Which olympians are gay

In a recent interview with BBC Sport , they said the reaction has been gratifying. You get heterosexual couples posting photos of each other on Instagram and social media. A post shared by Celia Quansah celiaamy. This will be the second time these two gay partners will compete together in equestrian for the Netherlands in pursuit of Olympic gold.

They were on the same team in Rio, and finished fourth. Together, they won a team dressage bronze medal at the World Championships, and each have their own Olympic medal: silver for Minderhoud in and bronze for Gal in Our Cyd Zeigler recently profiled Gal and Minderhoud , who are proudly out about their relationship. Minderhoud says competing together makes both of them better. These field hockey players have been public as a couple for eight years, which they attribute to the inclusive culture of their sport.

They just want to be themselves. Thankfully, they live in a country that allows them to do just that. Back then, the number of gay Olympians who felt able and willing to speak openly about their private lives could be counted on a few hands.

Still, at the Tokyo Games, the picture is changing. A wave of rainbow-colored pride, openness and acceptance is sweeping through Olympic pools, skateparks, halls and fields, with a record number of openly gay competitors in Tokyo.

Whereas LGBTQ invisibility used to make Olympic sports seem out of step with the times, Tokyo is shaping up as a watershed for the community and for the Games — now, finally, starting to better reflect human diversity. The gay website Outsports. After several updates, its count is now up to , including some who petitioned to get on the list. At the London Games, it counted just Daley is also broadcasting that message from Tokyo, his fourth Olympics overall and second since he came out.

You don't even have to be gay. Above all, though, the Gay Games are an event for queer and trans people to gather safely, play sports they love and be themselves without fear of intolerance. The Gay Games sprung from activism. Waddell was inspired by American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who, at the Olympics that Waddell had attended, raised their fists in protest against racism after medaling in the meter sprint.

The Gay Games could be an act of protest then, too, Waddell decided, an event during which LGBTQ people could play the same sports they watched during the Olympics and achieve the same kind of glory he had at the Olympics. The Games are open to all.

Anyone can participate in the Gay Games -- really, just about anyone. Athletes just have to pay to play, Paul said. Though Waddell emphasized that sports weren't the central focus of the Gay Games, the event has hosted athletes with real prowess. Powerlifter Chris Morgan began his career at the Gay Games and went on to win another 30 medals at various world championships. Participants from the United Kingdom team march onto the field during the opening ceremony of the Gay Games in Sydney, Australia.

And unlike the "regular Olympics," at the Gay Games, a same-sex figuring skating pair can don matching denim jumpsuits in a performance set to "Hopelessly Devoted to You. The upcoming Gay Games will take place next year in Hong Kong, where same-sex marriage is not legally recognized. The Gay Games go on.