Out Olympic diver Tom Daley has called
on athletes to come out to help LGBT youth struggling with their
sexuality.
Daley, who is raising a son with his
husband, Hollywood producer Dustin Lance Black, made his comments
during an interview with Yahoo News UK.
“I’m sure that in the world of
sport there are people that are closeted and feel they can’t come
out and feel trapped and I feel really bad for them because it’s
such a weight on your shoulders to be living like that,” said
Daley, who came out bisexual in a YouTube video in 2013.
“Everyone is ready at different times
and there is no right or wrong way to do it, it’s just a matter of
being able to do it when you’re ready. But knowing that people in
sport, especially a high profile sport, if you were to come out and
share your personal story it would help so many young children that
look up to you – whether it be a football player or a rugby player
– and think, ‘Oh wow! Who I am isn’t going to stop me [from]
being able to achieve my dreams in sport.'”
“If anything, being slightly
different and being that person can help you be stronger and deal
with a lot of different pressures when it comes to competition,”
the 25-year-old British diver added.