Why is #TokyoOlympics historic for Queer representation?

Ground Report | New Delhi: Why is #TokyoOlympics historic; At least 160 athletes of the more than 11,000 participating in this edition of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are LGBTQ +, which represents almost three times the 56 who attended Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016.

Why is #TokyoOlympics historic

There are at least 25 different countries that have a presence in different disciplines by athletes who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and non-binaries in a public way.

According to research by onlinegambling.ca, at least 160 of the more than 11,000 competitors in Tokyo identify as LGBT. This is significantly more than what has been seen in the past. Only 229 LGBT athletes have been known to have competed in the Olympics between 1928 and 2018.

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He adds that the record participation in this year's Games and in a context where host Japan's national policies do not allow gay marriage and have no national laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation, so no overtly LGBTQ + athletes have competed for Japan. in the history of the Olympic Games and none were named to the team in Tokyo.

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The United States has the largest representation with a total of 47, including Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Nick Wagman, Erica Sullivan, Kayla Miracle, Rashida Ellis, Evy Leibfarth, and Domien Michiels.

Canada ranks second with 33, while the Netherlands third with 20, however it is New Zealand who has the spotlight by including Laurel Hubbard, becoming the first transsexual athlete in the Olympics in an individual discipline, according to the article published by Titled Economist: LGBTQ + Athletes in Tokyo Set New Record.

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Other countries that have athletes in the summer joust are the United Kingdom with 15; Australia with nine and Brazil with seven, according to the Outsports portal. In a count of medals won by LGBTQ + athletes, there have been 93 gold, 75 silver, and 61 bronze medals.

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