team event at the 2014 Olympics. Similarly, he is the 2015 US National Champion.
Brown has always kept his personal life private. Few people knew about his sexuality because he was uncomfortable discussing it.
Brown, Jason
Jason Brown at the Internationaux de France 2018 (Source: Wikimedia.org)
Coming out can undoubtedly be a traumatic experience. Straight people are not required to come out. As a result, more than half of the world’s population is unaware of the pressure.
Jason felt under pressure and decided not to reveal his situation. Brown, on the other hand, thought it was his time as more LGBTQ+ athletes came out and shared their stories.
Glenn, Amber
Amber Glenn is a figure skater who is the team USA’s only female LGBTQ+ skater. She is also a 2021 US national and a silver medalist at the CS Golden Spin of Zagreb.
Similarly, she finished in the top ten of the ISU championship twice. Amber, who is bisexual and pansexual, is a huge LGBTQ+ role model in American culture.
This is due to a large number of male LGBTQ figure skaters. A female figure skater, on the other hand, is rarely seen or heard of.
As a result, her willingness to appear in such unusual situations is admirable. Coming out, like many others, was not an easy transition for her.
Glenn struggled greatly with the fear of not being accepted. Nonetheless, she was adamant about not concealing her true identity.
Amber is also currently on the reserve list for Team USA’s women’s single squad. However, the management has not decided whether she will compete in the team event.
LeDuc, Timothy
Timothy LeDuc is the Olympic Games’ first non-binary athlete. Non-binary people are those who believe their gender cannot be defined.
Timothy first revealed to his parents that he was gay when he was 18 years old. But, unable to cope with their son’s sexuality, their parents referred him to a Christian who attempted to convert him.
The Christian offered LeDuc conversion therapy, which the athlete turned down. As a result of being unable to do anything, Timothy’s parents gave up and accepted the fact.
He later realized that he did not want to be defined solely by his gender. As a result, he self-identified as non-binary.
After winning their second national title, LeDuc and his partner Ashley Cain-Gribble were named to Team USA. Ashley is also a gay and bisexual athlete.
The pair are the first openly LGBTQ+ athletes to compete in figure skating at the Olympics.
Carpenter, Alex
Alex Carpenter is an ice hockey player and the team captain of the Women’s Hockey League’s KRS Vanke Rays. She also won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2014 Olympics.
She is also a five-time IIHF World Women’s Champion. As a forward, she is the complete package. Her father, the former NHL player Bobby Carpenter, taught her how to skate.
Aside from that, she is a lesbian and the only LGBTQ+ athlete on the United States Olympic ice hockey team. Alex is also in a loving relationship with her partner Steph Klein.
Steph is a huge fan of Carpenter. She has stated that her Instagram account serves as Alex’s official fan page.
Steph’s Instagram account is filled with photos of the ice hockey player, so it lives up to its name.
Blaser, Andrew
Andrew Blaser is a new name in the sports community. He has, however, continued to assert his dominance in the skeleton race. It’s no surprise that he qualified for the Olympics.
Andrew came out as gay and is the only openly gay skeleton racer in the United States. Furthermore, he is open about his sexuality on social media, particularly on Instagram.
Blaser’s Instagram bio includes a rainbow flag. Similarly, he is seen using a lot of LGBTQ-related hashtags in his posts.
Blaser, Andrew
Andrew Blaser expresses his affection for his home state of Idaho (Source: Cowdycactus.com)
Aside from that, this is Andrew’s first international competition. He stated that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.
He also stated that he would do everything in his power to win a gold medal for his country on his first attempt.
Bowe, Brittany
Brittany Bowe is a seasoned speed skater who has qualified for the Olympics for the third time. Unfortunately, her first Olympic game in 2014 was disappointing because she did not perform well.
Brittany, on the other hand, takes her athletic life very seriously. As a result, she poured her heart and soul into training to realize her dream of winning an Olympic medal.
She made the most of this opportunity by being named an Olympian for the second time. As a result, Bowe delivered an outstanding performance, earning her the bronze medal.
Furthermore, after dominating the Olympic trial for 1000-meter speed skating, she is the favorite to win a gold medal this year.
Aside from that, Brittany has come out as a lesbian and is one of the oldest LGBTQ+ athletes competing in the Olympics this year.
1. Canada
Zandee-Hart, Micah
Micah Zandee-Hart plays ice hockey in Canada. She is a member of the Cornell Big Red women’s ice hockey team as well as the Canadian national team.
She is also one of seven LGBTQ+ ice hockey players who have made Canada’s Olympic ice hockey team. Hart came out as a proud lesbian.
She frequently posts about the LGBTQ movement. She also feels empowered because many of her teammates have decided to compete for Team LGBTQ in the Olympics.
Aside from that, the defenseman helped Team Canada win a bronze medal at the 2019 IIHF World Women’s Championship. She also won silver at the U18 World Championships.
Saulnier, Jill
Jill Saulnier is one of seven women’s ice hockey players on Canada’s national team. Furthermore, this is the forward’s second Olympic appearance.
She was also a member of the silver-medal-winning Olympic team in Pyeongchang in 2018. Jill was also a member of the Canadian team that won the IIHF Women’s World Championships in 2021.
Jill Saulnier is a member of the Canadian National Women’s Hockey Team (Source: Theicegarden.com)
In total, the athlete has one gold medal, two silver medals, and one bronze medal from the World Championships. Similarly, she also has a gold medal in the under 18 world championship.
The lesbian player has also been on top of her game. As a result, she is a vital part of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League’s Les Canadiennes de Montéal team.
Jamie Lee Rattray
Jamie Lee Rattray is an ice hockey forward. She is one of seven LGBTQ+ ice hockey players on the Canadian ice hockey Olympics roster. Further, she plays for the Markham Thunder.
Likewise, she was also part of the Canadian national team that won the 2021 IIHF Women’s World cup. Overall, she has one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal in the World cup.
Jamie Lee Rattray, forward for Canada’s national team (Source: hockeycanada.ca)
Furthermore, this will be her first Olympic game as a backup forward. She has a fantastic offensive game. As a result, her presence on the bench will benefit the team.
Many consider the team to be the favorites to win the Olympics this year as a result of their outstanding performance in the 2021 World Cup.
Daoust, Mélodie
Mélodie Daoust is a Canadian national team ice hockey player. Throughout her career, she has represented the team in several international games.
Daoust and the team won a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. She was also on the team that took silver in the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Mélodie Daoust wearing her Canadian national team uniform (Source: Mcgill.ca)
She is very excited to add another medal to her gold and silver Olympic medal collection. Daoust also revealed that she is a lesbian.
As a result, she is one of seven LGBTQ athletes on Canada’s Olympic ice hockey team.
Clark, Emily
Emily Clark is a Team Canada female ice hockey player. This is her second Olympic selection, following a silver medal in the 2018 winter games.
The forward is overjoyed to be a part of the Olympic team. The lesbian player is excited because Team Canada has a good chance of winning gold this time.
If Canada wins gold in the Olympics, it will be the first team with seven LGBTQ+ athletes to do so.
This is a significant achievement for the LGBTQ+ community. It is unprecedented for seven LGBTQ+ athletes to share the court.
This means that regardless of sexual orientation, all athletes are competing for the same thing. As a result, whether you are straight or LGBTQ, what matters is your work, not your sexuality.
Ambrose, Erin
Erin Ambrose is a Canadian national team female ice hockey player. She is a defender who has helped Team Canada win some important games.
The 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championships are among those matches. The defender outwitted her opponent and made sure nothing got past her.
She’s always been at the top of her game. She is also responsible for Canada’s two U18 world championship victories in 2010 and 2012.
She is currently a member of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). Apart from that, Erin came out as a proud lesbian.
She has always been outspoken about her sexual orientation. Ambrose never concealed her true identity, whether in interviews or on social media.
Jenner, Brianne
Brianne Jenner is the best ice hockey player in the world. She has been a member of the Canadian national team since 2010 when she made her debut in the Four Nations Cup.
Jenner is still at the top of her game after 12 years. She was instrumental in Canada’s gold-medal victory at the 2014 Olympics.
She is also the reason the team fought to the bitter end to win a silver medal in the 2018 Olympic ice hockey game.
In general, she has been the driving force behind Team Canada. Brianne has made numerous contributions to winning a championship, including at the World Championships.
Jenner is also a member of the LGBTQ team. The ice hockey player came out as a lesbian. She is also proud to be part of a team that includes seven LGBTQ+ athletes.
Radford, Eric
It’s difficult to imagine Eric Radford, a Canadian figure skater, not competing in the Olympics. However, he came close to doing so when he announced his retirement on April 25, 2018.
Nonetheless, as the saying goes, you can’t keep a bee away from its hive, and Radford returned from his debut. He couldn’t stay away from figure skating as long as he had hoped.
As a result, Radford and his partner Venessa James began making headlines once more. They took silver in the CS Autumn Classic International in 2021.
Similarly, the pair finished fourth in the 2021 Grand Prix and fourth in the 2022 Canadian Championship. As a result, they were chosen for the third time to represent Canada in the Olympics.
Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford at the 2015 World Figure Skating Championship (Source: Wikimedia.org)
In the 2014 Olympics, the duo of Radford and Duhamel secured the seventh position. Likewise, in the 2018 Olympics, the same duo won a bronze medal.
Not to mention, Radford was in the team that won gold. Also, as an individual performer, he sacked a silver medal in the free skate event.
Besides that, Eric outed himself as gay. Further, he takes pride in knowing that he is a part of the LGBTQ team that seems to grow in number in every Olympics.
Paul Poirier
It has been less than a year since the figure skater, Paul Poirier, came out as gay. He had been hiding his identity for a very long time. However, now the time seems perfect.
With the fear of coming out sidelined, Poirier is very focused on winning his first Olympic medal. This is his second Olympic selection with his partner Piper Gilles.
The duo initially competed in the 2018 Olympics, where they placed eighth. Now their target is straight for the gold medal. Nonetheless, this might be their year as they set fire to their dance routine.
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier at the 2019 Four Continents podium (Source: Wikimedia.org)
Overall, Paul feels extremely excited to be a part of the LGBTQ team making history by increasing its members in the Olympics.
In the previous Olympics, the skater had not revealed his true identity. However, now he can openly compete and be proud of himself in the Olympic games.
Megan Bankes
The only LGBTQ+ member to compete in the Biathlon event is Megan Bankes. This is her first Olympic selection; she has only competed in the World Championship before this.
Meagan is a rising star who has proved worthy of the Olympic spot. However, she is a very private person who focuses on her game than her private life.
As a result, she posts more about her games even on her social media. However, she has never hidden the fact about her sexuality.
In a post done in September of 2020, Bankes outed herself as gay while posting a picture holding the LGBTQ flag.
She further adds, saying that she didn’t want to exhaust herself by hiding her identity. Therefore, she’s letting herself out and being free of her burden.
Conclusion
It’s great to see many people finding their true identities. But, it’s even greater to see these LGBTQ+ athletes have the courage to come out and yet compete at a higher level.
This is a very proud moment for these individual LGBTQ+ athletes. The reason it’s such a great feat to achieve is that in most countries, being a part of LGBTQ+ is a life-threatening experience.
However, these individuals have pushed the stereotypical behavior of society and shown them how strong they are.
Similarly, they have also set a bar for all the other LGBTQ+ from different countries never to be scared of being themselves.
Hence, we all appreciate and admire their dedication and hard work in supporting them.
Further, this also helps the cause of raising more awareness in all parts of the world in concern with LGBTQ+ rights.
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