Mitcham only gay Aussie celeb to talk

The news.com in Australia wanted to talk to openly gay Australian celebrities about the hurdles of being gay, and had their angle when the only one who would talk to them was Olympic diving champion Matthew Mitcham.

One celebrity talent manager, who did not wish to be named, told news.com.au he advised clients not to discuss their sexuality, even if everyone knew they were gay, because homophobia was still rampant amongst the gatekeepers of the Aussie media, particularly in television. …

News.com.au had a hard time getting anyone from Australia’s handful of openly gay celebrities to speak about their experiences publicly. Apart from sports star Mitcham, who was happy to talk, everyone else was said to be “too busy.”

The story mentions Australian celebrities whom I have never heard of, so I am sure how big they are Down Under. One agent said that no one should discuss their sexuality, gay or straight. This sounds logical and progressive until you realize that straight celebrities never have to declare their heterosexuality; their very public romantic affairs pushed by the media cement this status for them. Mitcham, though, told why he wasn’t about to hide.

“I wanted to go into the Olympics with people knowing exactly who I was and exactly who they were going to support,” he said.

“I would have felt like I was lying by omission. It would have felt a bit deceitful to hide such a huge aspect of my life and my personality and who I am.”

Hear, hear. No BS spin about how “it’s nobody’s business.” Mitcham is gay, is not ashamed of it and did not torture himself with a million reasons to hide something that is an innate part of him. And by bringing his significant other to the Olympics, he did what straight athletes have been doing for decades. He seems no worse for having done it — he has secured a major sponsor, was named a health ambassador by the country’s prime minister and will be leading Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade this weekend.

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