Where are all the out Olympians?

And this really does get to the heart of it for people in high-visibility businesses.  In the case of sports, a lot of sports fans are homophobic.  Consequently, a lot of companies that use athletes as spokespeople are very reticient to hire openly gay ones.  Thus the decision to remain closeted isn't just about fear, it's about career.

This is no different than the problem we still face in entertainment, an industry where legend claims that gays are ubiquitous.  Yet there are very few openly gay celebrities, and most of the male ones are not Americans.  A lot of studios are generally unwilling to cast an openly gay man as an action hero or romantic lead in a chick flick.

Thus a lot of these people want to keep quiet so that they can have their careers.  Sad but true.

...watching at home, who DO need a role model? You know, aside from the homophobia and uber-macho posturing involved with athletics, I might've been more interested in sports as a kid (and, thus, also as an adult) had there been a few out and proud athletes to inspire me.

And, not just that, but even for the str8 folks watching at home, seeing a gay man triumph, or even just participate, in an athletic event can make an impact.

Finally, it's not about sex or some "personal issue." I hate to be so direct, but aren't you making the same error that so many str8 people do? Gay=sex. This is about identity, a person's humanity, who they've fallen in love with, not about who or what they're boinking in the hotel room.

I think it's very interesting that as more and more people come out the areas that it is still a major taboo are sports and entertainment.  I think it's a very worthy topic--not just because of role models (which I don't completely believe in) but because it shows that our society isn't as advanced as we'd like to pretend it is.  I don't think anyone should be forced out--though when they are many of them actually seem to flourish, but you say "Just because you may want more out athletes doesn't mean every gay athlete has to announce his or her orientation to the world" as though coming out is a bad thing.

What is the line between coming out willingly and being forced out? There are many thick lines to be drawn, of course -- very often by He Who Shall Not Be Named.com. And there was the thick line drawn by Ellen DeGeneres when she came out, very publicly, on the cover of a major magazine and on her television show.

But there are thinner lines as well: the low-key decisions that T.R. and NPH made -- albeit in response to a life-changing (or at least mind-changing) event -- as well as even lower-key decisions that those of us who are not in the public eye make every day. My decision to be out at my job, for instance, wasn't forced on me -- but in a way you could argue that it was, because people were going to wonder (as coworkers always do) and I wanted them not to wonder.

In Olympic gold medalist (I just love being able to write that!) Matthew Mitcham's case, it was a similar response, I think. He's a somewhat high-profile person, being an Olympian and all, so he was being interviewed by a reporter (instead of being wondered about behind his back, as happens to the rest of us). And in response to a question that a reporter would ask anyone, he made the decision to include his life partner Lachlan as part of his family -- as well he should have. He made the only decision he felt right about making.

Thank God we're at least to that point in our evolution, that persons of Matthew's and Lachlan's generation can be more matter-of-fact about who their family is than geezers of my generation felt allowed to be! We have quite a bit of road ahead of us (Hello, Mr. and Mr. Wildmon! Hello, Topeka Phelps wingnuts!), but we have come far enough that our reigning gold medalist is out and proud. Great job, Matthew -- I look forward to watching the replay tonight!

We had only one openly gay male athlete in Beijing and he snatched the Gold away from the seemingly unbeatable Chinese in the last diving event!  He may not want to be a gay hero but I think it's a foregone conclusion that he will be.

In an interview afterwards he stood with his mother and his partner Lachlan, who had his arm around Mitcham, and expressed how happy he was they were there for his victory.  Towards the end of the interview the smiling partners hugged. (now if I could just relocate where I found the damn video in my Internet wanderings tonight...)

It's so awesome to see an out athlete compete and win at the Olympics.  But it will be a bitter pill for homophobes Down Under that a gay brought back their first diving Gold in more than 80 years, and set a record for highest score on a single dive.

Matt deserves so many kudos for all he's accomplished!

Not to dampen the celebration, but before everyone goes dissin' China accidentally, remember that 1 of every 5 gay people on Earth IS Chinese. In fact, Chinese gay people are the LARGEST ethnic representation of gay human beings on the planet. All the provinces and autonomous regions in China have GLBT (known as Tongzhi) groups. And China has GLBT Sports groups, too. I know the Western press gives little coverage to the gay community on the other side of the world, but they do exist and have organized substantially. Just something to remember whenever heterosexuals create anything (a sports competition, etc.) that purports to pit "West" vs. "East".

www.gaycommunitycenters.org

 

I have to agree with Michaelangelo for the most part. While it's great that more and more celebrities (entertainment and sport alike) are coming out and showing they're not afraid to be themselves, I still think coming out is a personal decision. Many elite athletes don't make a lot of money, especially those in the less popular sports. Their sacrifice is for their sport, and when they're lucky enough to make it to the Olympics, it's for their country. And as described in some of the above posts, and as in the case of the great Louganis, sponsors will drop athletes simply because, let's face it, there's enough homophobic people out their who don't think gays are man enough for professional sports. Just re-watch the Emmett/Drew Boyd plot in QAF... he lost his fans, his endorsements, and above all, he lost the thing he loved most -- playing football.

Just because they don't wave the rainbow flag for "the good of the community", does not mean it speaks poorly of them. Of course, the REAL heroes are the ones who do choose to show their true colours, like Matthew Mitcham, and who go on to accomplish great things. And even if they don't come out during their prime, which is when everything matters and when the dough rolls in, that doesn't mean they can't come out a few years later when they're transitioning out of their professional career and give everyone the lovely 'And you thought I was straight' schpiel. (And even then, there's a good chance they'll lose out on other endorsements and contracts, case in point Mark Tewksbury.)

However, for those who choose not to come out, there are some things I don't respect. Going out of one's way to play straight, i.e. marrying a woman and seeding her with children, is dishonest to the extent that it is more harmful than protective. Let people question your sexuality and simply deny it if necessary -- it just means that you have to go a very long time without sex, or hope you have a very trustworthy partner. But in a world of, yes, countries that allow same-sex marriage and civil unions and laws that protect us from discriminating prosecution, under no circumstance is it acceptable to be so misleading to another person, deceiving them for most or all of their life.

I've competed in stressful competitions, mind you that was in music, but that was just city-wide and for me alone. I can only imagine the pressure build-up for pro athletes who are expected to perform well for corporate sponsors and their entire country. I don't think Michaelangelo is weak for empathizing with in-the-closet athletes, and I agree that we should be able to emulate people for their qualities and not their sexuality.

He was so natural with Lachlan in front of the camera, despite being in China (where homosexuality was taken off the mental illnesses list only, what, a few years ago?). And he's certainly not afraid to shy away from deliberate masculinity to hide his sexuality from the crowd... did YOU see any of the other divers (or athletes in all of the Games for that matter) wave like that at the camera after every round? LOL his wave is even more camp than mine!

Thanks for the video Psionycx. That was quite cute.

I could not see the competition, but saw some shots at the moment where he was blobbering mess and I almost became one. The happines in his face just got to me, I was so glad for him.

Honestly, the highlight of the Olympics for me. Couldt happen to nicer and genuine guy, whether he was gay or not; but the fact that he was, was just perfect.

Even though I watched it live last night, I've been tuning in to the replays all today. Such a brilliant dive, and such a lovely seeming guy. I felt so proud of him when he won (and he was adorable on the podium)!

afhickman

"The mountain has wings."

Thanks so much, Psionycx.  This is a truly spectacular video.  It's the sort of thing that vindicates the Internet, at least for me.

And so is Lachlan. Plus, his mom's awesome. Great video!

Mitcham was the only out gay man competing in these Olympics.  What really struck me from the video is that he really and truly is not afraid of being out.  He didn't try to "butch up" for the cameras.  He looked perfectly happy next to his partner, and even snuggled up to him on-camera.  How can we not be proud of someone who is so obviously proud of himself?

Being gay and diving are completely separate parts of life, and I totally support the fact that he'd rather be known simply for his diving than expect everyone to make a big deal out of his sexuality. You go Matt! Let us do the publicizing for you, that's OUR job!

As for NBC's decision to not include anything about his partner Lachlan and the support that Lachlan gave him to overcome his past issues, it figures and I'm hardly surprised. NBC shows what will please its audience, and homophobic America is hardly ready for a proud, queer gold medalist.

Growing up I felt like an alien.  The only gay person I knew at all was an ex gay across the street, not exactly a role model.  Every open person, especially famous ones, help a great deal to end that feeling of aloneness.

This is especially significant because Mitcham will be going home this week as a hero with his homosexuality a matter of common knowledge.  In the past it has usually been the case that an athlete's sexuality becomes known after the fact.  But Mitcham went into the Olympics already out and goes home in triumph with everyone knowing who he really is.  That he was willing to be interviewed with his partner at his side, and freely admitting that Lachlan is his partner, is such a statement of pride.

To me that makes all the difference. Mitcham, whether he intended it it originally or not, is such a great hero for his own country and our community globally.

What makes it reprehensible is that there was gigantic press coverage (in au at least) over Matt looking for a sponsor so that he could bring his partner to cheer him at the games. Every article I've read on his coming out has mentioned that Matthew was worried about that.

So, showing his partner and mentioning that would be newsworthy in it's self. There was doubt that Lachlan would be able to make it. I never heard reports, or follow up as to whether he was going or not. Did Johnson and Johnson pay, or did folks donate money? Matthew ran up into the stands to embrace him soon after his final score was announced. What happened to that coverage?

But if NBC sports made a conscience decision not to show this newsworthy bit, like a simple pan to Lachlan with a comment or subtext, well, that's typical. MSNBC is homophobic. What else is new. And in that case they really shouldn't be granted coverage of events like this, that are suppose to represent everyone.

Matthew Mitcham talks with partner and mother out side of the hall with his gold. YouTube Link.

I'd like to see an gold medel olympic athlete come out at the height of the endorsements, when his face is on every Wheaties box and ad for Nike.

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The AFA has me on their email list (under my M4M chatroom screen name -- hehe), so I get emails from them just about every day. ("Dear SuckMe69 ...") It's great -- sometimes it makes my skin crawl, sometimes the stupidity of their language just makes me shake my head, and sometimes they make me laugh. But it keeps me in the know about what Satan and his son Tim the anti-Christ are up to. And it lets me know what companies I should support, to counteract their "boycotting" efforts.

So I guess I should expect an email telling me not to buy Johnson & Johnson products and to stay away from the evils of Wheaties.