Out Olympian Greg Louganis appeared
Saturday at Cleveland's City Club as the Gay Games 9 got underway.
Louganis, who won gold medals at the
1984 and 1988 Olympic Games, came out at the Gay Games held in New
York in 1994.
The Gay Games has “been a tradition
for me,” Louganis told the crowd. “This is where I came out and
spoke publicly about my sexual identity. There is a great history
here, and I want to continue that history in the spirit of [Gay Games
founder] Dr. Tom Waddell,” Louganis said. “It was Dr. Tom's
dream to build self-esteem through sports. He wanted to help prevent
teen suicide. We've come so far in the United States.”
(Related: Obama
helps open Gay Games 9.)
Louganis added that he does not see the
event, held every four years, as a gay rights protest but rather a
celebration.
“The organizers stress that everyone
is welcome. They welcome all with open arms,” Louganis said. “I
don't view the Gay Games as a protest, because it's inclusive. It's
not about being gay. It's about inclusion. We have a lot of
straight athletes who participate. It's a celebration of our
commonality.”