There have been 49[lower-alpha 1] modern Paralympians who have identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, non-binary, queer, or who have openly been in a same-sex relationship, including two who also competed at the Olympic Games. The first Paralympic Games in which an athlete now known to be LGBT+ competed was the 1992 Summer Paralympics.[lower-alpha 1]

The most decorated LGBT+ Olympian is British Paralympic equestrian Lee Pearson, with 17 medals including 14 golds.[lower-alpha 1] At least 31 LGBT+ Paralympians are medalists (63.27% of LGBT+ Paralympians), of which 15 have at least one gold medal (30.61%).[lower-alpha 1]

Overview

All based on the List of LGBT Paralympians

By sport
Sport Number of Olympians by gender[N 3]
Female Male Non-binary Total
Cisgender Transgender Intersex Cisgender Transgender Intersex
Alpine skiing 1 1
Athletics 4 1[N 4] 2[N 4] 7
Cycling 6 6
Equestrian 1 1
Goalball 2 2
Judo 1 1
Paracanoe 1 1
Parataekwondo 1 1
Paratriathlon 2 2
Rowing 6 1[N 4] 7
Shooting 1 1
Sitting cross-country skiing 1 1
Sitting volleyball 3 3
Swimming 3 2 5
Wheelchair basketball 14 14
Wheelchair fencing 1 1
Wheelchair tennis 1 1
Notes
  1. Including multi-year appearances of the same Olympian.
  2. Took place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  3. Including multi-disciplinary Olympians
  4. 1 2 3 Competed in a women's category

Key

Δ Was known to be widely out prior to their most recent Paralympic competition; contemporaneously out while competing

 Came out after competing

 Posthumously identified as LGBT+

  • Tables are default sorted by first Games appearance chronologically, then current surname or common nickname alphabetically, then first name alphabetically. They can be sorted by current surname (where used) or common nickname alphabetically; by country and sport alphabetically; by Games chronologically;[lower-alpha 2] and by medals as organised in Olympics medals tables.[lower-alpha 3]

Paralympic athletes and coaches

Athlete Country Sport Games Medal(s) Notes
Jen Armbruster Δ  United States Goalball 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Armbruster is married to Asya Miller, and was widely out before 2012.[1][2][3]
Rafael Polinario  Canada Swimming 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 After competing in the 1980 Summer Olympics for Cuba, Polinario sought asylum in Canada and became a coach for their Paralympic swimming team, particularly his daughter, Anne Polinario, and other Paralympians Elisabeth Walker-Young and Nydia Langill.[4][5][6][7][8]
Asya Miller Δ  United States Goalball 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Married Jen Armbruster prior to 2012.[3][9]
Lee Pearson Δ  Great Britain Equestrian 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Was widely out prior to 2012; was a Paralympic flagbearer in 2016.[10][11][12]
Allison Jones Δ  United States Alpine skiing, Cycling 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Jones was a flagbearer at the Rio 2016 Paralympics[13] in her last of eight Olympic appearances, having competed every two years alternating skiing and cycling since 2002.[14] She married a woman in 2014.[15]
Edênia Garcia Δ  Brazil Swimming 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Came out widely in 2019.[16][17]
Stephanie Wheeler Δ  United States Wheelchair basketball 2004, 2008, 2016 1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s) Won gold as a player in 2004 and 2008 (after which she came out), and as coach in 2016.[18][19]
Theresa Goh  Singapore Swimming 2008, 2012, 2016 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Goh came out widely in 2017,[20] though said she had never hidden her sexuality, and later reflected that the response in Singapore, where she had feared she could be jailed, had been quite positive.[21]
Josiane Lima Δ  Brazil Rowing 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Including the 2020 Games, Lima has competed at every Paralympics in which rowing has featured.[22][23] She was widely out prior to the 2020 Games,[24] and an advocate for combating queerphobia in Brazil.[25]
Angela Madsen Δ  United States Rowing, Athletics 2008, 2012, 2016 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Madsen competed in Paralympic rowing in 2008,[26] and then in Paralympic throwing events in 2012 and 2016,[27] winning her bronze medal in the shot put. She came out in 1981 while in the military, a year after the military-induced injury which paralysed her.[28] She died while rowing from Los Angeles to Hawaii in 2020.[29]
Cindy Ouellet Δ  Canada Wheelchair basketball, Sitting cross-country skiing 2008, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020 Ouellet competes in wheelchair basketball at the Summer Paralympics since 2008, and competed in different cross-country skiing events at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.[30] She was widely out prior to 2018.[31]
Monique Burkland Δ  United States Sitting volleyball 2012, 2016, 2020 1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s) Widely out prior to competing,[32] Burkland married her trans male partner, before he came out, in 2016. After he came out, Burkland said that her teammates were all supportive of them.[33]
Katie-George Dunlevy Δ  Ireland Cycling 2012, 2016, 2020 1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s) Widely out by the 2020 Games,[24] Dunlevy had come out at the age of 29 after being in denial "for years". She noted that, while cycling is not as largely queer as football or rugby when it comes to women, her own para cycling team was majority queer women. After the 2020 Games, she also told ESPN that people only approached her as an LGBT+ sportswoman in the run-up to those Games.[34]
Jude Hamer Δ  Great Britain Wheelchair basketball 2012, 2016, 2020 Widely out prior to 2020 Games, at which point she was in a relationship with pararower Lauren Rowles.[35]
Claire Harvey Δ  Great Britain Sitting volleyball, Athletics 2012, 2016 Harvey competed in sitting volleyball at the 2012 Paralympics. She was set to compete in the discus throw at the 2016 Paralympics but could not due to injury.[36][37] She was widely out prior to competing,[10][38] saying at the 2012 Games: "I've never been in the closet. I need everything that I am to take me on that court as best I can and that's part of me... I'd like to think I'm an athlete first, and if being gay is part of that, and gives young people some inspiration then all well and good."[39]
Crystal Lane-Wright Δ  Great Britain Cycling 2012, 2016, 2020 2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Widely out prior to the 2020 Games.[40]
Desiree Miller Δ  United States Wheelchair basketball 2012, 2016 1st place, gold medalist(s) Was married to German wheelchair basketball player Mareike Miller. Widely out prior to 2016.[41]
Mareike Miller Δ  Germany Wheelchair basketball 2012, 2016, 2020 1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s) While Miller competes at the Paralympics, she does not have a permanent disability; she took up wheelchair basketball after persistent injury curtailed her basketball career.[42] She was a flagbearer at the 2020 Games.[43] Was married to American wheelchair basketball player Desiree Miller.[41]
Moran Samuel Δ  Israel Rowing 2012, 2016, 2020 2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s) After Samuel suffered a spinal stroke during her basketball career, Samuel's wife suggested she try rowing. Samuel was a flagbearer at the 2020 Paralympics.[44]
Lucy Shuker Δ  Great Britain Wheelchair tennis 2012, 2016, 2020 2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Widely out prior to the 2020 Games.[24][45]
Marieke Vervoort Δ  Belgium Wheelchair racing 2012, 2016 1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s)3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Vervoort was an openly lesbian[32][38] Paralympic wheelchair racer who gained wide attention when, shortly before the 2016 Rio Games, she announced she planned to die by euthanasia and that going to Rio was her last wish.[46] She clarified this did not mean straight away;[47] she died in 2019.[48]
Emma Wiggs Δ  Great Britain Sitting volleyball, Paracanoe 2012, 2016, 2020 1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s) Widely out prior to the 2020 Games.[24] Wiggs competed in sitting volleyball in 2012, having been offered several sports at a paralympic talent identifying day but wanting to be involved in a team.[49] After 2012, she switched to paracanoeing.[50][51]
Laurie Williams Δ  Great Britain Wheelchair basketball 2012, 2016, 2020 Widely out prior to the 2020 Games. In a relationship with teammate Robyn Love.[24][11]
Yuliya Chernoy Δ  Israel Rowing, Shooting 2016, 2020 Married to her partner.[52]
Hailey Danz Δ  United States Paratriathlon 2016, 2020 2nd place, silver medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s) Widely out by the 2020 Games.[24][11]
Abby Dunkin Δ  United States Wheelchair basketball 2016 1st place, gold medalist(s) Widely out prior to competing.[53]
Megan Giglia Δ  Great Britain Cycling 2016 1st place, gold medalist(s) Widely out prior to competing.[54]
Laura Goodkind Δ  United States Rowing 2016, 2020 Goodkind identifies as gender neutral. They compete in mixed doubles as the female partner, and was widely out prior to the 2020 Games.[55][56]
Barbara Gross Δ  Germany Wheelchair basketball 2016, 2020 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Also known as Babsi Gross or Groß. She won a silver medal with her team in 2016 before the governing bodies of wheelchair basketball, including the International Paralympic Committee, altered their eligibility criteria in 2020.[57] After appealing the decision, Gross was allowed to continue competing.[58] Widely out prior to the 2020 Games.[24]
Bo Kramer Δ  Netherlands Wheelchair basketball 2016, 2020 Widely out prior to the 2020 Games.[24][59][60]
Robyn Love Δ  Great Britain Wheelchair basketball 2016, 2020 Widely out prior to the 2020 Games. In a relationship with teammate Laurie Williams.[24][11]
Alana Maldonado Δ  Brazil Judo 2016, 2020 1st place, gold medalist(s)2nd place, silver medalist(s) Widely out prior to the 2020 Games.[24] After winning gold in Tokyo, having taken silver at home in Rio, she told the media that she would not take off her gold medal until she got home and saw her girlfriend.[61]
Ness Murby  Canada Athletics 2016 The BBC noted that as a trans male athlete, their presence "created less of a stir" than trans female athletes.[62]
Lauren Rowles Δ  Great Britain Rowing 2016, 2020 1st place, gold medalist(s)1st place, gold medalist(s) Widely out prior to the 2020 Games, at which point she was in a relationship with wheelchair basketball player Judith Hamer.[35][63][64]
Tuany Barbosa Siqueira Δ  Brazil Athletics 2020 A judoka before her impairment, Barbosa began training in para athletics throwing events at the encouragement of a former teammate.[65][24]
Kaitlyn Eaton Δ  United States Wheelchair basketball 2020 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Widely out prior to competing.[24]
Terry Hayes Δ  United States Wheelchair fencing 2020 Widely out prior to competing.[66]
Querijn Hensen Δ  Netherlands Swimming 2020 [24]
Robyn Lambird Δ  Australia Athletics 2020 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Lambird became the first non-binary Paralympic medallist. They said that, growing up playing sports around men, they never felt they had to hide their gender identity and never felt unwelcome within those circles, but has spoken of how the disabled queer community is marginalised. They use social media as an advocacy platform for their community.[67][11]
Tara Llanes Δ  Canada Wheelchair basketball 2020 Widely out prior to competing.[24]
Débora Menezes Δ  Brazil Parataekwondo 2020 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Widely out prior to competing.[24]
Kate O'Brien Δ  Canada Cycling 2020 2nd place, silver medalist(s) O'Brien took up bobsleigh in university, and got as far as qualifying for the 2014 Winter Olympics before an injury took her out of competition. In her time out, she was recruited to join the Canadian track cycling team as they prepared for the 2016 Summer Olympics, at which she competed. At a track cycling demonstration in 2017, O'Brien was involved in a major crash and suffered traumatic injury; Team Canada incorporated her into their Paralympic track cycling team for the 2020 Games.[68][69] Widely out prior to the 2020 Games.[24]
Brenda Osnaya Δ  Mexico Paratriathlon 2020 Widely out prior to competing.[24] Osnaya has also competed in weightlifting, swimming and athletics as a para-athlete, and roller skating as an able-bodied athlete.[70]
Mariana Ribeiro Δ  Brazil Swimming 2020 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Widely out prior to competing.[24][71]
Lucy Robinson Δ  Great Britain Wheelchair basketball 2020 Widely out prior to competing.[11][24]
Courtney Ryan Δ  United States Wheelchair basketball 2020 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Widely out prior to competing.[24][72]
Monica Sereda Δ  United States Cycling 2020 Widely out prior to competing.[73]
Hallie Smith Δ  United States Rowing 2020 Widely out prior to competing.[24]
Maz Strong Δ  Australia Athletics 2020 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Strong was one of two out Australian non-binary para athletes at the 2020 Games.[67][11]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Based on the information collected on this page
  2. Where athletes have represented multiple countries, competed in multiple sports, and/or at multiple Games, the country/sport/Games they are sorted by is their first country/sport/Games chronologically.
  3. Based on most golds over total medals, then alphabetically by current surname or common nickname. In cases of medals for demonstration events and honourable mentions in artistic events, these are sorted between one bronze and no medals.

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Sources

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