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The
gay
community
has
been
very
critical
regarding
the
numbers
of
athletes
closeting
themselves
at
the
Olympics.
How
very
selfish,
they
say,
of
those
same
athletes
to
work
their
entire
lives
sacrificing
blood,
sweat,
and
tears
to
get
to
these
very
moments
and
then
fail
to
mention
their
homosexuality!
How
dare
they
only
think
about
themselves
after
working
their
entire
lives
for
this
moment!
If
we
had
it
our
way,
a
separate
rainbow
flag
would
lavishly
be
paraded
in
the
grandest
of
stadiums
at
every
Opening
Ceremonies
from
this
point
forward!
Granted,
out
of
the
thousands
of
Olympic
athletes
participating
in
the
2008
Beijing
Olympic
Games,
only
11
have
publicly
admitted
their
homosexuality.
Considering
the
more
obvious
situations
(i.e.
the
women’s
softball
teams,
and
occasionally
the
male
gymnasts
and
divers),
one
wouldn’t
be
taking
a
leap
of
faith
to
claim
that
the
“jig
is
up”
over
the
number
of
GLBTs
participating
in
the
Games.
Every
four
years,
this
historical
event
could
potentially
play
as
a
success
story
for
the
gay
community,
while
the
world
watches
the
triumphs
of
homosexuals
from
across
the
globe.
People
who
think
gay
athletes
have
a
responsibility
to
come
out
publicly
need
to
wake
up
to
the
fact
that
the
Olympics
Games
are
not
about
their
ulterior
motives.
The
arguments
that
still
exist
like,
the
need
for
gay
role
models
and
to
prove
that
there
are
more
gays
out
there
than
people
think,
are
just
cop
outs
for
the
desire
to
perpetuate
an
identity
that
is
not
fully
accepted
by
an
ignorant
society.
Case
in
point,
I’ve
come
a
long
way
in
my
sexuality
and
it
had
nothing
to
do
with
a
gay
role
model.
We
are
people.
The
Olympics
is
about
humanity
coming
together
to
celebrate
sports.
Outside
of
the
Olympics,
maybe
these
individuals
should
be
working
toward
gay
rights
and
human.
Sexuality,
however,
has
nothing
to
do
with
who
won
a
relay
race
or
what
world
record
was
broken.
The
amount
of
stress
that
falls
on
these
athletes’
backs
alone
during
competition
days
should
be
the
only
thing
they
have
to
handle.
In
the
summer
of
2000,
I
competed
in
the
Olympic
Games
in
Sydney,
in
the
sport
of
judo.
Unfortunately,
my
Olympic
debut
at
those
games,
as
the
youngest
player
ever
to
compete
in
judo
for
the
United
States,
did
not
go
well.
After
jogging
for
30
minutes
in
order
to
qualify
for
the
48
kilogram
division,
I
stood
in
line
for
a
weigh
in,
naked
and
emaciated;
I
looked
like
I
hadn’t
eaten
in
days.
After
a
four
minute
battle
that
resulted
in
a
loss,
I
fell
into
the
arms
of
my
coach
and
began
bawling.
And
as
the
escorts
led
me
to
the
back
of
the
venue,
I
held
my
head
low;
my
family
wanted
to
see
me,
reporters
wanted
a
quote.
Regardless,
with
a
“Team
USA”
sweater
over
my
face
and
headphones
in
ears,
I
just
left.
I
wasn’t
at
those
games
to
give
quotes
to
the
press.
At
those
same
games,
a
Brazilian
judo
player
by
the
name
of
Edinanci
Silva,
who
was
born
with
both
female
and
male
organs,
was
criticized
after
her
win
over
Australian
judo
player
Natalie
Jenkins.
The
IOC
went
so
far
as
to
cotton
swab
Silva
to
prove
that
she
was
a
female.
I
had
come
in
contact
with
the
very
genuine
Silva
on
a
regular
basis.
All
she
wanted
to
do
was
focus
on
the
sport
that
she
felt
so
passionate
about.
Unfortunately,
the
politics
of
her
gender
identity
still
had
to
become
an
issue.
She
was
not
there
to
make
a
statement
on
the
issues
affecting
people
born
intersex;
she
was
just
a
person
who
wanted
to
win
a
gold
medal
at
the
Olympics.
The
GLBT
community
should
let
gay
athletes
deal
with
gay
issues
off
of
the
podium.
In
the
name
of
the
Olympic
spirit
and
humanity…
shut
up
and
let
gay
athletes
focus
on
the
endeavors
that
they
have
worked
so
hard
to
reach.
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