Understanding The Stigma Behind Being An LGBT Athlete

Understanding the Stigma Behind Being An LGBT Athlete
FILE - In this Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012 file photo Thomas Daley of Great Britain holds up his bronze medal after the men's 10-meter platform diving final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Olympic diver Tom Daley says he is in a relationship with a man. Daley says in a five-minute video clip released for his fans on YouTube and published on Monday Dec. 2, 2013 that he wanted "to put an end to all the rumors and speculation... " (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
FILE - In this Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012 file photo Thomas Daley of Great Britain holds up his bronze medal after the men's 10-meter platform diving final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Olympic diver Tom Daley says he is in a relationship with a man. Daley says in a five-minute video clip released for his fans on YouTube and published on Monday Dec. 2, 2013 that he wanted "to put an end to all the rumors and speculation... " (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

In a short, five-minute YouTube announcement Monday (video below), cherished 19-year-old British Olympian Tom Daley revealed that he is currently in a relationship with another man. According to Outsports, Daley joins just over 100 openly gay and lesbian summer Olympians, which raises an interesting question: in an increasingly accepting world, why are there still so few openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) athletes?

Daley briefly addresses what is thought to be a taboo topic in his video announcement, reassuring his fans that he is still the same athlete despite his sexual preferences.

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