Olympic visibility and cabinets in the snow

Gus Kenworthy Olympic visibility and cabinets in the snow

13 are the openly LGTBI athletes competing in the Winter Olympics, 6 more than those held in Sochi 4 years ago

GAYLES.TV.- Although it is true that the number of participants in the Winter Olympics who have openly acknowledged their homosexuality has doubled compared to the appointment of Sochi 4 years ago, it is no less true that the figure in total percentages remains frankly ridiculous. If the global number is of 2.952 registered athletes, that 13 have come out of the closet It is a scandalous 0'4%, that is, a small one. If we apply the usual theory that, at least, the 10% of the population would fit in the LGTBI denomination, we should be talking about some 300 people. But, finally, slowly and good handwriting would not be the case that all of them came out suddenly and some of them would freeze their rictus and not cold precisely.

In any case, it is worth reflecting on the subject, because a first look at the list of the brave is surprising from the outset by the overwhelming presence of women, 9 out of 13! At least curious if we think about the low visibility of lesbians in other areas. In politics, culture or business just to name a few, we have too many fingers of the hand when we look for lesbians out of the closet… under suspicion a few, but publicly assumed few.

Šárka Pančochová

However in the world of sports it seems that the tables are turned. From the historical Martina Navratilova in tennis there have been many women who have taken on their lesbianism in public in different sports disciplines:  Sheryl Swoopes in basketball, the pair of the Norwegian handball team formed by Gro Hammerseng and Katja Nyberg  and let's not say in the world of women's football where in the 2015 Worlds it was nothing less than 14 that were recognized as lesbian or bisexual. While in men's soccer the only thing that comes out of the closet are poorly understood testosterone carts, fear of public lynching, denial and posturing.

Another fact that draws attention is the fact that the visibility is facilitated by the fact that the sports discipline in question is not team. In Pyeongchang, of the 4 men who have been recognized as gay, 3 participate in the figure skating modality and the fourth, the mediatic Gus Kenworthy, famous for his nudes in the snow (indispensable visit to his Instagram account), participates in freestyle skiing. Presumably, the changing rooms shared with the environment and the smell of a companion do not help to come out of the closet, not to mention the homophobic crowd that, unfortunately, continues to fill the stands of many stadiums. In fact, the same situation also occurs in this case among women, only one of them, Emilia Ramboldt, practice a team sport, ice hockey.

This week we celebrate the International Day against Homophobia in Sport, it would be important to make a collective reflection on the reasons that encyst homophobic behaviors in stadiums. What ancestral topics keep our athletes in love with the closet? And above all the most important thing: What can we do to reverse this situation.

GAYLES.TV

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