Gay athletes have a big-brother figure in out Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham.
Mitcham tells the Sydney Morning Herald:
“I certainly don’t see [being gay] as a burden. I never did, especially with how much attention the LGBT cause has been getting lately with marriage equality… and with how few openly gay sports stars there are around at the moment. I don’t mind attention being put on it.
Ideally I would like one day for sexuality to be as unimportant and uninteresting as hair colour, or eye colour or even just gender in general. One day it will get to that.
“But until it is easy for sports people to come out without fear of persecution or fear of lost sponsorship income and stuff like that, or fear of being comfortable in the team environment, I don’t mind attention being brought to my sexuality in the hope that it might make other people feel more comfortable … in being comfortable enough about who they are in their sporting environment.”
He picked up perfect 10s on a number of dives in the Australian Olympic trials last month, so it seems like he’s ready to take gold for the gays again, like he did at Beijing 2008 in the 10 meter platform event.
Perhaps this time NBC will actually mention the fact that he’s gay, or at least not cut footage of him hugging his boyfriend after winning?
How about we take this to the next level?
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cam
Oh PLEASE, he could show up with his boyfriend to the tonight show and walk out on stage with him and NBC would still cut it then later pretend that they were trying to protect his privacy.
Ferg
If I remember right, him hugging his boyfriend was not shown because the cameras were pretty much all controlled by the Chinese state TV and they didn’t pass the footage on to any of the other media organisations.
As to mentioning he is gay, well at the time he was just some australian diver that nobody outside of diving really knew about let alone that he was gay
Henry Holland
As to mentioning he is gay, well at the time he was just some australian diver that nobody outside of diving really knew about let alone that he was gay
But that’s what NBC lives for during the Olympics, someone that’s unknown winning or at least medaling so that they can do one of their “When Billy was 7, he badly sprained his ankle and his dog died, but through hard work and American know-how, he’s on the podium getting a medal!” soft focus puff pieces that sports fans mock and are aimed at woman who wouldn’t watch otherwise.
Bipolar Bear
Don’t forget New Zealand Winter Olympian Blake Skjellerup, he’s done some amazing stuffhere for GLBT youth, including touring high schools to talk about homophobia, bullying, and his success in Vancouver in 2010:
http://bipolarbear.co.nz/2011/04/07/miracles-can-happen/
AEH
*insert an obligatory “He can be my role model anytime!” here*
Alex Sarmiento
Yeah, I was so pissed that NBC opted not to go into detail on Matthew Mitcham. Not that I wanted to hear about what he likes to eat or how he likes to fuck or get fucked or if he has a dead relative/pet that he’d like to flog for ratings, but they invested a lot more time into doing puff pieces on US athletes who didn’t contend and weren’t in contention for medals. In fact, NBC’s Olympic coverage is asinine because the theme to their coverage is this: “Either the US wins every medal up for grabs that matters (which means EVERY goddamn medal) to show our superiority to the rest of the world, or there is no point in broadcasting the greatest show on Earth.”
Interesting
its also not the first time tv networks have had double standard with gay content
Andrew
Oz TV shows Matthew and his partner hugging after he won. What really annoyed me was the fact an Australia got the hight score in Olympic history and do you think Matthew was on the front page of any paper the next day? No! What the ??? Usualy Oz press throw a party when someone gets gold, even the simming which is usually a given anyway.
James M. Martin
What a fine human being!
iltman
a fine young gentleman and an inspiration to youth whatever their sexuality
andreusz
@Andrew: That is a real indictment of the Australian press. Well, I hope Matthew will win another gold medal — it’ll be difficult for them to ignore htat!
Alexi3
I admire Mathew; it’s jusy a shame we still have this to talk about. Just think how much further down the road we would be if Greg Louganis had spoken up when he was in the spot light. He waited until the major sponsor’s had long since lost interest. Mathew is putting the advancement of the community ahead of his personal loss of potential income. In my book, that kind of self-sacrifice makes him a HERO.
trevor
Is orientation is NOT relevant at the Olympics.
sandy k
I don’t think the subject of Mathew’s sexual orientation should be raised during any telecast, unless that is somehow relevant to the event being discussed. (Even in an UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL story it’s only relevant if HE makes it so).
Just as every interview with Congressman Barney Frank ISN’T prefaced with an announcement that he’s gay!
Nor is every telecast of “The Nutcracker” ballet, prefaced with an announcement that Tchaikovsky was gay!
Nor should every performance by Elton John (or anyone elses), be preceded by an announcement that they’re gay!
Someones sexual orientation should only be raised when it is necessary to add context to an issue being discussed.
EvonCook
@sandy k: Sorry Sandy, I really have to disagree with you until recognition of gays is so common and boring, we need to say it every time we can. Otherwise it is like keeping it secret, staying in the closet or being embarrassed. AND, being GAY is always relevant because it makes us better, smarter, more intelligent and more sensitive people to whatever issue is at hand.
EvonCook
What is surprising to me is that here is another beautiful swimmer. When I was ten I was already chasing and blowing swimmers at the Y (in Ohio), and I later worked on most of the swimmers in my University’s swim team. The next hottest group for me were the members of my schools’ track teams, and being on the team I just was a total cum rag for them, even the str8 guys gave me, shall I say, “time” in the showers. My boys school soccer team called me their fluffer, but my long term boyfriends were wrestlers and gymnasts. Guys really appreciate the worship and most are very happy to get release however it is easiest.
Danny
Wow, EvonCook you sound quite the slut! lol..
Greg Brookes
Why is it that normal human beings have to be exposed to this crap coming from shit fucking freaks