Paris Olympics to feature at least 175 LGBTQ+ athletes
July 29, 2024According to the LGBTQ+ sports site OutSports, at least 175 out LGBTQ+ athletes will participate in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, with a record number of out male Olympians.
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During the last Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, there were at least 186 out competitors, though the list initially started at 121. OutSports co-founder Cyd Zeigler noted that the number grew as the sports news site identified additional publicly out athletes.
This year’s count of out Olympians began at 144 when Outsports first released its tally last week and reached 175 as of Friday, the day of the Opening Ceremony, according to ‘NBC News’. At least 20 male athletes in this year’s summer Olympics are publicly out. Zeigler highlighted equestrian, an Olympic sport with eight LGBTQ+ men participating, as a long-standing leader in this area.
The majority of queer Olympians, over 150, are women. Lesbians and other queer women represent more than half of at least two teams: the U.S.A. women’s basketball team, with seven out of 12 players being out, and the Australian women’s soccer team, with at least 12 of the 18 players out.
Zeigler commented on the welcoming nature of elite-level women’s sports for lesbians, noting that it has long been a more inclusive space compared to men’s sports because of the significant percentage of elite-level athletes who are LGBTQ+.
However, in men’s sports, more athletes are realising that their teammates are more accepting than they might have previously thought. Zeigler emphasised that despite some locker room antics, the actual level of acceptance is higher than perceived.
Notable queer athletes at this year’s Olympic Games include British diver Tom Daley, track star Sha’Carri Richardson, and trans nonbinary runner Nikki Hiltz. Hiltz earned their spot in Paris during the U.S. Olympic Trials last month, setting the second-fastest time ever by an American in the women’s 1,500-meter race.
In a post-race interview with NBC Sports, Hiltz, 29, commented on the significance of the race beyond setting a record. They expressed that the race was for their community and acknowledged the support of the LGBT folks who spurred them on in the final hundred meters.
According to Zeigler, Hiltz will be one of at least three nonbinary athletes participating in Paris, alongside U.S. women’s rugby player Kris Thomas and Canadian soccer star Quinn, who made history in Tokyo as the first openly trans athlete to win an Olympic medal.
Zeigler addressed concerns about the impact of bans on trans women in certain sports categories on the number of LGBTQ+ athletes at the Olympics, stating that he does not think these bans significantly affect the overall numbers. However, changes in competition, such as the elimination of softball—a sport with eight LGBTQ+ women in Tokyo—might contribute to a lower number of LGBTQ+ athletes compared to the Tokyo Games.
Zeigler also noted the absence of the Swedish women’s soccer team, which did not qualify for Paris but had four LGBTQ+ players in Tokyo.
This year, women’s soccer is the queerest sport at the Olympics, with 45 out players across all participating countries. Spain’s team has six out athletes, Brazil’s team has eight, and Australia’s roster has 12, which Zeigler believes might be the highest number of LGBTQ+ individuals on any Olympic team ever.
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