My Weekend (Olympic Medalists) Crush

This year has already been the most rainbow-filled Olympics yet, with demonstrative queerness across the Games as athletes get loud and proud. It’s also the largest contingent of out LGBTQ+ athletes, which is now at 182 and counting. It should be noted some 164 of those are female or nonbinary athletes competing on women’s teams, so while lesbians and other queer woman are doing their part for visibility, the fellas still have a little ways to go. (Not you, Tom Daley and your sweaters. You’re doing great, keep up the good gay work.)

Honestly, there are so many exceptional queer female athletes to keep track of in Tokyo this year, I simply can’t list them all like in the bad old closeted Olympics days. So instead I’ve gotten selective. So these are your out queer female (and non-binary) medal winners. It’s truly exciting to see the progress in visibility out LGBTQ athletes have made since I started watching the Games as a young girl. Indeed the days of only nudge-wink knowing about certain athletes is close (though not entirely, I see you Sam Kerr and gal pal Kristie Mewis) to being over.

While certain sports are still deciding their medalists (we see you women’s basketball, field hockey, handball & soccer who are handing out hardware after my bedtime/this post publishes). I’ll update through the weekend with additional winners. They’re here, they’re queer, and they’re packing serious hardware. No, not like that. I mean, at least that wasn’t what I was referring to. AHEM.

3X3 BASKETBALL

Stefanie Dolson, USA, Gold

ARCHERY

Lucilla Boari, Italy, Bronze (Individual)
BMX FREESTYLE

Hannah Roberts, USA, Silver
BOXING

Nesthy Petecio, Philippines, Silver (Featherweight)
FENCING

Astrid Guyart, France, Silver (Women’s Team Foil)(second from left)

JUDO

Amandine Buchard, France, Gold (Mixed team), Siver (52kg)Jasmin Grabowski, Germany, Bronze (Mixed team)Sanne van Dijke, Netherlands, Bronze (70kg)
ROWING

Emma Twigg, New Zealand, Gold (Single Sculls)
Katarzyna Zillmann, Poland, Silver (Quadruple Sculls)(last on right)

RUGBY

Kelly Brazier & Gayle Broughton, New Zealand, GoldPortia Woodman & Ruby Tui, New Zealand, Gold
SAILING

Jolanta Ogar, Poland, Silver (Women's 470)(front in pair)

SOCCER

Tierna Davidson, USA, BronzeAdrianna Franch, USA, BronzeKelley O’Hara, USA, BronzeMegan Rapinoe, USA, Bronze
SOFTBALL

Ally Carda & Amanda Chidester, USA, SilverHaylie McCleney, USA, SilverLarissa Franklin, Canada, BronzeJoey Lye, Canada, Bronze(last on left)

SWIMMING

Ana Marcela Cunha, Brazil, Gold (10km)Erica Sulliva, USA, Silver (1500m freestyle)(left of Ledecky)

TRACK & FIELD

Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela, Gold (Triple Jump)Raven Saunders, USA, Silver (Shot Put)
Free drinks at any lesbian bars these ladies roll up to for life, amirite? Happy Gold, Silver and Bronze weekend, all.