by Stephen House
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| Medal count at the Tokyo Summer Olympics is something we’ve watching. And this year, there has been an LGBTQ rainbow twist. We at Outsports tracked them as though they were a country: Team LGBTQ. Imagine if all of the publicly out lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and nonbinary athletes were on one team representing one country with common causes of visibility and inclusion. That’s how we covered this collective group of inspiring out athletes. The final standing: Team LGBTQ ranked 7th overall, just ahead of Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy. —Outsports, August 10, 2021. Photo: Gold medalist Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil poses after the women's 10-kilometer marathon swimming at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo on Aug. 4.Clive Rose / Getty Images via NBC News. |
for many LGBTQI people world-wide
it is the story of the week
maybe for some
the story of the year
of their life
discrimination / abuse / inequality / oppression / exclusion
hits hard
at least one hundred and eighty two
queer identifying athletes were at the Tokyo Olympics
publicly out
gay / lesbian / bisexual / transgender / queer / gender-nonconforming
athletes
some of them using the Olympic platform
to come out
in Tokyo
representing many sports
archery / basketball / beach volleyball / BMX freestyle / BMX racing / boxing / canoe / cycling / diving / equestrian / fencing / field hockey / golf / gymnastics / handball / judo / rhythmic gymnastics / rowing / rugby / sailing / softball / skateboarding / soccer / swimming / shooting / table tennis / taekwondo / tennis / track and field / trampoline / volleyball / water polo / weightlifting / wrestling / triple jump
from many countries
Italy / Belgium / USA / Puerto Rico / Australia / Canada / Brazil / Ireland / Philippines / Britain / New Zealand / Denmark / Netherlands / France / South Africa / Sweden / Germany / Israel / Mexico / Poland / Argentina / Cyprus / Chile / Peru / Tonga / Finland / Trinidad / India / Venezuela
impartiality / kindness / equality / acceptance / inclusion
is human
at least one hundred and eighty two
queer identifying athletes at the Tokyo Olympics
should make the entire world proud
Tokyo Olympics was also Tokyo Pride
for many LGBTQI people world-wide
Tokyo Olympic Pride
gives hope
Stephen House has won many awards and nominations as a poet, playwright and actor. He’s received several international literature residencies from The Australia Council for the Arts and an Asia-link India residency. His chapbook real and unreal was published by ICOE Press. He’s published often and performs his acclaimed monologues widely.