Billie Jean King
President Barack Obama named the U.S. delegation to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics and included gays and lesbians in his selection.
One of the five members of the opening ceremony delegation is lesbian, and one of the five closing ceremony delegation members is lesbian. Then there is an ambiguously gay duo.
For the opening ceremony, tennis champ Billie Jean King will be among the official delegation. King has won 39 grand slam titles during her career and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“I am equally proud to stand with the members of the LGBT community in support of all athletes who will be competing in Sochi, and I hope these Olympic Games will indeed be a watershed moment for the universal acceptance of all people,”the lesbian tennis star said.
Among the five opening ceremony delegates is Olympic figure skater Brian Boitano. He has denied he is gay and has refused to talk to the gay press over the years. When asked why most people assume figure skaters are gay, he answered, “Sequins and glitter.”
The opening ceremony takes place on Feb. 7 in Sochi, Russia.
Among the five official delegates to the closing ceremony is Caitlin Cahow who is an Olympic silver medalist and bronze medalist in women’s ice hockey. Cahow is lesbian.
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano is another of the five closing ceremony delegates. While lesbian rumors have swirled around her for years, Napolitano has said she’s not gay, just a single workaholic.
The closing ceremony will be held Feb. 23.
Russia enacted an anti-gay law this year that makes any demonstration of being gay illegal. Gays and lesbians could be imprisoned for any public indication of their sexual orientation. Having delegates many assume are gay should be an equally effective protest against the Russian anti-gay law as having openly gay delegates. Bigots won’t know who they’re actually supposed to discriminate against.
