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<\/p>\nRecord Number of Out Olympians to Participate in 2016 Olympics<\/b>
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Post submitted with contributions from Katherine Burns<\/em><\/p>\n Ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, HRC is proud to support out athletes competing in the games. While many athletes continue to face discrimination in their sports, several have chosen to speak out proudly about who they are, both on and off the field of competition. According to sources, including Out Sports<\/a><\/em>, there are at least 41 openly lesbian<\/a>, gay<\/a> and bisexual<\/a> Olympians to watch in Rio:<\/p>\n Ari-Pekka Liukkonen, Finland, Swimming<\/strong> Carl Hester, Great Britain, Equestrian<\/strong> Caroline Seger, Sweden, Soccer<\/strong> Hedvig Lindahl, Sweden, Soccer<\/strong> Lisa Dahlkvist, Sweden, Soccer<\/strong> Michelle Heyman, Australia, Soccer<\/strong> Nilla Fischer, Sweden, Soccer<\/strong> Robbie Manson, New Zealand, Rowing<\/strong> Seimone Augustus, United States, Basketball<\/strong> Tom Bosworth, Great Britain, Race Walking<\/strong> Tom Daley, Great Britain, Diver<\/strong> Edward Gal, Netherlands, Equestrian<\/strong> Maartje Paumen, Netherlands, Field Hockey<\/strong> Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel, Netherlands, Field Hockey<\/strong> Megan Rapinoe, United States, Soccer<\/strong> Mayssa Pessoa, Brazil, Handball<\/strong> Hans Peter Minderhoud, Netherlands, Equestrian<\/strong> Nicola Adams, Great Britain, Boxing<\/strong> Larissa França, Brazil, Beach Volleyball<\/strong> Brittney Griner, United States Basketball<\/strong> Stephanie Labbé, Canada, Soccer<\/strong> Alexandra Lacrabère, France, Handball<\/strong> Ian Matos, Brazil, Diving<\/strong> Angel McCoughtry, United States, Basketball<\/strong> Marie-Eve Nault, Canada, Soccer<\/strong> Ashley Nee, United States, Kayaking<\/strong> Helen Richardson-Walsh, Great Britain, Field Hockey<\/strong> Kate Richardson-Walsh, Great Britain, Field Hockey<\/strong> Melissa Tancredi, Canada, Soccer<\/strong> Susannah Townsend, Great Britain, Field Hockey<\/strong> Jeffrey Wammes, Netherlands, Gymnastics<\/strong> Spencer Wilton, Great Britain, Equestrian<\/strong> Katie Duncan, New Zealand, Soccer<\/strong> Nadine Müller, Germany, Discus<\/strong> Sunette Stella Viljoen, South Africa, Javelin<\/strong> Marieke van der Wal, Netherlands, Handball<\/strong> Kelly Griffin, United States, Rugby<\/strong> Mélanie Hénique, France, Swimming<\/strong> Jillion Potter, United States, Rugby<\/strong> Júlia Vasconcelos, Brazil, Taekwondo<\/strong> Elena Delle Donne, United States, Basketball<\/strong> www.hrc.org\/blog\/record-number-of-out-olympians-participate-in-2016-olympics?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Record Number of Out Olympians to Participate in 2016 Olympics Post submitted with contributions from Katherine Burns Ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, HRC is proud to support out athletes competing in the games. While many athletes continue to face discrimination in their sports, several have chosen to speak out proudly about who they are, both … Continue reading Record Number of Out Olympians to Participate in 2016 Olympics<\/span>
\nLuikkonen holds the Finnish record<\/a> for the 50 meter freestyle and attended the 2012 Olympics in London. He came out<\/a> as gay<\/a> before the Sochi Olympics in 2014 to help draw attention to the horrific conditions the LGBTQ community faces in Russia. “This has been a long, slow process for me, but now I’m there…[and] it’s a really great feeling that I can finally be myself,” Liukkonen told YLE<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nRio will be Hester’s fifth Olympic Games<\/a>. He has competed in the individual and group dressage events and took home the gold medal in 2012<\/a> for his team event. Hester is openly gay<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nSeger is a midfielder<\/a> for the Swedish national soccer team. She has represented Sweden in three World Cups as well as the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Seger came out<\/a> in 2013.<\/p>\n
\nLindahl has been awarded Sweden’s Goalkeeper of the Year<\/a> award three times and represented Sweden in the 2015 World Cup. She married Sabine Willms in 2011. They have a son together who was born in 2014.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDahlkvist is a midfielder<\/a> who played twice in the World Cup and in the 2012 Olympics in London. She and wife Jessica Danielsson welcomed their daughter<\/a> Penny into the world in November.<\/p>\n
\nHeyman is a striker for Canberra United<\/a>, and Rio will be her first Olympic trip. She wrote a powerful piece<\/a> about her coming out story, noting, “Being ‘out’ as a professional athlete was simple for myself. From the day I told my parents, I could be comfortable in my skin. I would never hide who I am, and I think that is what makes me so confident within myself.”<\/p>\n
\nFischer plays center back<\/a> for the Swedish national team and married<\/a> her wife in 2013.<\/p>\n
\nManson competed in the 2012 Olympics<\/a> and won the bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships. He wrote a powerful essay<\/a> on his journey and decision to come out for Out Sports.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nAugustus has been playing professional basketball since 2006 and currently plays for the Minnesota Lynx<\/a>. She earned two Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012. She married LaTaya Varner in Hawaii last year.<\/p>\n
\nBosworth will be competing in his first Olympics this year in the 20 kilometer walk. He came out<\/a> last year as gay<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nDaley won a bronze medal<\/a> in the 2012 Olympics in London. He is engaged to Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black.<\/p>\n
\nGal won the Bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics for team dressage, as well as taking home numerous gold medals at the 2010 World Championship<\/a>. He and teammate Hans Peter Minderhoud<\/a> have been in a relationship for several years.<\/p>\n
\nPaumen has been a member of the Dutch national field hockey team for many years, taking home two Olympic gold medals. Collectively, Paumen has scored 14 goals in both the Beijing and London Olympics, making her one of the top Olympic scorers<\/a>. Paumen came out<\/a> in 2009 following the European Championship.<\/p>\n
Van Den Heuvel<\/a> scored two goals as a member of the Dutch national team during the 2012 Olympics<\/a> and took home the gold medal.<\/p>\n
\nRapinoe is a midfielder who currently plays for the Seattle Reign FC. She has played in multiple World Cups and the 2012 Olympics, where she famously scored a “Goal Olympico,”<\/a> a goal from a corner kick. Rapinoe came out<\/a> just before the London games in 2012.<\/p>\n
\nPessoa competed in the 2012 Olympics. She came out<\/a> as bisexual<\/a> during the Olympic Games in London. She is engaged to Nikki Schumaker<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nMinderhound took home the silver medal in the 2008 Olympics<\/a> for team dressage and also took home gold at the Kentucky World Championships<\/a> in 2010. He dated fellow dressage competitor Edward Gal<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nAdams is currently the world flyweight champion<\/a>, after defeating Thailand’s Peamwilai Laopeam in Kazakhstan. She will be defending her 2012 gold medal in this year’s Olympics. She is openly bisexual.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nFranca won the bronze medal<\/a> in the 2012 Olympics and won two Pan American Game titles. She married Lili Maestrini in 2013<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nGriner currently plays center for the Phoenix Mercury<\/a> and has been named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year twice. She came out<\/a> in 2013.<\/p>\n
Labbé<\/a> is the goalkeeper for the Canadian National Team as well as the Washington Spirit<\/a>. She has represented Canada in two World Cups<\/a> and numerous other matches.<\/p>\n
\nRio will be Lacrabère’s third Olympic Games. Lacrabère was on France’s national women<\/a>’s handball team when they won the silver medal at the 2011 World Championships. She came out<\/a> before the London Olympics.<\/p>\n
\nMatos participated in the 2011 Pan American Games and came in fourth. He also won a bronze medal in 2012 during a U.S. World Tour event. Matos came out<\/a> as gay<\/a> in 2014.<\/p>\n
\nMcCoughtry plays for the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA. She holds two WNBA scoring titles and is engaged<\/a> to Brande Elise.<\/p>\n
Nault<\/a> has represented Canada as a defender<\/a> in two World Cups and the 2012 Olympics when Canada won the bronze medal. She has been playing soccer since she was seven-years-old.<\/p>\n
\nNee won the bronze medal at the 2015 Pan American Games<\/a>. This will be her first Olympic Games. She suffered a shoulder injury before the 2008 Olympics and just missed qualification for the 2012 Olympics. Her wife, Ashley McEwan<\/a>, convinced her to continue chasing her Olympic dreams.<\/p>\n
\nRichardson-Walsh has competed as a midfielder in three Olympics<\/a> and has been named to the International Hockey Federation World All Stars Team three times. She and wife Kate, who is also on the field hockey team, have been married since 2013<\/a> and will compete in Rio together.<\/p>\n
\nLike her wife, Richardson-Walsh will be competing in her fourth Olympics<\/a>. She has been captain of the team since 2003 and was Great Britain’s Hockey Athlete of the Year in 2007.<\/p>\n
\nNicknamed “Tanc<\/a>,” Tancredi plays striker<\/a> for the Canadian national team. This will be her third Olympic competition for Canada. She spoke on CTV Vancouver about the Canadian Olympic Committee’s initiative<\/a> to end LGBTQ discrimination in sports.<\/p>\n
\nTownsend has been playing internationally since the 2008 Olympics<\/a>. In 2014, she was named the Hockey Writers’ Club Women’s Player of the Year. She and girlfriend<\/a>, Dirkie Chamberlain<\/a>, played against each other in several competitions.<\/p>\n
\nWammes has been competing since 2005<\/a>. He won the silver medal at the 2008 World Cup. This will be his first Olympics. He came out<\/a> in 2011.<\/p>\n
\nWilton won his first Dressage National Title<\/a> in 1999. While he has won 13 national titles, Rio will be his first Olympics. He was previously in a relationship with fellow equestrian Edward Gal<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nDuncan has played in three World Cups<\/a> and in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. She married Priscilla Duncan in 2015<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nMuller has been competing since she was a teenager. She earned the silver medal in the 2011 World Championship<\/a> and the bronze medal in 2015. She also competed in the 2012 Olympics. She married her wife<\/a> on New Year’s Eve in 2013.<\/p>\n
\nViljoen came in fourth at the 2012 Olympics<\/a>. She came out<\/a> publicly in 2014.<\/p>\n
\nVan der Wal is the goalkeeper for the Dutch national team. She participated in the 2011 World Championships<\/a> in Brazil and will be returning to the country for the 2016 Olympics. She came out<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n
\nGriffin won bronze at the 2013 Rugby World Cup<\/a> and the silver in the 2015 Pan American Games. She credits her wife<\/a> for giving her a lot of support at home.<\/p>\n
\nHenique was the bronze medalist at the 2011 World Championship<\/a> for the 50 meter butterfly event. Henique is openly lesbian<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nPotter participated in the World Cup in 2014<\/a>. After battling cancer, Potter focused on the 2016 Olympics. She credits her wife, Carol Fabrizio<\/a>, for never losing hope.<\/p>\n
\nVasconcelos has participated in 20 international tournaments<\/a>. She recently came out<\/a> to Claudia Custodio on ESPN Brazil.<\/p>\n
\nDonne is a three-time WNBA All-Star starter<\/a> and was named the 2015 WNBA MVP. She currently plays for the Chicago Sky. She came out in the August issue of Vogue<\/em><\/a> and is engaged to Amanda Clifton. <\/p>\n