discover the journey of these inspiring athletes
Over the almost four years that I’ve been out in ultimate there has been a steadily increasing number of out trans and non-binary players, including several that have specifically reached out to me to say how I’ve helped lead the way. This is the power of representation. This is the power of out, vocal, and visible LGBTQ+ athletes. Those who have taken the steps before can help lead the way for those who come after.
I definitely felt that I had to hide parts of myself as a young person. However, college allowed me to spread my wings and be more open. My college volleyball teammates were fantastic and were a huge part of helping me find myself. They are my second family. I have been blessed to coach in some very accepting communities and universities.
Without a role model to follow, multiple world champion bouldering Alex Johnson maintained her secrecy. She remembers feeling like, “I have no one to talk to, nobody knows who I am, I hate myself, why can’t I be normal?” It wouldn’t be until Johnson started her relationship with Bree Robles that her confidence began to build…
My father founded the badminton club named Wit-Wit in Ronse in 1988. Just like him, my brothers were big fans of the sport, so as little sister I couldn’t miss out. I was practically born with a racket in my hand and when I was 14 years old, I made the choice to go to the school for top athletes in Antwerp.
As an athlete, you don’t want the attention of it. Athletes feel like they are being defined for being gay, like they’re ‘the gay one’ on the team. At the end of the day it shouldn’t matter, but first of all, there has to be someone on the team who makes it normal. I don’t want to have attention for it, but I feel someone has to start the conversation. I know there’s still homophobia in sports and around hockey clubs. So if you manage to reach some people and get them to understand that it’s not OK to judge people, and no one should feel entitled to judge someone, then you’ve done something right.
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We are on the verge of a wonderful sports summer with the Olympic Games, the European Football Championship and many other events. Athletes of whom we are proud are working their butts off. We support them, we look up to them, and yet many of them cannot be fully themselves.
On 8 March 2020 – better known as International Women’s Day – Match, BeHuman and Out For The Win celebrates everyone who defines herself as woman. Because we want to strive for more equality to break the gender norms and expectations in a fun and inclusive way.
Out For The Win joins forces with the Antwerp Brilliant Games, a sporting event where inclusion and respect for your opponent matters more than winning.
Despite the growing acceptance of gays and transgenders, the sports community remains a very difficult environment to be out. The American documentary ‘Alone in the Game’ shows the ongoing struggles LGBTQ athletes face at different levels. On 31 January, you can see this moving documentary at Sphinx cinema in Gent (Belgium) followed by a debate with pro athletes and policy makers.
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