Gay rights campaigners have welcomed Dame Kelly Holmes’ decision to come out at the age of 52, in a move that sparked questions about how many older people remain afraid to be open about their sexuality after growing up in more homophobic times.
She described how after winning gold medals in the 800m and 1,500m at the Athens Olympics in 2004, she was plagued with worry that she would be outed. “Kelly Holmes is the tip of the iceberg,” said the gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, adding that there were “several other huge British sports starts who haven’t been able to come out”.“They grew up in an era of often toxic homophobia and even though Britain is more liberal today they have been scarred by that experience for life,” he said.
In 2003 she cut herself with scissors before the World Athletics Championships in France. She recalled: “I was in a holding camp bathroom and literally wanted to scream so loud, I put the tap on to dull my tears. I did not want to be here any more.”
Do you do any REAL stories these days, or just this kind of crap?