According to OutSports.com, of the 10,708 athletes at the Olympics this year, just 10 have identified themselves publicly as being gay. Of the 10, Australian diver Matthew Mitcham is the only male gay athlete.
And guess what ? As we know our boy won the gold in the in the 10m platform diving event, scoring an upset over the Chinese Team, which was heavily favored to win. But as Maggie Hendricks at Yahoo’s Olympics blog notes, NBC never mentioned Michams's orientation or his significant other. That is just so wrong. What’s wrong with NBC?
“NBC did not mention Mitcham’s orientation, nor did they show his family and partner who were in the stands. NBC has made athletes’ significant others a part of the coverage in the past, choosing to spotlight track athlete Sanya Richards’ fiancee, a love triangle between French and Italian swimmers and Kerri Walsh’s wedding ring debacle.”
In his press interview after the event, however, Mitcham stood with both his mother and his partner, Lachlan, thanking them for the support they’ve provided. Mitcham first came out earlier this year in an interview with the Syndney Morning Herald. Mitcham said that they couldn’t afford for Lachlan to attend the games, so had applied for — and was awarded — a grant through the Johnson & Johnson Athlete Family Support Program to send him to Beijing.
Kudos to the cool reporter. Big hug to Johnson & Johnson Athlete Family Support Program. High fives to Lachlan and the Mitcham family. Wild and wiggly chicken dance to Matthew Mitchan for winning the gold !!!
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