Ian Thorpe, the Australian Olympic
swimmer nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey, has come out gay.
According to The
Sydney Morning Herald, Thorpe will announce for the first
time publicly that he's gay during an interview with Sir Michael
Parkinson to be broadcast Sunday night on Australia's Channel TEN.
In a promo for the “no limits”
interview, Parkinson is seen asking Thorpe about his sexuality.
“You've always said that you're not
gay. Is all of that true?” Parkinson asks.
The 31-year-old Thorpe has won five
Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian. He was also the
most successful athlete to compete at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Thorpe denied rumors he's gay in his
autobiography This Is Me.
“For the record, I am not gay and all
my sexual experiences have been straight. I'm attracted to women, I
love children and aspire to have a family one day … I know what
it's like to grow up and be told what your sexuality is, then
realising that it's not the full reality. I was accused of being gay
before I knew who I was,” he wrote.
In interviews to promote the book,
Thorpe added that the persistent rumors question his integrity.
“Yeah, look, the thing that I find
hurtful about it is that people are questioning kind of my integrity
and what I say,” said Thorpe. “That's the only part that I find
hurtful. Like is that, you know, this is something that I would be
embarrassed about, that I would hide or whatever else.”
“I don't want to offend anyone that,
you know, whether they're people [who] have friends that are gay or
whatever else, I don't want to offend them by … getting angry about
it, getting frustrated about it. The only part that I'm frustrated
with is that people think that I'm lying,” he added.
I've always hated when those who think they know better, out people who aren't ready to be outed.
I'm a firm believer that being out is a very personal matter and is one best left up to the individual in question...unless of course they are a virulently anti-gay asshole who continuously use political stature to undermine the community.
3 comments:
Well said. It is very important to be seen as simply a man or a woman without pre-judgement during an early career, and easier for an established individual to help overcome the stigma and stereotype once success is achieved. Far to go but we are on the path. Hope I live to see the day it doesn't matter. B
I also fully agree with you, it is up to one self whether you want to let people know whether you are gay or not. It certainly is not the media's task to question your sexuality. It happened to our Queen's second son Friso, who later married the beautiful Mabel and had two daughters. He died one year after a disastrous skiïng accident. In all the obituaries they again stressed that he come out officially to deny that he was gay, as if that was not extra painfulfor his mother. At the time after he denied it in very diplomatic terms he by the same media got accused of being anti-gay. Media are rotters.
It will be of some interest how he explains his previous denials; probably he was afraid of ostracism - in one way or another. I really admire (& well understand many gays' dilemmas) & strongly empathize & rejoice in their heroism in overcoming fears.
Looking at him - his face, and remembering him (only vaguely, to be honest) from his Olympic star-turns (caught v little of last few Olympics - time constraints & other priorities) - IMhO he's homely. Very, too.
SAYING that: Putting my mouth were my mind already is - IF at this stage of my life I were a decently handsome & magnificently muscled (MY turn-on priorities are revealed!) young gay male - I'd immediately propose to him. If not marriage, at least, a VD-free (on MY part!) sexual liaison - till he tire of me - or one year, whichever came first.
Oh, he can come/cum first each & every time! I'm nothing if not a caring, considerate lover!
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