Over 144 LGBTQ athletes set to compete in Paris Olympics

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris will feature at least 144 out LGBTQ athletes, with a record number of out male Olympians set to participate. In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, there were at least 186 out competitors, and this number is expected to grow for the Paris Games. At least 18 male athletes are publicly out this year, with equestrian being a leading sport in LGBTQ representation among men. The majority of LGBTQ athletes are women, with many lesbian and queer women represented on teams like the U.S. women’s basketball and Australian women’s soccer teams. Notable queer athletes at this year’s Olympics include Tom Daley, Sha’Carri Richardson, and nonbinary runner Nikki Hiltz. Hiltz, along with other nonbinary athletes such as Kris Thomas and Quinn, will also be competing in the Paris Games. The ban on trans women in certain sports categories does not seem to be affecting the overall number of LGBTQ athletes at the Olympics. Changes in sports competition, such as the elimination of softball as an Olympic sport, may impact the number of LGBTQ athletes participating. Women’s soccer appears to be the queerest sport at the Olympics this year, with Brazil and Australia fielding teams that have a high number of out athletes.

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