LGBTI Olympians and Paralympians |
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Lists of LGBT+ Summer Olympic athletes |
List of LGBT+ Winter Olympians; by debut |
List of LGBT+ Paralympians; by debut |
List of intersex Olympians |
List of LGBT+ artists at the Olympics |
History and issues |
There have been 704 modern Olympians[a] (including Paralympians, Summer Olympic athletes and artists, and Winter Olympians) who have identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, non-binary, queer, and/or having an intersex condition, or who have openly been in a same-sex relationship. The first Olympic Games in which an athlete now known to be LGBT+ competed was the 1900 Summer Olympics, also the first LGBT+ Olympic medalist and first contemporaneously out Olympian.[b] The 1932 Summer Olympics was the first instance of an athlete now known to be intersex competing, also winning a medal.[c] LGBT+ Olympians have contested events across over 60 sports, as well as several artistic events. The majority of LGBT+ Olympians are female. The Olympic sport with the most LGBT+ participants is football. The nation with the most out LGBT+ Olympians is the United States, including two who have also competed for other nations.[a]
The most decorated LGBT+ Olympian is British Paralympic equestrian Lee Pearson, with 17 medals including 14 golds;[d] the most decorated able-bodied LGBT+ Olympian is Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst, with 13 medals including 6 golds;[e] the most decorated able-bodied LGBT+ Summer Olympian is Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, with 9 medals including 5 golds.[b] LGBT+ Olympians who hold Olympic records include Wüst;[f] footballers Pia Sundhage and Vivianne Miedema;[g] rower Emma Twigg;[h] and triple jumper Yulimar Rojas, who also holds the world record.[i] At least 317 LGBT+ Olympians are medalists (45.03% of LGBT+ Olympians), of which 148 have at least one gold medal (21.02%).[j]
All based on the Lists of LGBTQI+ Olympians and Paralympians
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Sport | Number of Olympians by gender[N 16] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female | Male | Non-binary | Total | |||||
Cisgender | Transgender | Intersex | Cisgender | Transgender | Intersex | |||
Alpine skiing & Para-alpine skiing |
4 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 5 |
Archery | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Athletics & Para-athletics |
28 | 1[N 17] | 9 | 13 | 2[N 18] | 1[N 18] | 2[N 18] | 56 |
Badminton | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
Basketball & Wheelchair basketball |
47 | — | — | — | — | — | 1[N 18] | 48 |
Beach volleyball | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 |
Biathlon | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Bobsleigh | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 |
Boxing | 9 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 13 |
Canoeing and Kayaking & Paracanoe |
5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
Cross-country skiing & Para cross-country skiing |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Curling | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
Cycling & Paracycling |
18[N 19] | 1[N 18] | — | 1 | — | — | — | 20 |
Diving | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | 12 |
Equestrian & Para-equestrian |
1 | — | — | 19 | — | — | — | 20 |
Fencing & Wheelchair fencing |
4 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 5 |
Figure skating | 5 | — | — | 26 | — | — | 1[N 17] | 32 |
Football | 152 | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | 1[N 18] | 157 |
Freestyle skiing | 4 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 5 |
Goalball | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Golf | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Gymnastics | 7 | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | 18 |
Handball | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 |
Hockey | 20 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 21 |
Ice hockey | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 31 |
Judo & Para Judo |
16 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 17 |
Luge | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
Rowing & Pararowing |
20 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 1[N 18] | 25 |
Rugby sevens | 22 | — | — | — | 1[N 18] | — | — | 23 |
Sailing | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Shooting | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 |
Skateboarding | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 2[N 18] | 7 |
Skeleton | 4 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 6 |
Ski jumping | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 |
Snowboarding | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 |
Softball | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 |
Speed skating | 7 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 8 |
Surfing | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Swimming | 15 | — | — | 21[N 20] | — | 1 | — | 37 |
Table tennis | — | — | — | — | 1[N 18] | — | — | 1 |
Taekwondo & Parataekwondo |
2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 3 |
Tennis & Wheelchair tennis |
18 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 19 |
Triathlon & Paratriathlon |
4 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 5 |
Volleyball & Sitting volleyball |
14 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 15 |
Water polo | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 |
Weightlifting | — | 1[N 18] | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Wrestling | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Art | Number of Olympians by gender[N 16] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female | Male | Non-binary | Total | |||||
Cisgender | Transgender | Intersex | Cisgender | Transgender | Intersex | |||
Epic Literature | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
Dance[N 21] | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 |
Drawings and water colours (Painting) | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
Graphic arts | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
Literature (Open) | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 3 |
Lyric works (Literature) | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
Painting | 1 | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | 7 |
Sculpting (Open) | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 4 |
Statue sculpting | 5 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 6 |
Main articles: List of LGBT Summer Olympians (1900–2000) and List of LGBT Summer Olympians (2004–2020) |
Main article: List of LGBT Winter Olympians |
Main article: List of LGBT Paralympians |
Main article: List of intersex Olympians |
Athletes with disorders of sex development (DSD) may be known as intersex, with the terms often understood interchangeably; the term "hermaphrodite" is now widely discredited.[378] DSDs are congenital conditions affecting the reproductive system, in which development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex is atypical.[379] As a biological status, intersex people may identify as heterosexual and cisgender. However, significant overlap with the LGBT community[380][381] and "shared experiences of harm arising from dominant societal sex and gender norms" has led to intersex people often being included under the LGBT umbrella, with the acronym sometimes expanded to LGBTI.[382] While intersex people face specific issues that LGBT people do not,[383] in sports they are often considered alongside transgender athletes who have transitioned, with similar barriers to participation.[384] The athletes listed below may or may not associate with the LGBT or LGBTI community.
Main article: List of LGBT artists at the Olympic Games |