Article & Photos by: Lindy Earl Schultz & Dr. Jerry P. Abraham
The Olympics were in full swing in Paris and across the world this summer from Friday, July 26, 2024 to Sunday, August 11, 2024. The spirit of the games were as they have always been, achievement, drive, and the thrill of competition. The Paris Olympics returned a sense of humanity and hope to a world desperate for good news and positivity. We were lucky enough to attend in-person and witness the truly inspirational sportsmanship of all the global athletes who came to France in order to show off their skills and do what they love. Beyond the overwhelming accomplishments of Team USA, who earned a whopping 126 overall medals, were the milestones that were reached in the way of diversity and inclusion at this year’s games.
The 2024 summer games set a record for the most number of openly LGBTQIA+ competitors at any Olympic games. One-hundred-and-ninety-three brave and proud athletes came to France with no intent to hide who they were and represented not only their country but the LGBTQIA+ community as well. Of course, there were likely many more community members in attendance who were unable to show themselves for personal or political reasons. To them, I wish for the greatest amount of safety, acceptance, and healing when they return home and hope that they can one day be part of the group who gets to be out with confidence and worldwide support. Additionally, there were no shortage of LGBTQIA+ fans and allies in the stands! Additionally, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies had its queer moments highlighting drag queens, queer artists, and more. It truly was a gay old time! (We even got gay-engaged at the Paris Olympics! There were more marriage proposals at the Paris Olympics than at any other Olympics in history!)
Though this was a huge step forward in LGBTQIA+ representation in the Olympics, there is still a long way to go. We hail the stepping stone of success that is the Paris 2024 games and look to the future with hope that one day precautions will not have to be taken such as blocking Grindr from the village to keep people from being outed. Despite the roadblocks ahead, I continue to look at the Olympic games with hope and joy at the progress we have made as a community and the determination we have as athletes and as people to continue to push boundaries, break records, and refuse to be silenced all around the world. I personally cannot wait to see how much bigger and gayer the Olympics will be in sunny Los Angeles in 2028! See you all there!