Erica Bougard, Megan Rapinoe, Domien Michiels.Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty; M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty; JASPER JACOBS/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty
The list only includes out Olympians, as Paralympians will be determined in a later report.
“Every out and proud athlete is a beacon for others who haven’t yet come out, or who are unsure if they can be their full self and play the sport they love,” Joanna Hoffman, the director of communications at the non-profit advocacy group Athlete Ally,toldTIME.
Progress Pride flag.ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty
Erica Sullivan and Rashida Ellis.Lintao Zhang/Getty; Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty
Of the 121 athletes, the U.S. makes up the highest number of queer Olympians with 30 headed to Tokyo, per Outsports' report.
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Across the 25 countries with known LGBTQ+ athletes, women make up the highest population with a 7 to 1 ratio, according to Outsports.
The list also includes Laurel Hubbard, a New Zealand weightlifter, who is the first transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics.
In the U.S., a slew of bills has been proposed seeking to ban transgender athletes from school teams that align with their gender identity, leading to widespread backlash from sports stars and equal rights advocates.
Rapinoe penned an essay forThe Washington Postin March,writing, “These bills are some of the most intense political assaults on LGBTQ people in recent years.”
The USWNT star added, “Sports have become another avenue to attack the rights of trans people. These efforts cause incredible harm to trans youth, who, like all kids in a global pandemic, are feeling isolated and need compassion and support.”
To learn more about all the Olympic hopefuls, visitTeamUSA.org. The Tokyo Olympics begin July 23rdon NBC.
source: people.com
