Tokyo Olympics 2021 will see the highest representation of LGBTQIA+ athletes

The Tokyo Olympics 2021 has a historic number of 168 LGBTQIA+ athletes which is more than the all previous games combined.

As compared to the previous Olympics, Tokyo Olympics 2021 will have the highest out and proud LGBTQIA+ athletes. This year, 168 gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and nonbinary athletes are headed to Tokyo for the Summer Olympic Games.

Sports is always considered as a field of high reach. Having a higher representation of athletes compete on a global stage only opens up opportunities for other people belonging to the community. This historic number allows people of the community to be out and proud and be their true selves on the field. Tokyo is among the many countries that passed the law to decriminalize the LGBTQIA+ community. While the Olympics has a strict ban on discrimination, the legal protection for the community is not the same for the rest of the world. Activists are trying to spreading awareness and start debates about LGBTQIA+ issues and problems.

Read some of the reports here:

There are athletes from several countries with a number of sportspeople who are openly out. The United States has more than 30 out and proud athletes, making them the country with the highest number of LGBTQIA+ athletes at these Olympics, followed by Canada (17), Britain (16), Netherlands (16), Brazil (14), Australia (12) and New Zealand (10). India also has its own representation as Dutee Chand joins the list.

Outsports shared the list of all the LGBTQIA+ athletes participating this year.

Here's the list:

3x3 Basketball

Stefanie Dolson (USA)

Basketball

Julie Allemand (Belgium)
Sue Bird (USA)
Marjorie Carpréaux (Belgium)#
Chelsea Gray (USA)
Brittney Griner (USA)
Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage (Puerto Rico)
Kim Mestdagh (Belgium)
Leilani Mitchell (Australia)
Shaina Pellington (Canada)
Dayshalee Salamán (Puerto Rico)
Breanna Stewart (USA)
Diana Taurasi (USA)
Ann Wauters (Belgium)

BMX Freestyle
Perris Benegas (USA)
Hannah Roberts (USA)
Chelsea Wolfe (USA, reserve)

Boxing

Rashida Ellis (USA)
Kellie Harrington (Ireland)#
Michaela Walsh (Ireland)#

Canoe Slalom

Evy Leibfarth (USA)
Florence Maheu (Canada)

Cycling

Georgia Simmerling (Canada)

Diving

Tom Daley (Britain)
Anton Down-Jenkins (New Zealand)

Equestrian

Cathrine Dufour (Denmark)
Edward Gal (Netherlands)
Carl Hester (Britain)
Domien Michiels (Belgium)
Hans Peter Minderhoud (Netherlands)
Nick Wagman (USA, reserve)

Fencing

Astrid Guyart (France)

Field Hockey

Sarah Jones (Britain)#
Grace O’Hanlon (New Zealand)
Susannah Townsend (Britain)
Anne Veenendaal (Netherlands)#
Leah Wilkinson (Britain)#

Golf

Mel Reid (Britain)
Alena Sharp (Canada)

Handball

Babi Arenhart (Brazil)#
Nathalie Hagman (Sweden)
Alexandra Lacrabère (France)
Amandine Leynaud (France)

Judo

Alice Bellandi (Italy)#
Amandine Buchard (France)
Nina Cutro-Kelly (USA)#
Jasmin Grabowski (Germany)#
Natalie Powell (Britain)#
Tessie Savelkouls (Netherlands)
Sanne van Dijke (Netherlands)#

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Rut Castillo (Mexico)#

Rowing

Saskia Budgett (Britain, reserve)
Kendall Chase (USA)
Gia Doonan (USA)
Maarten Hurkmans (Netherlands)
Meghan O’Leary (USA)
Jessica Thoennes (USA)#
Ellen Tomek (USA)
Emma Twigg (New Zealand)
Julian Venonsky (USA)

Rugby

Elissa Alarie (Canada)#
Britt Benn (Canada)#
Kelly Brazier (New Zealand)
Gayle Broughton (New Zealand)#
Isadora Cerullo (Brazil)
Megan Jones (Britain)
Alev Kelter (USA)
Ghislaine Landry (Canada)#
Kaili Lukan (Canada)#
Celia Quansah (Britain)
Kristen Thomas (USA)
Ruby Tui (New Zealand)#
Sharni Williams (Australia)
Portia Woodman (New Zealand)

Sailing

Jolanta Ogar (Poland)
Cecilia Carranza Saroli (Argentina)

Shooting

Jolyn Beer (Germany)#
Andri Eleftheriou (Cyprus)
Aleksandra Jarmolińska (Poland)#

Skateboarding

Margielyn Didal (Philippines)
Annie Guglia (Canada)#
Poppy Starr Olsen (Australia)
Alexis Sablone (USA)
Alana Smith (USA)

Soccer

Yenny Acuña Berrios (Chile)#
Andressa Alves (Brazil, reserve)
Bárbara Barbosa (Brazil)
Kadeisha Buchanan (Canada)
Marta da Silva (Brazil)
Rachel Daly (Britain)
Tierna Davidson (USA)
Anouk Dekker (Netherlands, reserve)
Christiane Endler (Chile)#
Abby Erceg (New Zealand)
Magda Eriksson (Sweden)
Sisca Folkertsma (Netherlands)#
Formiga (Brazil)#
Adrianna Franch (USA)
Emily Gielnik (Australia)#
Lina Hurtig (Sweden)
Letícia Izidoro (Brazil)#
Sam Kerr (Australia)
Fran Kirby (Britain)
Stephanie Labbé (Canada)
Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden)
Chloe Logarzo (Australia)
Erin McLeod (Canada, reserve)
Teagan Micah (Australia)
Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands)
Kelly O’Hara (USA)
Fernanda Pinilla (Chile)
Quinn (Canada)
Megan Rapinoe (USA)
Aline Reis (Brazil)#
Jill Scott (Britain)
Caroline Seger (Sweden)
Kailen Sheridan (Canada)
Sherida Spitse (Netherlands)
Demi Stokes (Britain)
Carly Telford (Britain)
Daniëlle van de Donk (Netherlands)
Shanice van de Sanden (Netherlands)
Stefanie Van Der Gragt (Netherlands)#
Merel van Dongen (Netherlands)
Hannah Wilkinson (New Zealand)
Tameka Yallop (Australia)

Softball

Ally Carda (USA)
Amanda Chidester (USA)
Taylor Edwards (USA, reserve)
Larissa Franklin (Canada)
Joey Lye (Canada)#
Haylie McCleney (USA)
Kaia Parnaby (Australia)
Anissa Urtez (Mexico)

Surfing

Silvana Lima (Brazil)#
Sofia Mulanovich (Peru)#

Swimming

Rachele Bruni (Italy)
Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil)
Amini Fonua (Tonga)
Mélanie Henique (France)
Ari-Pekka Liukkonen (Finland)
Erica Sullivan (USA)
Markus Thormeyer (Canada)

Taekwondo

Jack Woolley (Ireland)

Tennis

Demi Schuurs (Netherlands)
Sam Stosur (Australia)
Alison van Uytvanck (Belgium)

Track and field

Michelle-Lee Ahye (Trinidad, sprints)#
Ramsey Angela (Netherlands, relays)#
Geisa Arcanjo (Brazil, shot put)#
Tom Bosworth (Britain, race walk)
Erica Bougard (USA, heptathlon)
Dutee Chand (India, sprints)
Aoife Cooke (Ireland, marathon)
Izabela da Silva (Brazil, discus)#
Gabriela DeBues-Stafford (Canada, 1500-meter)#
Yulimar Rojas (Venezuela, triple jump)
Raven Saunders (USA, shot put)
Senni Salminen (Finland, triple jump)#

Trampoline

Dominic Clarke (Australia)#

Volleyball

Ana Carolina (Brazil)#
Paola Egonu (Italy)#
Carol Gattaz (Brazil)#
Douglas Souza (Brazil)

Water Polo

Rowie Webster (Australia)#

Weightlifting

Laurel Hubbard (New Zealand)

Wrestling

Kayla Miracle (USA)

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