Contributors include: Sue Perkins rugby star Gareth Thomas best. Having more LGBT athletes come out during the lead-up to Sochi will promote acceptance, awareness and education regarding gay athletes and their contribution to sport. Launched to coincide with National Coming Out Day, It's OK to be Gay is a collection of inspirational coming out stories from well-known figures from the LGBT community, who talk frankly about their own experiences and how their sexuality has shaped their character and success. “Sport is a human right and everyone deserves the ability to participate and play I believe and support the Olympic Charter and the idea of the Olympic Spirit. “Having more LGBT athletes come out before the Sochi Olympics will help promote the positive message of acceptance and equality within sport,” said Bucsis. “Belle and Anastasia showed great courage when they came out in response to Russia’s gay propaganda laws, and now they are exemplifying the leadership necessary to help change the world.”īoth Brockhoff and Bucsis hope the number of out Olympic hopefuls will grow with awareness and support. “Four athletes is actually a record number,” said Hudson Taylor, executive director of Athlete Ally. “It was important for me to show in-the-closet gays and lesbians that they’re supported and loved all over the world.”īucsis and Brockhoff join New Zealand speedskater Blake Skjellerup and American figure skater Johnny Weir as the only Olympic-calibre winter sports athletes in the world who publicly identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual, according to Athletes Ally.

“One of the reasons I came out was because I wanted people to find inspiration in me coming out globally,” she said. Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Its OK to be Gay: Celebrity Coming Out Stories - Ebook written by Alison Stokes. Manage Print Subscription / Tax Receipt.

It's OK to be Gay by Alison Stokes