From the closet to the podium & beyond: How LGBTQ+ Olympians have become unbeatable
Olympics seemed like a fait accompli. A four-time gold medalist, the California native was an American icon. With sun-kissed skin and an Adonis-like physique, Louganis was made for TV.
Except, he wasn’t part of Olympics coverage. When network execs were weighing whether to feature Louganis as part of their Olympics presentation, one of his competitors for the position told the event’s director and producer his big secret.
Louganis wasn’t only gay. He was also HIV-positive. The revelation ensured that Louganis would stay off the telecast and away from most commercial opportunities.
As a gay man living with HIV, he was deemed too risky. Gold medals be damned. Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.“For certain attitudes across the country, HIV was killing the right people: homosexuals, IV drug users and prostitutes,” Louganis told Queerty. “There was a moral underpinning of prejudice.
