It’s been two years since professional rock climber Campbell Harrison publicly came out as gay. Now, he says he strives to be the role model for other young LGBTQ+ athletes that he lacked.
“I had so few real, tangible and relatable examples of queer people leading successful lives that I think I internalized some kind of notion of queer inferiority,” he wrote in a recent essay for Outsports.
“Had I only known of all the incredible queer people who were out there thriving in all manner of athletic, creative and professional pursuits, then perhaps I would have been able to take ownership of my own identity sooner. … Future generations of young people within the Australian climbing community would have at least one queer person to look up to and show them that life opens its doors to you when you quit shying away from it.”
That last sentence is key: so many young queer athletes grow up without seeing others like them succeed in sports. It makes them think they’re alone, and that being LGBTQ+ is incongruous with being a successful athlete.
Campbell, and others like him, prove that notion wrong on a daily basis. He’s thrived in his sport since coming out, winning two titles at last year’s Australian championships. The 25-year-old hopes to qualify for the Paris 2024 Games (rock climbing made its debut as an Olympic sport at Tokyo 2020.)
In his coming out essay, Campbell says he used to view being queer as a disadvantage in life–something that would prohibit him from accomplishing his dreams. He now realizes he couldn’t have been more misguided.
“Queerness is not a deficit that I was unfortunate to be born with, it’s an asset that both sets me apart from the crowd and connects me to so many others,” he wrote.
Campbell fell in love with rock climbing over a decade ago; and in due time, became one of Australia’s elite young climbers. He held the National Lead Championship Title in his youth category in 2013, and won the Senior National Lead Championship in 2015.
The turning point in his coming out journey came a couple of years ago, when he was invited to speak on a ClimbingQTs panel about LGBTQ+ inclusion. The LGBTQ+ social climbing group is based in Australia and seeks to foster a more open environment in the worlds of climbing and outdoor sports.
When Campbell spoke on that panel, he publicly said he was gay for the first time. He says it was a life-changing experience.
“Fear and apprehension were present, but I was empowered and emboldened by the notion that I could be that one thing for others that I had so desperately craved in my youth,” he writes.
There are a couple of prominent out gay male athletes in Australia, namely pro soccer player Josh Cavallo and gymnast Heath Thorpe. While both have received widespread support, they’ve also faced discrimination within their sports. Cavallo has been outspoken about hearing homophobic abuse during games, and Thorpe’s signature leaps and dance moves aren’t aren’t in the Code of Points on the men’s side.
Thorpe says he thinks male gymnastics enforces overly heteronormative standards, and thus, doesn’t want to reward flamboyancy on the map.
Specific gender roles and heteronormativity are often the backbone of male sports, including rock climbing. Campbell wants to normalize queerness in his corner of the world.
Being visible is the best way to do that. “[It’s] an opportunity I’ve found endlessly rewarding,” he said.
Part of that process for Campbell involves being open about his social life. He often highlights his relationship with his partner, Justin Maire, on social media.
They’re an adorable couple!
As Campbell continues to train for next summer’s Olympics, he’s not just aiming to represent Australia for the sake of his personal pride. He’s determined to be another out LGBTQ+ athlete on that Olympic stage, showing that dreams are possible.
“In standing proudly by who we are at what we can accomplish, we can empower the next generation to have it better than we did, and to feel safer than we did,” he said.
Amen to that.
Scroll down for more photos of Campbell climbing rocks and realizing his dreams…
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Driven features stories and interviews highlighting the thrill of the queer journey, celebrating tenacious LGBTQers whose courage to be themselves fuels their drive to succeed.
m
Cute
johncp56
XOXOXOXOX so so very cute love to them
scotty
i’d belay those guys anytime. then they could scend me.